Customer Success and Operations

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Customer Success and OperationsBest Practices for Working Together

SUSAN SANTO UNDERWOOD

Adobe Sign

DOMENICO BATTEATEAdobe Sign

#Pulse2017

©2017 Gainsight. All Rights Reserved.©2017 Gainsight. All Rights Reserved.

Introduction

Susan Santo UnderwoodHead of WW Customer Success,

Adobe SignOver 17 years of SaaS experience

Over 5 years of managing CS teams

Domenico BatteateManager, Operations and Onboarding, Adobe Sign

Over 12 years of CS experienceOver 3 years of CS operations

experience


The CS Operations team is designed to scale and optimize the efforts of the CS team

CSMs are “the customer” for CS Operations and our teams have aligned KPIs and comp goals

The CS team succeeds when they support/adopt the tools, processes and initiatives provided by the operations team

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Three Focus Areas to Optimize the Operations/Customers Success Relationship


• New segmentations created for SMB, MM and Enterprise

• Creation of segmented CS teams to handle “one-to-many” account management for smaller customers

• Gainsight implemented• Added headcount each year – added all Ops

roles, CSMs, PS and Onboarding• HEADCOUNT GREW BY 300%!!

2014

CS Re-org

2015

Operations Team Formed

2017

Continued Investment

2011

Adobe Acquired EchoSign

2016

Operations Driven CSM

Activities

• CS Team’s ability to fully engage with customers was limited due to having few repeatable processes and systems

How our Operations and CS Organizations Formed


How Are Our Teams Structured?

Strategic CSMs• Americas• UK• France• Germany• Australia• JapanWorldwide Team CSMs (one-to-many)• Enterprise• Mid-Market/Small Business• Tech-Touch

Customer Success CS Operations

Customer Communications –Product and EventsLearning and Product Content§ Product Tutorials§ Weekly Trainings§ CSM Enablement

Run the business§ Data Analytics§ Reporting§ Gainsight & Systems


CS Operations Scale & Optimize Customer Success Activities 1

Create Operational Discipline

Rely on Systems (like Gainsight)

Listen to your CSMs

Regularly check in, formally and informally, to get feedback on how to help them focus on their core KPIs

Stay ahead of the next CS activities. performance reviews, data & reporting, executive management.By making these efficient, CS can stay working on core KPIs.

Reduce the noise and transfer as much as you can into Gainsight. Try to enable your CS Managers to run their own reports, create CTAs and find new ways to leverage Gainsight features.


How Do We Successfully Team?

Cross-Team alignment• We expect our Ops managers and CSMs to work together to execute on

initiatives • Operations works to create scalable processes and tools• CSMs act as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) when interacting with customers• Any manager or CSM can reach out to make a suggestion to a member of

the Ops teamFor any CS KPI, it is assumed the Operations team will partner in order to execute and scale

Starts from the top• Our director creates an environment in which we can execute on solutions,

innovate and cultivate our managers and CSMs• Our personal work styles and inherent trust in each other make it easy to

work through challenging situations


Align KPIs and Comp Goals for CS Operations/CSMs2CSM & Operations KPI Operational Supports

Renewal Goal of 94%Gainsight Renewal CTA’s curated

Formal Get Well Plan ProcessAccurate Attrition Reporting

Upsell TargetsCustomer Communications/Marketing

Executive Briefing Deck Accurate Upsell Reporting

Utilization Goals Customer Webinars

Gainsight CTAs for low usageReporting on Usage Trends


Enable CS to Adopt Tools, Processes & Initiatives Provided by Ops Team3

TRAIN REINFORCE

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

NEW-HIREADOPTION

TIE TO CSM MBOs


How Does Operations Help Scale?Immediate engagement by CSMs means faster time to value for customers, easier renewals and larger upsell opportunities

Onboarding to Active CTAs

Ability to better support 1000s of customers with a smaller team, allows team to focus on “what’s important”

One-to-Many Account Management

Raise the flag on troubled accounts, more easily engage resources needed & track results

Get Well Plans

Webinars, how-tos, online tutorials & resources; ability to create what our CSMs & customers need quickly & easily

Creation of Tools, Communications & Events


What We’ve Learned – Your CTAs

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Engage CS Ops early and often – be prepared

Communicate constantly – learn from each other

Experiment - you never know until you try

Have Fun!


THANK YOU


#Pulse2017


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