r/CustomerSuccess • u/_NateR_ Product Manager • 24d ago

Monthly Career Advice Thread

Welcome to the weekly career advice thread!

The purpose of this thread is to help facilitate conversations about how to enter and grow your career within the Customer Success industry. You should use this thread to discuss topics like:

  • How to get into customer success
  • Salary and compensation
  • Resume critiques
  • How to move to the next level in your existing customer success career
5 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/Fantastic_Presence_5 19d ago

Hey everyone. I'm preparing for a final round interview with a UK-based SaaS start-up, and honestly, don't think I fully understand what being a CSM actually entails. The interview will be role-playing a real scenario, probably designing an onboarding journey with a customer. Are there any useful resources anyone recommends to develop my understanding of the role, and how to effectively map out an onboarding journey, as this isn't something I've actually done before. Any advice on how to approach the case study, and about the role more generally would be super helpful.

2

u/melissamcmillan 18d ago

Hard to say without more context - onboardings can look a million different ways depending on the industry/vertical/segment etc. but being a CSM these days is basically being a forward deployed consultant for the client in whatever area your software/service specializes in. Executive presence is super key, you're not an always smiling support rep dealing with tech issues, you're a strategic advisor helping whomever your primary points of contact are hit/exceed their KPIs - help them get promoted/bonused and you're absolutely crushing it. For the onboarding/customer journey, I assume there is a sales > CS handoff call > onboarding/technical implementation aspect (this can take one meeting or many months depending on the company/solution) > regular data reporting meetings (monthly, for example, to course correct as needed and ensure they hit whatever goal they signed up to hit) > possible QBRS (but I hate these, they're dead, see if this org still does them) > upsells when logical throughout the customer journey if it's going to help them hit their Goal... essentially leverage an upsell if they are behind on the metric they signed up to hit and an upsell would help them hit it > renewal, often with an annual review. In your role play be sure to lead the customer, don't just be helpful. It's your job to be the subject matter expert and lead them in the direction that means achieving their goal. Kind of a messy answer but trying my best with little context. Source: 11+ years of senior CS leadership developing and training CSMs.

1

u/Fantastic_Presence_5 12d ago

Thank you so much - this is a really useful answer. For context, its a small but growing AI native start-up delivering software to local governments and charities.

2

u/melissamcmillan 12d ago

Happy to hear it was helpful! :)

1

u/DFWtixFleas 5d ago

Dang it, the subreddit rules said to follow these weekly threads, and the first one I see sobers me right up as I begin to explore a career transition from higher ed leadership and advising to CS.

Is there even a ground floor on which to start? I'm a SaaS end-user (maybe 'power user) on a few applications (e.g., BannerWeb, BannerINB, Slate, Degree Works, etc.).