My Customers of My Customers – 6 Points Driving Customer Success

It was a decade ago when I was asked to create and lead a new #CustomerSuccess (CX) initiative as a leader in global Human Capital Management Solutions. We had a handful of new Charter Clients and no real roadmap – after all Retention, Churn, Advocacy, Engagement, Experience, and Success were as new as #SaaS itself. We came to realize that a formula of “engaging customers personally to enhance them professionally” worked.

It is not important to rehash the trials and errors, distinctive touch, tech touch, books of business, and the like. What stands out to me is that we knew “our” customers and knew them well. Of course, the base consisted exclusively of “direct” B2B customers with clearly articulated desires - their stated business outcomes. They were MY Customers.

So, how do we apply the foundational principles of CX to drive the same level of outcome for the customers of our #channelpartners? What is our role in ensuring greater #employeeengagement through a wonderful experience at the end user level? What expectations do our partners have?

Here are six steps we are taking at One Donation to ensure customer success permutates through to the end user:

1. Training – specific partner training for each client-facing team.
2. Demonstrations – well-defined scripts and demo instances.
3. Direct Sales Support – direct help to ensure business outcomes are met.
4. Materials – to educate teams and prospective clients.
5. Dedicated Customer Success Executive – from discovery to end user rollout and support per partner.
6. Open and Responsive - respond with a sense of urgency (it is the ante to play).

What am I missing? I would love to hear your thoughts, especially from those of you who are in CX in a B2B Channel Delivery Model.

Be well,

Howard