Joe St Germain’s Post

What’s one of the best ways #CustomerSuccess teams can help themselves build better relationships with product? When reviewing feedback, include details like:  ✅ Who specifically requested the feature, and why?  ✅ How much revenue is potentially impacted by the feature?  ✅ How many customers will the feature affect?  ✅ What value does this feature offer to the wider customer base?  ✅ Does this feature address the root of the problem or is it a superficial solution?

Listen intently to your customer's problems... ...but don't let them design your product Early-stage founders often fall into the trap of their customer's definition of the ideal product. That's a quick path to failure 🤮 Most likely, the solution one customer describes will only work for that one customer. Instead, watch out for patterns in your customer conversations that let you solve for the market. tl;dr Solve for the market, not for one customer.

I had once heard a leader say that product building is just one part of the entrepreneur’s journey, one of the bigger things to focus on is "customer delight" - and this has stayed with me. When I reflect on my journey at Motorola Solutions, Mindtickle, Persistent Systems and now Zipy, we have always been customer first. A key factor for customer success is to prioritize their problems and address it quickly and efficiently. Zipy addresses exactly this need to help you stay on top of your production bugs and solve them real quick. The way I sum it up 🚀 Company Success >> 🤩 Customer Delight >> ⏩ Fast turn around >> 😊 Zipy In the hustle of daily operations, it's easy to overlook the impact that quick and efficient problem-solving has on a company's success. In case - If you are facing churn and if its because of a buggy product you know what to do. - If you are on a significant growth path and have too many customers to handle, well then also know what to do 😁

What if nobody wants your product? Yet it's true. Customers want solutions, not products. This shift in perspective can massively change how we approach customer success. Stop selling, start solving. Understand deeply your customer’s pains and guide them towards the solution they need. You're not just a seller; you're a problem solver. Surprisingly not many businesses want ANOTHER app on their phone - but if it stops their wallet from looking like a rolodex and means they can save more tax with better record keeping 🤷♂️ Let's redefine success - businesses thrive when their customers do. What problems do [actually] you solve for your clients? #WhatIfWednesdays

🔍 When did you talk to a customer last?🗣️ Successful product discovery begins with customer conversations. 🤝 Whether it's been weeks, months, years, or never, remember once you you start making assumptions about your customers the risk is increasing! ⚠️ To build products that truly resonate, engage with your customers regularly. 🚀 And don't forget to nurture your OST (Opportunity Solution Tree) 🌳 – it's not a static document. Not talking to customers leads to products like the Apple Pencil in the picture 🤦🏼♂️ #ProductDiscovery #productmanagement #CustomerConversations #OST

"I submitted a feature request but I can't give you an ETA yet" very often translates as "your request will now be stuck in limbo forever" 🙃 Of course not always, but that's often the experience from a customer's standpoint. That's why, even though it's a safe answer, it's not my preferred one. While I do use this kind of disclaimer myself quite often, I make sure that customers truly understand what it means by explaining: - There is a prioritization process at play. You don't have to describe it in detail, but it's essential to ensure customers understand why something won't happen overnight. - Ideally, your organization can bring as much benefit to as many customers as possible for the longest time possible, and it has to be aligned with business goals. - To represent your customer properly to the Dev & Product teams, you need to choose priorities carefully. You can't just prioritize 10 requests for each of your customers because none of them will be taken care of, and everyone will think you're crazy. - You'll try to identify more clients with similar needs, which could boost the priority. In #CustomerSuccess, transparency isn't just a buzzword – it's your golden ticket to building rock-solid relationships with your clients 💛 So, to avoid being repeatedly asked "Where's my requested feature?", make sure you are transparent about the process and set the expectations right. Don't string someone along.

One of the biggest divides I've seen in product-led orgs: Product <> Success teams. We’ve spoken to so many Product teams that prioritise and plan in a silo. Then they present their high-level roadmap once a quarter to Customer Success. Not only does this put CS on the back foot, but customers become frustrated when they aren’t sure if their problems will be solved or not. Enter churn. CS are the best people to partner with: 1. CS are an extension of your largest and most impactful customers 2. CS have been in the weeds with your customers and know their problems in detail e.g. where they're being blocked from adopting or expanding 3. CS don’t think in short-term deal lifecycles, and genuinely care about the customers health e.g. adoption, retention Stronger alignment between PM & CS means a better understanding of your customers needs and faster impact. We’re building Sauce to close the feedback loop between Product 🤝 CS teams.

Hey LinkedIn! For those who are new to following me, I focus on #customersuccess, #customerexperience, and #customerfirst. let's support our customers achieve their dreams, removing roadblocks, partnering, guiding, advising, being trusted. I have been a long time believer of the intrinsic connection between product engineering, sales, delivery and support. Customer Success is a mindset that is inherent to every step of the journey. Thus, we are all performing some aspect of customer success in our daily roles. Through collaboration between ourselves and with customers we can all achieve our dreams #customersatisfaction #customercentric #customerfeedback

Sometimes moving fast is not best way forward Sometimes you need to be thorough with your approach, build exactly what your customers need. Don't try to add everything under the sun which could backfire and your product might not be a fit for the customers anymore. This is exactly what I did - Didn't think it through properly - Rushed to code - Eager to show to customers It is a classic rookie mistake but you can turn it around by engaging with your customers and asking them exactly what they need. Next time if you are building something for your customers, don't forget to include them in the process.

I debated whether or not to post this when my larger thoughts occurred to me about how it could send the message CS = Support, but I think it illustrates something bigger about the function of Customer Success. Here’s what I tell my customers: I’m your source of truth for Zapier. Here’s what I mean: I will authentically communicate with you. Sh*t happens and when you’re utilizing a product for critical business function, having a human being to be the glue between customer and product is priceless. I love my work. Are you stuck at a tipping point with an existing subscription and need a human being? Let’s talk.