A company works hard for months to get a new customer. But after a few weeks, the customer leaves.
Why? They didn’t understand how to use the product and felt lost. Instead of asking for help, they chose a competitor.
This happens when businesses focus on getting customers but forget to support them. Customer success fixes this by helping customers, making sure they see value, stay engaged, and stick around.
What is customer success?
Customer success is about helping customers reach their goals with your product or service. When customers see value in what you offer, they stay loyal and satisfied. This also helps reduce cancellations and increases revenue.
A good customer success strategy benefits your business in many ways:
- Higher retention rates
- More revenue
- Lower costs
- Stronger word-of-mouth
Customer Success vs. Customer Support
Many people think customer success and customer support are the same. But they are very different.
- Customer Support is reactive. It helps when customers have problems. Support teams answer questions and fix issues when people ask for help.
- Customer Success is proactive. It helps customers before problems happen. This includes guiding them, providing onboarding support, and staying in touch.
Customer Success vs. Account Management
Customer success and account management both focus on customer relationships. But they have different roles.
- Account Managers handle sales, renewals, and upsells. Their main job is to manage the business side of the relationship and increase revenue.
- Customer Success Managers (CSMs) focus on the customer’s experience. They help customers get the most out of the product so they stay happy and loyal.
A good customer success strategy supports account management. When customers see value in a product, they are more likely to renew and upgrade without hesitation.
Customer Success vs. Customer Experience
Customer success and customer experience (CX) are related, but they are not the same.
- Customer Experience (CX) covers every interaction a customer has with your brand. This includes things like website design, brand reputation, and how they feel about your company.
- Customer Success focuses on helping customers reach their goals with your product or service.
CX is about making the customer’s journey smooth and enjoyable. Customer success makes sure that journey leads to real results.
Both are important for keeping customers, but customer success is especially critical for subscription and SaaS businesses that rely on long-term relationships.
Who Needs a Customer Success Strategy?
Any business that wants long-term customers can benefit from customer success. If your company relies on repeat customers, subscriptions, or ongoing engagement, helping them succeed is key to growth.
Here’s who needs a customer success strategy:
1. SaaS and Subscription-Based Businesses
For companies with a subscription model, keeping customers matters as much as getting new ones. Revenue depends on renewals, so customers need to see ongoing value.
Companies like Netflix, HubSpot, and Salesforce focus on onboarding, support, and guidance to keep users engaged. A report found that businesses with customer success teams have higher renewal rates and lower churn.
2. B2B Companies with Long Sales Cycles
If your business sells complex products or services, you likely have long sales cycles and high customer acquisition costs.
Customer success helps you get the most from each client by building long-term relationships. It also increases upsell opportunities and customer lifetime value while reducing the risk of losing key customers.
3. E-commerce and Retail Businesses
Even though e-commerce often focuses on one-time sales, customer success still matters. Support after a purchase, loyalty programs, and proactive engagement help turn first-time buyers into repeat customers.
Companies like Amazon and Zappos keep customers coming back by offering personalized recommendations, easy returns, and great service.
4. Service-Based Businesses
If you run a marketing agency, consulting firm, or financial service company, customer success helps build strong client relationships.
Good service businesses don’t just complete projects. They guide, educate, and deliver results. This builds trust and leads to long-term partnerships.
5. Companies with Complex Products
If your product requires training or onboarding, customer success is essential. Industries like healthcare, fintech, and manufacturing rely on it to help customers use their products effectively. A strong customer success team ensures customers get the most from their investment.
6. Startups Looking to Scale
For startups, customer success can be a game-changer. When budgets are tight, keeping customers is cheaper than finding new ones. A good customer success strategy helps startups grow by keeping customers happy and bringing in referrals.
Best Practices for Creating a Customer Success Plan
To create a strong customer success strategy, follow these best practices:
- Set Clear Goals – Make sure your plan helps both customers and your business succeed.
- Group Your Customers – Organize customers by their needs, product use, and value. This helps you provide better support.
- Improve Onboarding – Give new customers a smooth start with tutorials, check-ins, and proactive help.
- Track Customer Health – Watch product usage, engagement, and satisfaction to spot customers who might leave.
- Use Automation – AI and automation tools can save time and improve efficiency. CRM systems help manage customer data.
- Stay Proactive – Don’t wait for problems. Check in with customers, share helpful resources, and offer value early.
- Ask for Feedback – Use surveys, reviews, and direct conversations to learn what’s working and what needs improvement.
- Make Customer Success a Team Effort – Sales, support, and product teams should work together to help customers.
- Find Growth Opportunities – Suggest upgrades or additional services that bring more value to customers.
- Measure and Improve – Keep analyzing data and adjusting your strategy for better results.
How Distribute Can Contribute to Customer Success
Distribute makes it easier for businesses to manage customer success. It improves communication, content sharing, and engagement. While great customer success comes from personal connections and proactive support, the right tools make it easier to get things done.
Here’s how Distribute can help:
- Easy Content Sharing – Send onboarding guides, training materials, and helpful resources so customers always have the information they need.
- Automated Customer Engagement – Share updates and content based on customer activity to keep them engaged and help them get the most from your product.
- Better Team Collaboration – Connect customer success teams with sales, marketing, and support by keeping all communication and knowledge in one place.
- Useful Insights – Track how customers interact with shared content to see what works and improve your strategy.
FAQs
1. What are the three C's of customer success?
The three C’s of customer success are Communication, Collaboration, and Customer Feedback.
- Communication – Keep an open line of communication with customers. Make sure they always have the information they need.
- Collaboration – Different teams within a company should work together to support customers and meet their needs.
- Customer Feedback – Ask customers for their opinions and use their feedback to improve their experience.
Focusing on these three areas helps businesses build strong relationships and keep customers happy.
2. Who leads customer success?
The leader of customer success is usually called the Director of Customer Success or Vice President of Customer Success (VP of CS). The title depends on the company’s size and structure.
This person manages the customer success team. Their job is to create strategies that help keep customers happy, reduce churn, and increase product use.
3. Is customer success a skill?
Yes, customer success is a skill. It includes many abilities like communication, relationship building, and problem-solving.
It also requires empathy and understanding of customer needs. The goal is to help customers get the best results from a product or service.
Customer success is not just one skill. It’s a mix of different skills that work together to keep customers happy and engaged.
