Account Management is a delightfully intricate balance of art and science. When I joined ChartMogul, I was tasked with building a new Account Management function from the ground up. As we all know, the SaaS ecosystem has changed dramatically over the last few years, and customer retention and expansion are becoming increasingly important for SaaS businesses.
So naturally, when I was given the opportunity to host a group discussion at SaaStr Annual in San Mateo this year, I jumped at the chance to ask five Customer Success and revenue leaders their top tip for building a successful Account Management function or improving customer retention. Here’s what we learned:
Determine the goals of your customers and document them
There is zero chance you will be able to provide value as an Account Manager if you don’t know what is important to your customers. During every interaction, especially during the sales process, make sure you’re asking about and documenting your customers’ goals so you can show relevant achievements when it comes time for renewal. Good success planning is key.
Satisfaction > Adoption
When determining success metrics, don’t lose sight of the difference between clues and facts. Adoption and usage are great clues, but how much do they matter if your customer is begrudgingly using you and would jump at the chance to leave when the right competitor inevitably comes knocking at their door? Satisfaction > Adoption when it comes to determining a good success metric.
Customers don’t care about your title
Account Executive? Account Manager? Customer Success Manager? Onboarding Specialist? Of course, we know internally that each of these roles serve different purposes, sometimes with overlap depending on your organizational structure. But at the end of the day, customers don’t care about your title. They care that you’re helping them and not wasting their time. Be clear, be consistent, be helpful.
Ignore the playbook with larger customers
Playbooks are great. Especially as you scale. But I beg of you, do not forget to use your human brain. This is where the art and science piece comes in. Generally speaking, the larger the customer, the more the playbook should take a backseat. Don’t be afraid to bring in the C-suite to assist with delicate conversations. To contrast the point above, title can matter when rebuilding trust during escalations.
Create structure around customer feedback
We’ve all seen this song and dance in a variety of forms:
“Product isn’t listening to us and they’re not building the right things fast enough!”
“The CS/Sales team is demanding so much of us and we are doing our best!”
We must remember that the customer-facing teams have a responsibility to create structure around the feedback given to the product teams. If everything is urgent, nothing is urgent. The best teams create the product roadmap together and should be based on evidence.
“It’s important to prioritise and act on feedback, not just collect it.” Géraud Lamazère
Deliver on promises quickly
A healthy Account Manager/Customer relationship can be incredibly beneficial to both parties when trust is built. With the right nurturing, customers can become advocates and advisors, which is truly invaluable. When starting a new customer relationship, delivering on promises quickly in the beginning is key to building trust. Only then have you earned the right to ask for more from the relationship.
Whether you’re an Account Manager, Customer Success Manager, or part of the sales team, these insights will help you stay focused on what matters most: delivering value and deepening relationships with every customer interaction. Stay human, stay empathetic, and the rest will come.
