Customer Relationship Management in SaaS

The bar for customer success in SaaS is rising. Forget one-size-fits-all tactics - it's time to embrace these game-changing trends to keep your customers singing: 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡-𝐅𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐡: 👉🏻 AI & ML take centre stage: Use predictive analytics to identify at-risk users and proactively personalize journeys. Chatbots, anyone? 👉🏻 Automation amplifies impact: Free up CSMs for high-touch interactions by automating repetitive tasks like onboarding and churn alerts. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬: 👉🏻 Hyper-personalization: Tailor content, recommendations, and outreach based on individual customer data and needs. Remember, it's all about them! 👉🏻 Community over competition: Foster user communities for peer-to-peer learning, advocacy, and deeper brand loyalty. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬: 👉🏻 Data-driven decisions: Go beyond intuition and gut feelings. Make customer success a data-driven sprint, with metrics and dashboards guiding the way. 👉🏻 Remote-first focus: Asynchronous communication, virtual events, and collaborative tools are here to stay. Embrace them to reach and support customers, wherever they are. 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬: 👉🏻 Metrics that matter: Move beyond vanity metrics like logo count. Focus on measuring outcomes that drive business growth, like customer lifetime value and retention. 👉🏻 Optimising workflows: Streamline internal processes to ensure seamless customer journeys. Every touchpoint counts! 📢 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐩: Remember, customer success is not a department, it's a mindset. Embed it across your entire organisation to thrive in the competitive SaaS landscape. Excited to hear your thoughts! What trends are shaping your SaaS customer success strategy in 2024? #customersuccess #saas #CStrends #CScommunity

The best sales handoff... is no sales handoff. Enterprise SaaS customers spend a great deal of time in the "pre sales" process with account executives. They don't expect to have to start from scratch with a services team after they sign an agreement. No matter how many - AI call summaries you share - notes you log in the CRM, or - transition intake forms AEs and SEs fill out you will never be able to fully "transition" a customer from the sales process to implementation. Not without some level of high-touch engagement that spans the pre- and post-initial sale legs of the customer journey. Why? Because it's not just information that's transitioning. It's a relationship with the client and their needs. So what's the solution? Pulling service delivery forward into the sales process. Utilize a senior solution consultant or engagement manager to: 1/ help gather requirements Someone responsible for delivery asks different questions than those who aren't. Keep in mind, this scares sales reps. So WHO you assign to pre-sales consulting is critical. They must align with getting to yes and closing business. 2/ develop prototypes and mockups Sure, the prospect likes your product and the stories you've told about how other customers use it. But the problem they need to solve is how your product will work in their world. Careers are made and broken on strategic software implementations. It's personal. Want a champion? You need more than a product, you need a credible SOLUTION for each prospect. 3/ map out the plan Closely aligned with number 2, but what are the steps you will use to bring the solution online for the customer. If they can see it, they can champion it. But if they can't, you don't have a champion. And without a champion you don't have a deal. If you invite a prospect to co-create a plan with you, you have as good a chance as there is to close the deal. And... Deals close faster. Time to launch is shorter. You lay the foundation for references. It's also a helpful forecasting tool. If the customer is willing to spend time on these activities with your team, then they are probably way more serious than if not. In the era of profitable efficient growth it might seem impossible to staff this. But there aren't many SaaS companies selling into Enterprise that can afford NOT to do business this way. Whether with their in-house Services teams or with channel service partners. Make the sales handoff a thing of the past. Turn it into a natural transition. - Are you pulling services forward? If so, what's working / not working? If not, what's stopping you? 🤘 Jay

In the near future, “Closed Won” will disappear from revenue dashboards. Because the deal isn’t done at signature, it’s essentially just the starting point. Right now, GTM teams celebrate “Closed Won” like it’s the finish line. Ring the gong, pop champagne, pass the account to CS. But adoption determines renewal, value delivered determines expansion, and relationships determine advocacy. If you only measure success at contract signature, you’re missing the real revenue lifecycle. Here’s how to redefine “deal health”. Adoption milestones → Track product usage as the leading indicator of retention. Expansion readiness → Measure growth signals like new hires, funding, or usage spikes. Advocacy potential → Identify customers who are ready to refer, review, or speak on your behalf. This isn’t about adding new metrics, it’s about rewriting the funnel. The companies that win will expand their dashboards beyond “Closed Won” to measure adoption, expansion, and advocacy as part of the true revenue funnel. The leaders who design that funnel won’t just be CROs, they’ll be CS leaders, who are finally being recognized as the architects of sustainable revenue growth. ----------------------- Hey, I’m Nicholas 👋 I run Lucidly, the customer intelligence platform for post-sale revenue growth. I post every weekday morning (8:30am PST) about retention, expansion, and building a SaaS from the ground up. Follow for ideas you can put to work the same day. DM anytime.

Some say AI will kill Customer Success. Others say AI makes Customer Success more critical than ever. I agree that CS will be more important in the Age of AI, BUT not for the reasons you might think. AI is shifting the economics of SaaS: ➡️ It’s more expensive to run --> higher delivery costs as usage scales. ➡️ It also helps customers get bigger, faster results. That’s why more companies are leaning into consumption-based and even outcomes-based pricing. If customers use more, it costs more. But they’re also getting more done. Infrastructure players like AWS and Snowflake figured this out early. Their variable costs made usage-based pricing the obvious move. Now, AI is pushing the rest of SaaS in that direction-- not just because we can, but because it matches how value actually gets created (and paid for). But this shift isn’t just about pricing. It’s a full-on business model transformation. In the subscription era, Customer Success was created to solve a key challenge: ♻️ You didn’t win the deal once. You had to keep winning it at every renewal. In the consumption era, it’s even riskier: 📉 You can lose revenue on day one if they don’t use the product. Revenue follows usage & outcomes, not contracts. And value has to be delivered, not just promised. That changes everything: → Sales and CS can’t chase bookings alone. They need shared goals tied to real impact. → Product and CS have to work in tight, fast loops to remove friction. → Strategy can’t wait for QBRs. It has to be real-time and in the flow. → CSMs aren’t just relationship builders. They’re consumption advisors, insight generators, and growth drivers. The old CS playbooks? They were built for a different world. They’re not enough anymore. It’s time to take a step back and rethink how we work, from the ground up. That’s where these four thinking models come in: 🧠 First Principles Thinking: What actually needs to happen for customers to succeed and keep paying? 🔄 Systems Thinking: When pricing, usage, and incentives change, what ripple effects hit your teams and customers? 🔬 Scientific Thinking: What are you testing? What are you learning? Are you listening to the data? 🎨 Design Thinking: What’s it really like to be your customer? Where’s the friction? What needs to change? This isn’t about CS holding on, surviving in the Age of AI. It’s about CS stepping up and leading the reinvention of how we Create value, Earn trust, and Grow revenue… One outcome at a time. ------ What changes are you seeing as your company shifts toward AI or usage-based models? How are you rethinking CS strategy to align with evolving customer expectations and pricing dynamics? ----- If this is interesting and you want to dig into the topic more, I write about this and more every week in my newsletter. Check my profile for info. Jan Young, MBA, CSPO, CSM StepUpXchange JanYoungCX Ask me ab the pic! #customersuccess #AI #innovation #growthstrategy

As a 5x CEO with 30+ years running tech companies, I’ve seen it time and again: most B2B SaaS companies can’t answer basic GTM questions. If you want an efficient GTM motion, there are 2 things you need to know: CAC (cost to acquire customers/revenue) Retention (ability to retain customers/revenue) Without knowing those COLD, you can’t get an accurate financial picture of your business. CASE STUDY Last week, I spoke with Aaron Levine, CFO of Prophix, about a PE-backed company we’d worked with. This company was struggling to track renewals. Their CRM data was not connected to their Salesforce and Intacct systems, meaning there was zero connection between their financial and customer data. They couldn’t even tell when a customer was up for renewal. Imagine going into a board meeting and someone asks when your 10 biggest accounts are up for renewal—and you have no idea. Not a good look. But it happens all the time. So why do so many SaaS companies struggle with something so simple? The issue is that most don’t have clean, full-funnel data that’s comprehensive enough to answer with any level of confidence. RESULT Once Aaron and his team cleaned up the CRM data, they could quickly identify when customers were up for renewal—no more embarrassing board meetings. They also identified underperforming segments—they had over-indexed on SMB, which wasn’t converting, and could reallocate budget to a high-performing segment. None of this would have been possible without first connecting the dots between CAC and customer retention. If you don’t know your customers’ renewals dates, you don’t have visibility into your cashflow. And if you don’t have a strategy for retaining and upselling clients, you’re leaving revenue on the table. Full visibility of your funnel is mission-critical for SaaS companies in today’s marketplace.

SaaS companies are missing their growth goals left and right. And it's not because of the economy. It's because they are still spending 90% of their budgets on new customer acquisition. The least effective and efficient growth lever. The best-in-class understand that investing in customer success delivers the highest ROI. Because it gives them access to 6 additional growth levers: - high renewal rates (>95%) and lifetime - expansions, up- and cross-sells - new acquisitions through referrals - new acquisitions through former customers introducing the product to new employers - value-based prices - new features and products customers are willing to pay for Here’s how to grow faster, further, and more profitable in the most natural way: 1. Marketing’s purpose is no longer to create a high number of leads that don’t convert. Instead, they are educating customers with targeted content aiming to create demand from the customers who will benefit the most from the product. 2. As sales reps get fewer but much better leads, conversion rates increase while CAC and churn go down. They now only close deals with a strong customer-product-fit. 3. Customer success teams no longer spend most of their time firefighting, band-aiding, and quick-fixing. Instead, they can lead their customers to the promised land with a high-quality mix of training, education, and consulting services. 4. Because customers now get a ton of value, retention becomes a mere formality. Churn becomes merely a bump in the road instead of an existential threat. 5. Your customers won’t stop there but they’ll be looking for ways to further grow their outcomes. They’ll create demand for expansions-, up-, and cross-sells because they need more resources, features, and/or products for the next growth stage. 6. New acquisitions from referrals have insanely high conversion rates. Guess who likes to give them? Yes, highly successful customers are the correct answer. 7. Winning customers for life is the most underrated growth lever. People change their jobs every few years these days. When your raving, loyal fans start a new role, they’ll bring your product with them. 8. And finally, highly successful customers have a low price sensitivity. They are willing to pay more for more value. It’s as simple as that. Value-based prices are your most scalable growth lever. Try the Customer-Value-Led-Growth business model. It will pay off 100% and you’ll never look back. PS: Join 5k+ CS pros and sign up for my weekly newsletter if you like this post --> https://lnkd.in/dtC7MEjP #saas #customersuccess #customervalueledgrowth

Ask anyone in the B2B SaaS space and they’ll tell you how much more competitive the industry has become in the past few years. Democratization of technology has brought its accessibility to an all-time high, and the competition is fierce. Customer loyalty is no longer built simply on what a product does, but on the tangible, measurable value it creates for the customer. The most successful SaaS companies are moving beyond transactional relationships. They are putting more thought into becoming indispensable strategic partners by understanding their customers’ broader business challenges, improving their operational maturity, and directly contributing to their bottom line. Here are five strategic approaches that I believe add real value to a SaaS product: 1. Leveraging data for business value Customers need tangible business value from software solutions. SaaS businesses need to understand usage pattern data and spend time understanding which features are most used by high-value customers. This will help them assess their current and future software needs while maximizing the solution’s potential. 2. Bundle for the customer, not the business Customization is the name of the game. Bundle services and customize packages that help customers scale sustainably and in a way that makes sense for their business – not just yours. Design for extensibility, through APIs, modular components, and ecosystem integrations. Give customers the flexibility to mold the product to fit their evolving business needs. This creates long-term stickiness and positions the product as a strategic partner rather than a tactical tool. 3. Champion security resilience Customers assume uptime and compliance as table stakes. What acts as a differentiator is a proactive approach to resilience with self-healing infrastructure, real-time anomaly detection, and zero-trust security principles built into the product. Demonstrating that resilience is part of the architecture builds trust and reduces the reliance on external teams. 4. Consistent education is key Standard onboarding processes no longer cut it. Instead, invest in a continuous education platform, including certification courses, advanced workshops, or personalized onboarding paths, that empowers customers to become experts themselves. Include your product team in the educational exercises, instead of simply relying on customer service teams. This benefits not only the customers but also your product teams. 5. Build adaptive roadmaps Static roadmaps don’t resonate in dynamic markets. Instead, build adaptive roadmaps that incorporate customer feedback loops, industry signals, and emerging technology trends. This ensures the product evolves in ways that continue to support the customer’s needs. Let me know what steps you take to add value for your customers in the comments. 

In the SaaS world, delivering outstanding customer experience becomes even more critical as your organization scales. Here are some key insights I've noted: 1. Listen to All Stakeholders: Before making changes, understand the needs of founders, developers, team members, and especially customers. 2. Adapt to Customer Needs: As your customer base grows and diversifies, adjust your support strategies to meet their evolving expectations. 3. Specialize Your Support Team: Develop specialized roles so team members can become experts in specific areas, improving efficiency and support quality. 4. Offer Multiple Communication Channels: Provide various ways for customers to reach you, such as live chat and email, to enhance accessibility and satisfaction. 5. Leverage AI and Automation: Use AI tools to handle routine inquiries, allowing your team to focus on complex issues that require a personal touch. 6. Empower Your Team: Automate repetitive tasks so your staff can engage in more meaningful interactions and see clear paths for growth. 7. Make Data-Driven Decisions: Utilize customer feedback and interaction data to inform your strategies and improve the overall experience. 8. Balance Automation with Human Interaction: Ensure that automation enhances but doesn't replace the personal connections that build customer loyalty. 9. Commit to Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture that seeks ongoing enhancements rather than one-time changes. 10. Stay Aligned with Core Principles: - Active Listening - Shared Vision - Smart Use of Technology - Ongoing Innovation By focusing on these areas, you can create a customer experience that keeps pace with growth and sets you apart. #SaaSMarketing #B2BMarketing #DemandGen

Most CSMs focus on retention. Great CSMs own the entire A.R.E.A. 👉 Adoption. Retention. Expansion. Advocacy. If you’re leading Customer Success but only measuring renewals, you’re missing the bigger opportunity; to build trust, impact, and growth across the full customer journey. Here’s how I break it down: 🔹 A – Adoption “If they don’t use it, they won’t stay.” CSMs should own onboarding, reduce friction, and drive time-to-first-value like it’s a mission. Your goal? Early wins, not just feature tours. 🔹 R – Retention “Usage means nothing if trust is broken.” Monitor health. Communicate often. Solve real business problems. Retention doesn’t happen because of a dashboard, it happens through relationships. 🔹 E – Expansion “When you deliver value, clients want more.” Upsells shouldn’t feel like pitches. They should feel like progress. Help your clients grow, and they’ll grow with you. 🔹 A – Advocacy “Renewals are great. Referrals are better.” A loyal customer is gold. A vocal one is rocket fuel. Create space for them to brag about your partnership. Whether you're a CS leader, an AE, or a founder; the A.R.E.A. is where long-term success lives. 🔁 Share this with your CS team 💬 Let me know which part you're strongest at 🔥 And if you want help building your own CS system, DM me! This is what I coach on. #CustomerSuccess #CSM #RetentionStrategy #ClientExperience #SaaS #Leadership #PostSalesPower

The first thing I learned was when I was trying to sell early #SaaS solutions to 3PL companies? 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝘀𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹. Loyalty leaders, or businesses that have led their respective industries in NPS (Net Promoter Scores) or satisfaction rankings for three or more years, grow their revenues at a rate that is around 2.5 times faster than that of their competitors and provide two to five times the returns to shareholders over the following ten years. However, for three key reasons, businesses and investors still place a higher priority on quarterly profits than on customer relationships: -Public company financial disclosure laws demand little to no reporting on customer value. -Most businesses need more management skills to handle it. -The traditional organizational structure prioritizes internal functions over the needs of customers. Customer success is crucial for #scaleups and #startups alike. This includes customer onboarding and support. Startups can enhance their chances of retaining their initial customers longer by prioritizing customer satisfaction from the beginning and making significant investments in their journey. 1. The success of current customers can predict future expansion. Businesses prioritizing their clients' success will likely keep clients and increase sales. Why not give your customers' journey top priority right away? This is even more critical if your customers' contract renewal period is one year or less. 2. For startups, customer success facilitates strong brand building. When customers are satisfied, they are more inclined to refer others to your goods or services. This can assist startups in establishing a powerful brand and drawing in new clients. Early satisfied consumers can produce more satisfied customers, facilitating sales and marketing and starting a positive feedback loop. This sounds fantastic, but it necessitates an early commitment to the customer's success. 3. Startups that achieve customer success can raise money. Businesses that strongly emphasize customer success and build a (small, it's ok in the beginning) loyal community have a higher chance of attracting investors. Daphne Costa Lopes, host of the "This is Growth" podcast, recently surveyed more than 600 customer success leaders to understand their priorities and investments for 2024. According to the report, numerous leaders in customer success are focusing on scale bets for 2024, such as in-app instructions (17%), webinars (17%), and self-service tools (33%). Under half of the respondents indicated that customer onboarding should be the top program investment priority in 2024. Customer education & onboarding drive business outcomes, including higher customer retention, increased product adoption or utilization, or higher revenue through upselling or cross-selling.