8. Influencing Internal Teams for Customer Success

Why It Matters?

CSMs don’t work in isolation—they bridge the gap between customers and internal teams, ensuring the customer's voice is heard across Sales, Product, Support, and Finance. Effective cross-functional collaboration helps:
 1. Align internal priorities with customer needs.
 2. Resolve interdepartmental conflicts before they escalate.
 3. Drive customer success beyond just CSM efforts.

📊 Industry Data:

• Companies that achieve internal alignment grew revenue 20% faster (maitrehq, 2024).
• Cross-functional collaboration reduces churn by 25% when departments work together on retention strategies (Brightlark, 2023).
• Customer feedback loops improve product adoption by 30% when effectively communicated to Product teams (TSIA, 2023).

 Key Insight:
A CSM who can influence internal teams without direct authority is far more effective at driving customer outcomes and renewals.

Key Components:

a) Working Effectively with Sales, Product, and Support

 Common Interdepartmental Challenges

 Framework for Cross-Functional Collaboration

1. Align on Shared Goals → Find the common objective (e.g., retention, revenue growth).
2. Use Data to Strengthen Influence → Back up requests with customer insights and churn risk data.
3. Facilitate Conversations, Not Blame → Encourage problem-solving instead of finger-pointing.

 Industry Insight:
CSMs who position themselves as a bridge between teams see faster issue resolution (customersuccesscollective, 2024).

b) Handling Internal Team Conflicts Using the Bridging the Gap Approach

 Common CSM-Sales Conflicts

• Sales overpromises functionality → CSM has to manage unrealistic expectations.
• Sales wants continued customer access post-sale → Conflicts with CSM ownership of the account.

 Common CSM-Product Conflicts

• Product prioritizes roadmap based on company goals, not customer needs.
• Feature requests from customers get ignored or delayed.

 Bridging the Gap Approach: How to Resolve Internal Conflicts

 Industry Insight:
CSMs who mediate internal conflicts using structured alignment techniques prevent 40% of customer escalations (Xfusion, 2023).

c) Advocating for Customers Without Creating Internal Friction

 Common CSM Mistake:

• Pushing too aggressively for customer needs without considering internal priorities.

 How to Influence Without Authority:

1. Speak in Business Terms → Instead of saying "The customer wants this," say:
   • "This feature can drive a 15% higher retention rate among enterprise accounts."

1. Leverage Executive Buy-In → Ensure leadership sees the strategic value of customer feedback.
2. Frame Requests as Company-Wide Wins → Show how addressing customer concerns benefits Sales, Product, and Support—not just CS.

 Industry Insight:
CSMs who can frame customer needs as company-wide benefits are more successful in influencing Product decisions (Gainsight, 2024).

Case Study: Resolving a Sales vs. CSM Conflict Over Customer Expectations

Scenario:

A CSM at a SaaS HR platform inherited a frustrated customer whose Sales rep had promised advanced AI automation features that weren’t available.

• The customer expected automation that didn’t exist.
• The CSM was stuck between an upset customer and a defensive Sales team.
• The relationship was at risk—the customer threatened to cancel before implementation.

Challenges Identified:

1.  Unrealistic expectations → Sales had oversold product capabilities.
2.  Sales vs. CSM tension → Sales defended the deal, while the CSM had to manage expectations.
3.  Renewal risk before onboarding even finished.

CSM’s Conflict Resolution Strategy Using Bridging the Gap:

 Step 1: Align Interests Between Sales & CS

• Instead of blaming Sales, the CSM reframed the conversation:
  • “Sales wants to close deals faster, and CS wants long-term customer retention—how do we ensure both?”
• Sales acknowledged they needed to fine-tune their pre-sale messaging to prevent churn risks.

 Step 2: Use Data to Strengthen Influence

• The CSM presented data on past retention issues due to overpromising, showing how customers who received realistic expectations renewed at 20% higher rates.

 Step 3: Facilitate an Internal Process Change

• Sales and CS agreed to a structured pre-sale alignment process, ensuring customer expectations were set correctly before closing.

Outcome & Business Impact:

✔️ Customer remained on a $200K contract instead of canceling.
✔️ Sales & CS improved their pre-sale alignment process, reducing future conflicts.
✔️ Sales reps became more mindful of feature promises, improving retention rates.

 Key Takeaway:
By acting as a mediator and focusing on shared goals, the CSM transformed a sales-CS conflict into a long-term improvement process.

Best Practices for Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence

1. Build Strong Pre-Sale Alignment with Sales – Ensure handoff processes prevent overpromised features.

2. Use Data to Strengthen Internal Influence – Product teams respond better to customer-backed data, not just opinions.

3. Frame Customer Needs as Business Wins – Show how customer-driven initiatives benefit the entire company, not just CS.

4. Schedule Regular Cross-Team Syncs – Prevent issues by proactively aligning with Sales, Product, and Support.