AMA: Vice President of Customer Success APJ, John Brunkard on Customer Success KPIs

It is important to focus on KPIs that are actionable, aligned with strategic objectives, and within the scope of what the Customer Success team can influence and control. Here are some of examples of not good KPIs to commit to achieving: Revenue Growth of the Company Why It's Bad: Revenue growth is influenced by many factors outside the control of the Customer Success team, such as market conditions, sales effectiveness, and pricing strategies. Better Focus: Customer retention rates or upsell/cr ...Read More

Yes, I think it is great to have share KPIs between Customer Success and Sales Teams.Alignment: Shared KPIs foster alignment between Sales and Customer Success, ensuring that both teams are working towards common objectives. Collaboration: Encourages collaboration and communication between sales and post-sales teams, leading to a more cohesive customer experience. Accountability: Shared ownership of KPIs promotes accountability and a sense of shared responsibility for customer outcomes. Customer ...Read More

it's important to distinguish between truly impactful customer success metrics and those that might be over-hyped or less relevant. Here are some specific customer success KPIs from my past experience that often fall into the latter category: Number of Customer Meetings or Check-Ins Why Over-Hyped: While staying in touch with customers is important, the number of meetings or check-ins doesn't necessarily equate to successful outcomes. Better Focus: Quality of engagements and the tangible results ...Read More

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a goal-setting methodology that drives focus, alignment, and transparency within an organization. Deriving OKRs for Functional Groups: Top-Down Alignment: Leadership sets broad, strategic OKRs. Departments derive their OKRs to align with these top-level goals. Cascade to Teams: Teams create specific OKRs that support departmental objectives. Individual Contribution: Employees set personal OKRs linked to their team’s objectives. OKRs vs. KPIs: OKRs: Ambitious ...Read More

Based on my experience as a Customer Success Executive Leader, the following are key areas I focus on to ensure our team drives meaningful impact for our customers. 1. Customer Outcomes and Value Realization Ensure customers achieve their desired outcomes and realize value from your product. Establish clear milestones and regularly track progress. (Customer Success Plan) =>Create a collaborative Customer Success Plan. Conduct regular business reviews, set and measure against success metrics, ...Read More