Retention is key for SaaS companies to maximize customer lifetime value and reduce customer acquisition costs. There are four main reasons for customer retention: satisfaction, delight, success with the product, and high switching costs. Retention can be improved through feedback, data-driven segmentation and customized customer service. Feedback should be gathered through surveys, support interactions, product metrics and interviews to understand why customers churn and identify opportunities to improve. Data can help predict churn and identify the best customers to focus retention efforts on through segmentation. Tools and engagement across different channels help deliver personalized service to different customer segments.

1. Retention in SaaS
What, Why & How
Prashanth H N
Product Head,
Knowlarity Communications

2. M E E T
Super
Receptionist
Knowlarity’s cloud based Plug N Play Contact Center Suite

3. We fix business communications problems
using Super Receptionist
Dial 1
Welcome
Message
Call connected to
extension defined
by you
Dial 2
Calls your business phone
SMS + Email
Receive notification
Listen to call
Custom messages -
Advertise, Promote,
Product info, Support
etc.
Email
Customer
Sales
Voicemail

4. Lesser wait on calls Big Brand feel
For
Your Consumers
One number for life Delightful experience -
Many ways of
connecting with you
For
Businesses
Big Brand Image for
your business!
Never miss a business
call!
Record customer calls!Real Time & fast
engagement!
Benefits both the business and the consumers

5. Retention in SaaS
What, Why & How

6. 1 - 1 + 1 = 1

7. Unit
Retention
Revenue
Retention

8. Key Terms
CAC
Customer Acquisition Cost
Churn Rate
LTV/CLV
Customer Lifetime Value
CAC Payback
Must read: Practical guide to SaaS Metrics

9. 4 Main Reasons for Retention
Satisfaction
Delight
Success
Switching Costs

10. Customer Value
CLV = Margin * (1+r)/(1+i-r) - CAC
Levers for Increasing CLV
● Margin ↑
● Retention Rate (r) ↑
● CAC ↓
Retention is the most influencing & scalable factor
Practical Approaches to calculate CLV Link1 Link 2

11. Sales gives just 30%
Retention brings 70%
Image Source

12. Retention & Valuation
Image Source

13. How to attack
Feedback
Data Driven
Segment & Serve
Tools

14. Feedback
● Customer Surveys (various phases)
● Customer Support
● Product Metrics
● Sales/Success
● Customer Interviews
● Social Media

15. Why churn? (Data)
Too less information to take any action
Source: Churn analysis by Janardhan Prasad

16. Why ? Again
Break it down further, now getting somewhere
Source: Churn analysis by Janardhan Prasad

17. Why ? Again & Again
● Stability
● Need Training
Finally Top Reasons
● No onboarding
● Late onboarding
● Not linked with business listing

18. When Churn Happens ? (Data)
Why 12 & 15 ?
Source: Churn analysis by Gaurav Lakhani

19. Predict churn with Data
Alerts based on Behaviour #
● Number of sessions
● Number of Calls
● Time spent per session
● Usage across months
● Usage against similars
For Sure High Low
# A mathematical formula with combination of these attributes

20. You cannot improve what you
cannot measure
Good discipline for Data
● Usage Drill down
● Always updated Customer Information
● Granularity & segmentation on feedback
● Link them all (Overwhelming :O )
● Benchmarked v/s Actual
● Periodic review & Actions

21. Segment & Serve
Spend on these
customers
Grow these
Customers
Focus on Cost
Fire Them?
Servicing cost
All Customers are not Equal
Credits: Prof. Sundar Bharadwaj

22. Segment
Demographic
Geographic
Verticals
● SMB
● Enterprise
● Strategic Focus
● India
● Southeast
● EMEA
● e-commerce
● realestate
● Startups

23. Only You know your customers best #
● Engagement
○ Product driven
○ People, events, success
○ Training
● Product
● On-boarding
● Payments
What drives retention?
# This is what works for us, you need to narrow down to your Top 4

24. Support
● Channels: Chat, Phone, email, Social media
● Tools: Superreceptionist, Freshdesk, Zendesk, Desk, Intercom,
Snapengage, Live chat, Freshdesk Chat, Zendesk Chat
Tools
Engagement
● Channels: Chat, Phone, email, Social media, webinars, events
● Tools: Superreceptionist,, Intercom, UserEngage, Resend, Jet link,
mailchimp, Hangout Air

25. Up sell/Cross sell
● Channels: Chat, Product, Phone, FOS
● Tools: Superreceptionist, SugarCRM, Zoho CRM, intercom
Tools more...
Onboarding
● Channels: Phone, product
● Tools: Whatfix, Hopscotch, WalkMe

26. Usage Data
● Channels: Product, Support, Integrations, mentions
● Tools: GA, Usage logging (DB), Mixpanel, CrazyEgg, Lucky Orange
Tools more...
Data Analysis & Dashboards
● Tools: Metabase, Google Sheets, Google Data Studio, Quicksight

27. SuperReceptionist Integrations & APIs
Integrate telephony with any tool with the out of the
box integrations
or
simple & powerful APIS

28. Prashanth H N
prashanth.hn@knowlarity.com
@honasagere
https://in.linkedin.com/in/prashanthhn