Foster collaboration with account teams

Introduction

Successful expansion relies on seamless collaboration between customer success and account teams. When these teams work together effectively, they can align their efforts to identify and act on growth opportunities, ensuring that customer needs are met and business objectives are achieved. This article will guide you through best practices for fostering collaboration between customer success and account teams, building on the comprehensive account plans developed previously. By establishing regular communication and joint strategies, you can drive coordinated efforts that enhance customer relationships and support expansion goals.

Why does this matter?

Fostering collaboration with account teams is crucial for several reasons:

• Aligned objectives: Ensures that all teams are working towards the same expansion goals.

• Enhanced communication: Facilitates the sharing of insights and strategies, improving overall efficiency.

• Stronger relationships: Builds trust and cohesion among teams, leading to more effective collaboration.

• Improved customer outcomes: Joint efforts result in better understanding and fulfillment of customer needs, driving growth and satisfaction.

How to get started

To effectively foster collaboration with account teams, follow these steps:

Step 1: Establish regular communication channels

1. Set up regular meetings

   • Weekly syncs: Schedule weekly meetings between customer success and account teams to discuss progress, challenges, and upcoming actions.

   • Quarterly business reviews (QBRs): Conduct QBRs to align on strategic goals, review account performance, and plan for future initiatives.

2. Utilize collaboration tools

   • Shared dashboards: Use Gainsight dashboards to provide a unified view of account metrics and progress.

   • Communication platforms: Leverage tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams for real-time communication and collaboration.

Step 2: Align on goals and strategies

1. Define joint objectives

   • Expansion targets: Set clear targets for upsell and cross-sell opportunities that both teams are responsible for achieving.

   • Success metrics: Agree on key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of collaborative efforts.

2. Create shared action plans

   • Strategic initiatives: Develop joint initiatives that outline specific actions each team will take to support expansion goals.

   • Responsibility matrix: Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member to ensure accountability.

Step 3: Share insights and feedback

1. Conduct regular check-ins

   • Status updates: Hold regular check-ins to discuss the status of ongoing initiatives, share insights, and address any roadblocks.

   • Feedback sessions: Schedule sessions to gather feedback from team members and identify areas for improvement.

2. Leverage customer insights

   • Customer feedback: Share insights from customer interactions, surveys, and health scores to inform joint strategies.

   • Data analysis: Use Gainsight’s analytics tools to analyze customer data and identify trends that can guide collaborative efforts.

Step 4: Monitor and adjust collaboration efforts

1. Track progress

   • Performance metrics: Use dashboards and reports to monitor the progress of joint initiatives and measure their impact.

   • Regular reviews: Schedule regular reviews to assess the effectiveness of collaboration efforts and make necessary adjustments.

2. Refine strategies

   • Continuous improvement: Gather feedback from team members and customers to continuously refine and improve collaborative strategies.

   • Adapt to change: Stay agile and be ready to adjust plans based on new insights and changing customer needs.

Gainsight features you'll need

• Dashboards: To provide a unified view of account metrics and progress.

• Journey Orchestrator: For coordinating joint initiatives and tracking their execution.

• Success Plan: To share progress of your customers’ key goals using Objective CTAs and their associated tasks.

What’s next?

Effective collaboration between customer success and account teams sets the stage for analyzing closed deals and drawing valuable insights for future expansion efforts. Our next article will guide you through conducting post-mortem analyses on closed lost/won deals to identify success factors and barriers, helping you refine your strategies and drive continued growth.

Further reading and inspiration

• Pulse Video: Best Practices for Effective Success Planning

• Pulse Video: Teamwork Triumphs: Unlocking Success through Customer-Centric Collaboration

• Blog: Why Customer Success Should (and Shouldn’t) Own Account Management