This one goes out to the people in the back: customer success is not monolithic. It’s all well and good talking about the ins and outs of the customer success function, but one size definitely doesn't fit all.

Now, Customer Success Manager roles can vary wildly depending on the organization's priorities and business model. In some companies, CSMs are sales superstars who live and breathe renewals and upsells. But in other organizations, CSMs take on more of a project manager hat, directing and overseeing the successful delivery of the product or service. 

So, while all CSMs want happy customers and shared value, their day-to-day reality can be quite different depending on what their employer requires of them.

This important nuance is what brings Romiel Noumbissi, Customer Success Manager at Synup, back on the podcast.

Tune in to find out just how to evaluate these very different CSM roles.

Key points

  • Which key metrics are utilized by sales-focused CSMs vs. project-delivery CSMs.
  • Onboarding is crucial across both models to form a good vendor reputation and relationship with the customer.
  • Achieving time to first value requires understanding the customer's use case, maintaining open communication, and setting realistic expectations.
  • When transitioning between models, CSMs should understand the new organization's expectations, draw connections from their experience, and ask questions about the role in interviews.
  • CSMs should tailor their résumés and highlight relevant metrics – sales-focused roles may highlight revenue metrics more, while project-focused roles emphasize delivery metrics.

A little bit about Romiel

Romiel’s an experienced software professional with a background in customer success management, partner onboarding, and corporate sales. 

Throughout Romiel’s career, he’s successfully managed portfolios ranging from dozens of customers to hundreds, implemented growth strategies at startups and public companies alike, and delivered complex projects to drive revenue growth and customer retention.

Resources

🫂 Connect with Romiel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.
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Do you have a lot to say about successful customers?

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Whatever it is, we’re always looking to elevate new stories and tidbits of wisdom on CS School and encourage you to get involved!