Your question is a great one; and as for many great questions, unfortunately I don't believe there's a universal answer. My #1 piece of advice would be to make a list of all the activities in post-sales that need to get done, and then cluster those activities into logical roles (which may include some or all of the roles I list in my blog post on organizational charters). If, as a thought experiment, you define CSM broadly as "work that you do in order to pave the way for the renewal," then actually we have 2 roles at Gainsight that count as CSM: Client Outcomes and Customer Success Architects. Client Outcomes Managers are focused on strategic work; Customer Success Architects are focused on technical work.





That said, let me try to provide you with some more specific guidance. Your target profile for CSM will depend on a number of variables. Here are a few:





(1) Are you focused on small customers (resulting in high account ratios per CSM), or large customers (low account ratios)?





If small: Hire folks who can execute a process consistently


If large: Hire folks who can have a strategic conversation with an exec





(2) Are you a startup or an established company?





If startup: Hire folks who can wear multiple hats and thrive in ambiguity


If established: Hire folks who can represent your brand well





(3) Are you growing quickly or more stable?





If quickly: Hire folks who can create their own processes so that they don't reinvent the wheel every time


If stable: Hire folks who want to achieve excellence by a standard you define





(4) Is your product highly technical?





If so: Hire technical folks





(5) Does your product require significant business process change?





If so: Consider hiring folks with change management experience (e.g. at a consulting firm)

---