In project management, it often happens that several people have to work together and interact with customers.
Obviously, in a project there is the customer, the project manager… however, a third person may be necessary to facilitate the management of the project, to facilitate exchanges between the different departments, and to keep an eye on the situation in case of emergency.
This person is usually involved in the after-sales process and is called the Success Manager, or sometimes even the Customer Success Manager.
What is a Success Manager?
C.B.: – The Success Manager is attached to the sales department with a ” customer service ” role.
Above all, he or she must ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty, and most importantly, defend the customer’s interests, which is why he or she also assumes a pseudo “lawyer” role.
In close collaboration with the technical teams, this stakeholder facilitates the customer’s experience, ensures the proper coordination of the project, facilitates exchanges, and engages in dialogue when the customer needs clarification or when there is a disagreement on the project by going directly to its origin: to the Project Manager.
What is his/her role like and his/her missions, how does he/she differ from a salesperson?
C.B.: – As mentioned earlier, he is at the heart of the relationships, he must maintain bonds with the various customer accounts, taking into account their present and future needs and ensuring that they are always satisfied.
He contributes to improving the customer’s experience with the solution by accompanying him during the project but not only.
Moreover, it is not just a matter of accompanying the client in the early stages of the project, but beyond, because he must be at all times the person who can help him move forward in his project, especially when contact is not always possible with the Project Manager.
For the relationship to last, it is important to inform the client of changes and new products and even to present them to him.
We all know that the customer is important for a company, so it is necessary to show it by spending time with him.
I believe that we can go further, let me explain: the customer is at the heart of our business, it’s even our motto, so for him to feel invested, we must take into account his wishes. In the case of J2S, the functionalities that he would like to see in our solutions and if they are implemented, we must let him know.
This way, he will feel like an initiator of change by contributing to the improvement of the tool.
This is a good way to build customer loyalty, isn’t it?
In other circumstances, it happens that we act as a channel during tensions between teams and customers, in these moments our role will be to calm down and find compromises. It is important to recall the basic idea of the project in order to give height to the project in case of difficulties. That’s why we have to be ready to react in case of unforeseen events and to be diplomatic in all circumstances.
How is the project evolving?
C.B.: – The Success Manager participates in project progress meetings, including technical feasibility meetings with the project managers, to get an overview of the topics that have been covered and future ones.
These meetings allow us to come back to the elements that have not been dealt with, the difficulties encountered: for example, it may happen that certain documents are missing to continue working on a project, or simple misunderstandings may slow down the progress of operations, thus delaying the project.
It is also a question of finding solutions to work methods and once again facilitating relations.
It’s also rewarding to participate in these meetings, because they help the customer to better understand how the software works, and therefore to better use it.
Let’s not forget that Simple Workspace is a multi-purpose solution, which means that from one project to another there will be different specificities. [
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Therefore, we can focus on the essentials, and make sure that the solution always meets the customer’s expectations.
In this position, as a Success Manager, we can put ourselves in the customer’s shoes and understand his expectations… without forgetting that we ourselves as consumers may go through the same situations: this teaches us to take a step back.
From my point of view, this approach allows us to create a relationship of trust with the client, not only with us as Success Manager, but also with the Project Manager, because we are led to understand more about our client’s expectations by always offering the best solution.
For what reason is his role necessary?
C.B.: – His/her plays an important role, not only as a facilitator but also as a relational “support” for the technical team.
In fact, the Success Manager contacts the clients directly, reassure them, and explains to them what is going on in the project.
In a way, he helps the Project Managers to move forward, by being present for the customers, he tries to find solutions, which also allows the Project Manager to continue to move forward during this time.
Once contact is made with the client, feedback is given to the project manager, and decisions are made on the actions to be taken, the elements to be completed, etc.
Basically, it is above all the relationship that stands out at every moment, and once again we create a link.
All in all… we can say that the Success Manager helps clients to achieve their full potential!
What are the qualities you need to have to do this job?
C.B.: – I would say that one of the main qualities is patience. You must also always try to put yourself in the customer’s shoes, to understand their needs and expectations, in a way you must try to think like them.
When it comes to solutions, it is important to know their functionalities and their limits in order to propose the most practical and efficient solutions, because the customer is looking for a functional tool that will help him to perform his tasks quickly and in the best possible way.
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As you can see, the Success Manager is a role in which the relationship is undeniable and is, therefore, an essential element for a successful customer experience!
At J2S, this role has allowed us to advance many projects.
Would you like more information about our solutions and meet a Success Manager? Contact us now!
1- A few articles to learn more about Simple Workspace: