Introduction
Early engagement is a critical predictor of customer success, and monitoring engagement during the onboarding phase allows your team to intervene if a customer appears to be disengaging. By tracking early engagement metrics and adapting communication based on customer behaviors, you can ensure that customers receive the support they need to stay on track. This article will guide you through monitoring early engagement and adjusting communication strategies in Gainsight, keeping customers engaged and progressing smoothly.
Step 1: Track Key Early Engagement Metrics
The first step in ensuring successful onboarding is to define and monitor the key metrics that reflect early engagement. These metrics provide insight into a customer’s initial interaction with your product, allowing you to identify any early signs of disengagement.
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Feature Usage: Track which features new customers are exploring and using regularly. Use Adoption Explorer to monitor feature adoption and engagement trends, identifying areas where customers may need additional guidance.
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Login Frequency: Monitor login frequency to gauge whether customers are actively using the product. Customers who log in infrequently during the onboarding phase may require additional encouragement. Set up tracking within Scorecards to visualize login frequency for each customer.
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Completion of Onboarding Tasks: Use Success Plans to track the completion of essential onboarding tasks, such as product setup or initial training sessions. Customers who fall behind on task completion may benefit from extra support.
Step 2: Automate Alerts and Adjust Outreach for Low Engagement
Automated alerts and targeted outreach help your team proactively engage with customers who are showing signs of low engagement.
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Set Up Automated CTAs for Low Engagement: Configure Rules Engine to trigger CTAs when customers meet certain low-engagement thresholds, such as infrequent logins or minimal feature usage. This enables CSMs to reach out and offer guidance before disengagement becomes a serious risk.
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Personalize Outreach Based on Engagement Levels: Use Journey Orchestrator to tailor emails based on early engagement metrics. For example, send automated messages to low-engagement customers that provide tips, tutorials, or invitations to training sessions. This approach allows you to address each customer’s specific needs and encourage deeper engagement.
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Escalate to CSM for High-Priority Accounts: If a high-value customer is showing low engagement, create a CTA that prompts the CSM to take immediate action, such as scheduling a personalized check-in or offering tailored support. This ensures that key accounts receive extra attention when early engagement is low.
Step 3: Refine Communication Strategies Based on Engagement Insights
Monitoring engagement metrics not only allows you to provide immediate support but also enables you to refine your communication strategies over time.
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Analyze Engagement Trends Across Segments: Use Dashboards to view engagement trends across different customer segments, identifying patterns that may require specific adjustments. For example, if SMBs tend to engage less with advanced features during onboarding, consider simplifying the onboarding materials for this segment.
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Optimize Messaging for Low-Engagement Customers: Review the effectiveness of your outreach messages and refine the content based on engagement outcomes. If specific messages consistently underperform, try rephrasing them or introducing new incentives, such as product tips or exclusive resources, to increase impact.
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Gather Feedback from Customers and CSMs: Use Surveys to gather feedback from customers on the onboarding experience and engagement materials. Additionally, solicit input from CSMs who regularly interact with customers, as they can offer insights into common engagement challenges and recommend messaging improvements.
Next Steps for Success
With a proactive approach to monitoring early engagement and refining communication strategies, your team can ensure customers receive targeted support and stay on track. Regularly review engagement trends and feedback to fine-tune your outreach, ensuring it aligns with customer needs and improves early engagement.
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