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4. Positioning the CSM Role in the Organization

Introduction:

The CSM’s role is uniquely positioned at the intersection of several critical business functions, ensuring a seamless connection between customer needs and organizational goals. By understanding how they complement other roles and establishing credibility as a trusted advisor, CSMs drive long-term success for both customers and their organizations.

1. How CSMs Complement Other Roles

CSMs collaborate with key departments like Sales, Support, Product, and Professional Services, each with distinct objectives and approaches. While their responsibilities differ, their collaboration ensures a cohesive customer experience.

Sales

  • How They Differ:

    • Sales focuses on acquiring new customers and closing deals.
    • CSMs ensure customers achieve long-term success after the sale.

  • How They Complement Each Other:

    • Sales provides context about customer goals and pain points during the handoff.
    • CSMs share adoption insights to identify upsell opportunities.

  • Example:
    After onboarding, a CSM informs Sales that a customer is nearing their usage limits, prompting a timely upsell discussion.

Support

  • How They Differ:

    • Support resolves technical issues reactively.
    • CSMs focus on proactive engagement to prevent escalations.

  • How They Complement Each Other:

    • Support shares recurring ticket data with CSMs to identify at-risk accounts.
    • CSMs coordinate with Support for smoother escalations and quicker resolutions.

  • Example:
    A CSM notices an uptick in support tickets for a key feature. They work with Support to deliver a focused training session for the customer.

Product

  • How They Differ:

    • Product designs and develops the platform based on market trends and feedback.
    • CSMs gather and share customer insights to align the roadmap with user needs.

  • How They Complement Each Other:

    • Product teams rely on CSMs to prioritize feature requests.
    • CSMs use Product updates to drive customer engagement.

  • Example:
    A CSM consolidates feedback from multiple customers requesting advanced reporting features. Product integrates the feature, leading to increased satisfaction and usage.

Professional Services

  • How They Differ:

    • Professional Services implement custom solutions and handle complex projects.
    • CSMs focus on ongoing value realization after implementation.

  • How They Complement Each Other:

    • Professional Services provide initial configuration and training.
    • CSMs reinforce this knowledge through regular check-ins and advanced adoption strategies.

  • Example:
    After Professional Services completes onboarding, a CSM ensures customers continue using the product effectively with personalized follow-ups.

Reflection Questions and Exercise

  1. Reflection Questions:

    • How do you currently collaborate with Sales, Support, Product, and Professional Services?
    • Are there opportunities to improve the handoff process between these teams and your role?

  2. Exercise:

    • Create a collaboration map. For each department, list:
      1. Key insights you receive from them.
      2. What you share with them to improve the customer experience.

2. Establishing Credibility and Influence as a Trusted Advisor

To be effective, CSMs must position themselves as trusted advisors who are credible, reliable, and empathetic. This status ensures they are not only respected by customers but also valued internally across teams.

Attributes of a Trusted Advisor

  1. Credibility:

    • Demonstrates deep product knowledge and industry expertise.
    • Speaks confidently and backs recommendations with data.

  2. Reliability:

    • Delivers on commitments consistently and on time.
    • Keeps customers informed proactively, even about delays or setbacks.

  3. Empathy:

    • Understands the customer’s business challenges and goals.
    • Actively listens and tailors solutions to their specific needs.

  4. Transparency:

    • Communicates honestly, even when delivering difficult messages.
    • Shares realistic timelines and outcomes.

Practical Actions to Build Trust

  1. Use Data to Drive Conversations:

    • Share usage metrics and ROI calculations during QBRs to showcase value.

  2. Be Proactive:

    • Anticipate customer needs by regularly reviewing health scores and engagement data.

  3. Follow Through on Commitments:

    • Use task management tools to ensure every promise is tracked and delivered.

  4. Engage in Continuous Learning:

    • Stay informed about product updates, industry trends, and customer use cases to provide relevant advice.

  5. Ask Thoughtful Questions:

    • Encourage open dialogue by asking about business goals, challenges, and future aspirations.

Why This Matters

Establishing trust enhances the CSM’s ability to:

  • Influence customer decisions (e.g., renewals, upsells).
  • Build long-term relationships that drive loyalty and advocacy.
  • Act as a liaison between customers and internal teams, ensuring alignment.

Reflection Questions and Exercise

  1. Reflection Questions:

    • How do you demonstrate credibility, reliability, and empathy in your customer interactions?
    • Are there gaps in your current approach to building trust with customers?

  2. Exercise:

    • Review a recent customer interaction. Identify:
      1. How you demonstrated trust attributes (credibility, reliability, empathy).
      2. Areas where you could improve.

Trusted Advisor Playbook

Purpose:

This playbook serves as a practical guide to becoming a trusted advisor in customer relationships. It focuses on credibility, reliability, and proactive engagement to drive long-term success.

1. Attributes of a Trusted Advisor

To be seen as a trusted advisor, a CSM must consistently demonstrate key traits that build confidence and credibility. Below is a checklist that CSMs can use as a self-assessment.

Checklist for Trusted Advisor Traits:

  1. Credibility – Do I showcase expertise in the product, industry, and customer pain points?
  2. Reliability – Do I follow through on commitments and provide consistent value?
  3. Empathy – Do I genuinely understand and acknowledge the customer’s challenges?
  4. Transparency – Do I communicate openly, even when delivering difficult messages?
  5. Proactivity – Do I anticipate customer needs and offer solutions before issues arise?
  6. Collaboration – Do I act as a strategic partner, aligning our success with the customer’s success?

Pro Tip: Customers should see the CSM as an extension of their team rather than just another vendor representative.

2. Action Plan for Building Trust

Trust is not built overnight—it requires a structured approach. Below is a step-by-step plan to help CSMs establish and maintain trust.

Step 1: Understand the Customer’s Business Goals & Challenges

  1.  Research the customer’s company, industry trends, and competitors.
  2.  Ask strategic discovery questions to uncover underlying challenges.
  3.  Document success criteria and KPIs that align with their business objectives.

Example: Instead of asking “Are you happy with the product?”, ask “How does our solution fit into your broader company strategy this quarter?”

Step 2: Align Recommendations with Measurable Outcomes

  1.  Connect product features to customer goals using data-driven insights.
  2.  Show tangible value through case studies and success metrics.
  3.  Make recommendations based on ROI and potential business impact.

Example: “Your usage data shows that teams using Feature X reduce manual work by 30%. Implementing this across departments could save your company 100+ hours per month.”

Step 3: Follow Up Consistently to Reinforce Commitments

  1.  Regularly check progress on previously discussed initiatives.
  2.  Provide action plans and timelines to keep both parties accountable.
  3.  Be honest about limitations but always provide alternative solutions.

Example: If a product feature is delayed, don’t just say “It’s coming soon.” Instead, say “We’re expecting this feature in Q2. In the meantime, I recommend using [alternative method] to achieve similar results.”

3. Proactive Engagement Tips

A trusted advisor stays ahead of the customer’s needs rather than waiting for problems to arise.

  1. Schedule regular check-ins – Go beyond standard QBRs by offering strategy calls when relevant.
  2. Share tailored insights – Send industry reports, case studies, or product tips that directly impact the customer’s business.
  3. Introduce relevant case studies – If another company solved a similar challenge using your product, share that success story.
  4. Anticipate renewal conversations early – Identify at-risk accounts months in advance and proactively address concerns.
  5. Be a connector – Introduce customers to peers, experts, or internal resources that add value to their business.

Example of proactive outreach:
“Hey [Customer Name], I came across a report on [industry trend] that could impact your team’s operations. Thought it might be useful for your upcoming strategy planning. Let me know if you’d like to discuss how we can align our product with these trends!”

4. Scenario Guide

The following real-world scenarios will help CSMs navigate difficult conversations while maintaining trust.

Scenario 1: Handling Objections with Transparency

Customer Concern: “I don’t see enough ROI to justify renewing.”
Trusted Advisor Response:

  1. Acknowledge their concern – “I completely understand. Can you share which areas you feel aren’t delivering value?”
  2. Provide data – “Your team increased adoption by 40% this year, which has led to [specific outcome].”
  3. Offer a solution – “Let’s schedule a strategy session to optimize usage and ensure you’re seeing full value before renewal.”

Scenario 2: Communicating Delays Without Eroding Trust

Customer Concern: “You promised this feature in Q1, and now it’s delayed!”
Trusted Advisor Response:

  1. Be upfront – “I want to be transparent with you—this feature is now expected in Q2 due to [reason].”
  2. Provide an alternative – “In the meantime, here’s how you can achieve a similar result using [workaround].”
  3. Show commitment – “I’ll update you on the progress every two weeks so you’re never in the dark.”

Final Takeaways

  • Be a problem-solver, not just a service provider.
  • Trust is built through consistency—small wins add up over time.
  • A trusted advisor always thinks two steps ahead of the customer’s needs.