What do customer success managers get wrong when trying to influence the C-Suite?

It's important to understand the goals of your company and your part in them. Only then can you really have a well-thought and engaging interaction with a C-level leader regarding the business. I sometimes see folks early in their career eager to share new ideas, but without the relevance to the business. We want ideas, but make sure they're tightly aligned to the goals of your organization and well-vetted. Get feedback on your idea from others and test it out in a small way if possible before g ...Read More

Here are some common mistakes: Not Speaking Their Language: C-Suite executives are focused on high-level strategic goals like increasing revenue, reducing costs, expanding market share, etc. If you are not aligning your conversation or request with these strategic goals, you may not get their attention or support. Not Providing a Clear ROI: The C-Suite always wants to know the return on investment (ROI) for any resource allocation. If you are not able to clearly articulate the ROI of your reques ...Read More

What most customer success managers get wrong in my experience is not using the right data or framing the story specifically to the needs of the C-Suite. If you're looking for investment, make sure they understand fully what the investment is and how it will benefit the company and customers. However, don't overwhelm them with data, keep it to what is important to them.  1. Make sure you have a full review of all of your key data points and be ready to answer follow up questions. Data makes deci ...Read More

Here are a few things that customer success managers (CSMs)may get wrong: Not speaking their language: C-suite executives typically have a different set of priorities and concerns than lower-level employees. CSMs may struggle to influence the C-suite if they are not able to speak in terms that are relevant to the executive's goals and concerns. Understand what matters to them. Focusing on product features / capabilities rather than business outcomes and value delivery: C-suite executives are oft ...Read More