Customer Success roles are growing in popularity as businesses shift to focus on not only gaining new customers but retaining existing ones too. As many people advance into new Customer Success roles, it can be difficult to fully understand what makes a good CS manager and how you can succeed in this new industry.
Customer Success has been around for over 20 years, while it has remained a role commonly found in SaaS/Tech businesses, CS professionals are expanding into other areas. It is important when we think about what makes someone a successful CS professional, or qualified to work in customer success, we also consider the variety of skills, and experience an individual needs. These are gained over time and actively working on self-improvement, so if you don’t have skill just yet, see how you can work on improving it.
What qualifications do I need to work in Customer Success?
As it stands there aren’t any degrees you can obtain to prove you are qualified to work in customer success. However, having various business qualifications which cover topics such as sales, management, and development could prove useful.
Having some understanding of data handling could also work in your favour; a part of working in a CS environment involves assessing and analysing customer data to improve customer retention and satisfaction.
Working in Customer Success is an individual journey, each professional has reached their role in a myriad of ways. Until there are industry recognised courses and qualifications required for Customer Success professionals, the way into the role is varied.
What are Soft skills?
Soft skills are our personal attributes, these are the skills that allow us to interact with other people effectively. It can often be used synonymously with emotional intelligence and/or people skills.
What Soft Skills do I need to work in Customer Success?
There are many soft skills that you will need in order to be successful while working in a CS team. The main one is communication.
Having effective communication is paramount to a successful CS manager. Being able to understand your client’s needs, effectively engage with them and transfer that information to ensure their needs are met is a major part of Customer Success. Being the voice of the client in your company will mean you need to effectively communicate the client’s needs to the rest of the business. Communication is what makes work easier. When people understand what is expected, what is possible, and what each individual needs, life is easier.
Empathy is another important skill for CS professionals. Being able to understand what the client needs and why will enable them to fully immerse themselves in their role. When communicating with a client, it is more than recognising a problem. When you are able to empathise with your client you create an “emotional bond” which better enables you to voice the needs of the client to the rest of the team.
What makes a good Customer Success manager?
Being a good CS manager involves many different skills. Being proactive will ensure that any possible problems are dealt with before they grow into unmanageable circumstances. Having excellent time-management skills will help you keep on top of your projects and priorities. Being self-aware, not only in your own skills but also in the capabilities of the product or service. There are many skills to hone over the course of your career. The most important thing to remember is that we are always learning. When you believe you have learnt everything, maybe you need to reassess.
Matching the right people with the right role is a huge part of what makes ABR talent different. We focus on not only a skills match but a personality match too. Being open and honest at all times during the recruitment process ensures that no one’s time is wasted when an opportunity no longer serves their needs.
Contact our team now to see how we can help you reach your next career goals in Customer Success.
