How to build a customer success organization from scratch
Create a proactive CS function that drives retention, expansion, and customer satisfaction through strategic account management and scalable programs.
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0 of 8 steps completedStep-by-Step Instructions
1 Step 1: Define the purpose and scope of customer success
Step 1: Define the purpose and scope of customer success
Clarify what CS owns: onboarding, adoption, retention, expansion, renewals? CS is proactive, not reactive support. The mission is ensuring customers achieve their desired outcomes. Set boundaries between CS, sales, and support to avoid confusion. CS partners with customers for long-term success.
Customer Success by Nick Mehta and Dan Steinman
Definitive guide to building and scaling customer success organizations
The Customer Success Professional's Handbook
Practical framework for defining CS strategy and operations
2 Step 2: Determine your CS model based on customer segments
Step 2: Determine your CS model based on customer segments
High-touch for enterprise: dedicated CSM, QBRs, custom success plans. Low-touch for mid-market: pooled CSMs, group trainings, automated check-ins. Tech-touch for SMB: automated emails, in-app guidance, community. Align resources with customer value. Not every customer needs white-glove service.
Gainsight
Enterprise customer success platform with segmentation and journey orchestration
3 Step 3: Hire CSMs with the right blend of skills
Step 3: Hire CSMs with the right blend of skills
Look for: empathy and relationship-building, problem-solving and technical aptitude, business acumen to understand customer goals, project management to drive initiatives, comfort with data and metrics. Great CSMs are part consultant, part account manager, part product expert.
4 Step 4: Build a customer health scoring system
Step 4: Build a customer health scoring system
Combine usage metrics (login frequency, feature adoption), engagement (response to outreach, training attendance), sentiment (NPS, survey scores), and relationship (executive sponsor identified). Aggregate into red/yellow/green health. Automate scoring to prioritize where CSMs focus time.
5 Step 5: Create onboarding, adoption, and renewal playbooks
Step 5: Create onboarding, adoption, and renewal playbooks
Document repeatable processes for each lifecycle stage. Onboarding playbook: kickoff call checklist, implementation timeline, success criteria. Adoption playbook: feature rollout strategy, training calendar. Renewal playbook: risk assessment, QBR prep, negotiation tactics. Playbooks enable consistency and scale.
6 Step 6: Implement a CS platform to manage accounts at scale
Step 6: Implement a CS platform to manage accounts at scale
Choose tools that centralize customer data, automate health scoring, trigger playbooks, and track CSM activities. Integration with CRM, product analytics, and support is critical. The platform becomes the operating system for CS, enabling visibility and efficiency.
7 Step 7: Set CS metrics and tie compensation to outcomes
Step 7: Set CS metrics and tie compensation to outcomes
Track: Net Revenue Retention (NRR), Gross Retention, customer health distribution, expansion revenue, time-to-value. Align CSM comp with retention and growth, not just activity. What gets measured and rewarded gets done. Make sure metrics drive the right behaviors.
ChartMogul
Subscription analytics platform for tracking retention and expansion metrics
8 Step 8: Build feedback loops between CS, product, and sales
Step 8: Build feedback loops between CS, product, and sales
CS hears customer pain points, feature requests, and competitive intelligence daily. Create processes to funnel this to product (for roadmap) and sales (for positioning). Regular CS-product syncs and shared Slack channels keep insights flowing. CS is the voice of the customer inside your company.
Productboard
Product management tool for capturing CS feedback and prioritizing features
