Navigating the Customer Journey

By Kevin Maufer

The Customer Journey is a challenge and an opportunity!  Customer Success must be attuned to the intricate paths customers traverse in their journey. Every milestone shapes their experience, impacts their satisfaction, and ultimately, their retention. Yet, amidst the successes, critical pain points demand attention and innovation.

Bad Handoffs: The First Impression

The journey often begins with the handoff from sales to customer success—a pivotal moment where continuity and clarity are paramount. A bad handoff sets a shaky foundation, leaving customers uncertain and overlooked. Clear communication and seamless transitions are key to setting the stage for a successful partnership.

Delayed Starts and Misaligned Expectations

Delays in getting started are common, creating frustration and eroding confidence. Misaligned expectations exacerbate this issue and can create ambiguity with onboarding. Addressing these challenges requires proactive communication, realistic goal-setting, and diligent project management.

Lengthy Implementations: Patience Tested

Implementations that drag on test the patience of even the most committed customers. Complex integrations, unexpected hurdles, or insufficient resources can extend timelines beyond reasonable expectations. Streamlining processes, providing robust support, and leveraging scalable solutions are essential to minimizing implementation times.

Business Reviews: Customer or Vendor Centric?

Quarterly Business Review (QBR)…Ugh!  A business review should be a time for strategic collaboration and mutual growth. However, they can be one-sided presentations focused more on vendor achievements than customer outcomes. Shifting the focus to align with customer goals, leveraging data-driven insights, and fostering open dialogue can transform reviews into valuable sessions that strengthen partnerships.

11th Hour Renewals: Avoiding the Rush

Renewal discussions should culminate with ongoing success and forward-looking strategies, not last-minute scrambles. Proactive engagement throughout the customer journey, regular check-ins (“If you were to renew today, would you?  Why?), and early renewal discussions help ensure a mutually beneficial experience.  

Getting aligned with your customer on their definition of success, their projected growth opportunity, and with key strategic goals from corporate, are essential and help you navigate the customer journey from signed contract to renewal and beyond.  Expectations for growth must be aligned from the outset to avoid missed targets down the road. 

Understanding customer objectives, offering solutions, and continuously reassessing goals are essential.  Clear expectations around roles and responsibilities will allow you and your customers to collaboratively commit to navigating the complexities with a relentless focus on delivering value, and a consistent quality experience.

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