This document outlines 5 mistakes companies commonly make regarding customer success. 1. Don't ignore handing customers off from sales to customer success. 2. Don't just hear from customers - actively listen and acknowledge feedback to build trust. 3. Don't listen to feedback from all customers - prioritize feedback from core customers. 4. Don't skip implementing tools to track customer health, renewals, and success metrics. 5. Don't treat customer support and success as the same - success requires proactive support.

1. ANNIE TSAI
Chief Customer Officer / DoubleDutch

2. CUSTOMER
SUCCESS
Don’t Make These 5 Mistakes
(I did.)

3. 1. Don’t Ignore Sales Handoff

5. Why Buy? (From//To)
Digital
Agenda
Experience &
Engage
Monetize
Data Data Data
Data Data Data
Data Data Data
Data Data Data
Online Version of
Agenda
Attendee Experience
Sponsorships
Exhibitor VisibilityContent
Driven
Real-time Feedback
Data Integrations
Data-Driven
Experience
Affect the Event in
Real-Time
New Revenue
Stream
Offset Event
Cost
Save Paper
Update in
Real-Time
Accelerate Lead
Funnel
Modern Event
Gamification
Social/Networking
Distribute Collateral
Market/Advertise
to Audience
Platform for Communication
Sense of
Community
Analytics
BeaconsLead Scanning
Logistics
Management

6. How’d You Get Here?
Digital & Offline
Footprint
Personalized Customer
Success
 Time spent on product pages
 Videos watched
 Gated access downloads
 Past purchases
 Prior conversations
 Inbound referral references
 Associations/ other affiliations

7. Memorable Moments That Reinforce
Your “Why”

8. 2. Don’t Just Hear Your Customers

9. Words Behind the Score
Increase visibility of help
content to broader
audience?
Beta test candidate?

10. The Richest Feedback Comes From Here..
Explicit
Implicit
Product Usage & Drop-off
Brand Engagement Levels
(digital & offline)
Correlated Health From
Onboarding & Beyond

11. Advocates &
Key Promoters
Everyone
Detractors
The Risk of Listening Then Ignoring
Listen Acknowledge
Include
Include
Announce &
Celebrate

12. 3. Don’t Listen to the Wrong
Customers…

13. The.
Question.
Of.
Fit.
(Paul Graham/YC)

14. Decision Tree
Is this
person/use case
in my core/target
market?
Should we
be in that
market?
What does this
person know that
I don't about my
core market?
Yes
No
Is this use case
common in/
relevant to my
core market?
Thank you for your
feedback
Yes
No
No
Yes
Insights go to the
right internal people

15. 4. Don’t Skip Instrumenting
Customer Success

16. Minimum Viable Tooling

17. Kick Ass Tooling
Renewals By Month and Health Status

18. How do you get to kick ass tooling?
Connect the
datasets
Define subjective
inputs &
processes to
capture
Define a
successful
client
(RYG)
Identify data that
validates client
success
Identify the
missing data &
how to get it
(and get it)
Drive
practice
adoption

19. 5. Don’t Treat Success and
Support as the Same Thing

20. The Road From “Whatever it Takes”
Onboarding
Reactive
Proactive
“Hi I’m ______.
I’m here to do whatever
it takes to make you
love us.”

21. When to Shift Depends on Where You Start
Customer
Care
1) Do customers frequently ask about the best
way to do something?
2) Is anybody already accountable for renewal of
upsell?
3) Are the “why” and “when” questions increasing
over time?
4) Are the “what” and “how” questions decreasing
over time?

22. When to Shift Depends on Where You Start
Customer
Success
1) Is my work getting more reactive over time?
2) Am I able to deliver meaningful renewal and
expansion targets for the company?
3) Are the “why” and “when” questions
decreasing over time?
4) Are the “what” and “how” questions
increasing over time?

23. Just Don’t Do It
Ignore Sales Handoff
Just Hear Your Customers
Listen to the Wrong Customers
Skip Instrumenting Customer Success
Treat Support and Success as the Same Thing

24. Thank You!
Annie Tsai
@meannie // @doubledutch
annie@doubledutch.me