This week's Newsletter:
New Podcast: The Hyperengage Podcast (ep #82)
Upcoming Appearance: CS100 Summit 2023 @ Sundance
Quote of the Week: From reactive to proactive...
There are no HAND-OFFs in enterprise customers, only HAND-DOWNs!
WHY LEADERS DISENGAGE & HOW TO SOLVE IT ↓
🫥 A huge challenge in managing enterprise customers is that the key business owner frequently disengages, and it can be challenging to get them back.
WHY does this happen? The process is consistent:
⓵ The key owner makes the purchase decision.
⓶ They hand responsibility for execution DOWN to a leader, manager, or administrator.
⓷ They expect to reengage when everything is running.
BUT they never reengage because...
❌ They assume they don't need to be closely involved in implementation.
-and-
❌ They expect to be informed when the time comes.
This is where it all goes wrong because both of these are false →
❗️ THE KEY BUSINESS OWNER MUST STAY INVOLVED
Implementing new enterprise solutions is hard, and there are frequently obstacles that can't be solved without the key owner's involvement. The loss of their engagement is a MAJOR risk factor and driver of customer failure.
❗️ THE TIME TO REENGAGE NEVER COMES
Customer implementation teams tend to focus on technical implementation and often don't have a clear idea of when to re-engage their business owner. In fact, they frequently resist it.
HERE'S A 7-STEP PROCESS FOR MAINTAINING OWNER ENGAGEMENT:
1️⃣ Establish the key BUSINESS RESULTS with the business owner right from the start.
2️⃣ COMMIT them to stay involved to ensure the process succeeds in producing those results.
3️⃣ Promise to show them their measured results progress EVERY TIME you meet.
4️⃣ Organize the implementation plan to get to the FIRST MEASURABLE RESULT (even if small) as quickly as possible.
5️⃣ If the first result will take a long time (more than a couple weeks), build the results DASHBOARDS first so the key owner can anticipate what's coming.
6️⃣ Consider running a separate, and shorter, cadence meeting with the key business owner so they don't have to be involved in all aspects of the work.
7️⃣ Start every meeting with the owner by showing the dashboards (even if they are empty!) and clearly describe the key next actions to get to results.
This process is astonishingly effective because what business owners are MOST interested in are their *measurable results*. If they think they can safely disengage until their results arrive, that day often never comes.
👉 You have to give customer leaders a compelling reason to stay engaged as they eagerly await the results and understand their role as a key agent of change. 👈
New Podcast Interview: Ep#82: Strategizing Customer Retention and Expansion w/Greg Daines
(August 21, 2023) Adil Saleh, in conversation with Greg Daines, highlights the significance of understanding why customers stay in the startup landscape. Greg delves into the nuances of customer retention over traditional metrics, while Taylor Kenerson highlights the risks of chasing ideal customer personas. They discuss the power of real-time data, the importance of genuine customer feedback, and the journey of startups that transform into industry giants. The trio emphasizes the need for startups to focus on actual customer behavior, adapt based on feedback, and prioritize long-term success over short-term gains.
Listen to the podcast here: Hyperengage #82
Upcoming Appearance: CS100 Summit - Sundance, Utah
Sept 25-27, 2023
I'll be speaking at this event with a number of other fascinating guests. This is my favorite event of the year and I NEVER miss it. Come join us and be inspired!
Meet a few the 2023 Speakers
Greg Daines, CEO, ChurnRX
Kari Ardalan, Head of Digital & Scale Success, Qualtrics
Kristi Faltorusso, Chief Customer Officer, ClientSuccess
Jeff Beaumont, Sr Director, Customer Success Operations
Kristy Muir, VP, Investment Senior Associate, Pelion Ventures
Dave Blake, Founder & CEO, ClientSuccess
Check out the full agenda and speaking topics: https://lnkd.in/gPE-5CCN
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
The conventional approach to customer success is reactive and supportive. The effective approach is proactive and prescriptive.
