Job Description - Customer Success Manager (CSM)

Chez Akimbo, we observe that for 50% of companies, the CSM plays a role identical to that of The Account Manager (AM), so with a strong commercial dimension (for sale). For other companies, it is a position focused on customer support, without sales.

In any case, the Customer Success Manager must be persistent and responsive. He makes sure to find the best strategies to retain customers, and can count on the help of its sales team. To do this, he must understand his market and his customers in order to best satisfy them.

For information, many Akimbers become CSM after their Bootcamp at Akimbo !

Customer Success Manager - Definition

Meaning of the word and translation

The CSM, also called customer manager, carries out missions similar to those of account manager. He takes care of customer relationships and sets up loyalty strategies in order to best satisfy his customers. What are its key success indicators? The Net Promoter Score (NPS), which measures customer satisfaction, and the Renewal percentage.

What is the role of a CSM?

Where the Account Manager normally plays a commercial role aimed at upselling and cross-selling (additional sales), the CSM supports its customers in Adopting the solution, with a project management dimension. He seeks to reassure them and to create a climate of exchange in order to be able to answer their questions, deal with their problems, and bring back their feedback internally.

Its main mission is therefore to retain customers. Listening and sharing allow him to create personalized strategies in order to meet the specific needs and expectations of the target company.

Note that in Tech companies, the CSM often works in tandem with an Account Manager.‍

What are the missions of a CSM?

The CSM has a role of counselor And of Solver Of problems.

It offers innovative solutions to its customers and (to its own business) in order to improve satisfaction. An essential point of contact between the company and customers, he listens to the needs but also to the complaints of his interlocutors.

In summary, here are the main missions of a CSM:

• Management of the company's customer portfolio
• Listening to customers in order to identify and meet their needs/expectations
• Designing a customer loyalty strategy
• Support for customers in the discovery and purchase of product/service
• Customer complaint management
• Writing reports and summaries in order to update customer accounts
• Optional - Team management
• Optional - Customer Development
• Optional - Proposal of additional and additional services to customers to increase their satisfaction (up-selling and cross-selling)

Why adopt a Customer Success Management approach?

Customer Success Management refers to all the efforts that a company makes to provide even more value to its customers. To achieve this, it is important to provide value throughout your sales journey: pre-purchase & post-purchase.

This quest for added value is leading many businesses to adopt Customer Success Management.

They then offer their customers personalized support: mainstreaming of the solution, training to the product, customer service and assisting. However, customer success management does not end there. To ensure the success of this joint project, it is essential to obtain the support of team members. An important job of the CSM is therefore to facilitate the adoption of the solution by the entire team of its customers.

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What are the qualities of a good Customer Success Manager?

Why be a Customer Success Manager?

The CSM has various missions that allow it to satisfy its curiosity and that offer it continuous training. The diversity of missions allows it to develop numerous skills including commercial and human skills that will be useful to him throughout his professional and personal life.

The CSM job is a job adapted to lovers of listening. Customers are all different, so ingenuity and creativity are needed to support them. It is a rapidly developing profession offering numerous professional opportunities. The attractive salary of CSM also represents a key advantage that cannot be overlooked!

How to be a good CSM?

A good CSM takes the time to listen to its interlocutors and to assess each situation in order to establish a relationship of trust with these. This relationship of trust will be the backbone of all his work!

Honesty and transparency are qualities necessary for an effective CSM. As CSM establishes a relationship of trust with its client, the client will become more open. The more feedback the customer makes, the more the salesperson will be able to adapt his actions. The adoption of the solution will then be simplified.

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‍How do I become a Customer Success Manager?

Skills required

The CSM job requires multiple skills. In addition to his excellent knowledge in vending, a CSM has mastered to perfection customer relationship. Her skills allow her to organize her work, manage her stress and work as a team to improve the product or service of her organization.

In other words, the skills required for this position are as follows:

• Excellent knowledge of sales and negotiation techniques;
• Good control of customer relationships;
• Good stress management;
• Knowledge of CRM tools;
• Mastery of communication techniques;
• Consideration and control of the sectors of activity of its customers and its society;
• Proficiency in English recommended;
• Good legal and marketing knowledge;
• Good analytical and synthesis skills;
• Good relationship;
• Be comfortable with numbers.

Training, studies and experiences required

Generally, a CSM has completed a course in Business school and obtained a degree from Master level (bac +5). However, other courses are possible provided you have followed a specialization in trade, marketing or communication. This job may also be accessible after an experience in the sales, commercial management or after-sales sectors.

Akimbo you allows you to integrate training in the form of Intensive bootcamp. This course prepares you for Sales and Business Development jobs, including Customer Success Manager when there is a strong commercial component (and not customer service) on the role. Admission is selective.

In a nutshell, the Bootcamp:

• Offers you two months of training to become efficient throughout the sales cycle, and to become a Customer Success Manager;
• Allows you to unhook a CDI thanks to interviews that We trigger among our 250+ partner startups;
• Brings you a big mastery of the tools required in the CSM profession.

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Adapted conversion profiles

Before becoming a Customer Success Manager, it is often necessary to have already held a sales position: Business Developer, account manager, etc. At Akimbo, we saw a lot of people from various fields of activity (army, communication, finance, law, etc.) retrain to become a Business Developer or Account Executive in order to access a CSM position.

Indeed, professionals with experience in the field of sales or commercial management can retrain in this position.

What career developments are there for this position?

After a few years of experience, a CSM can hope to evolve into various positions:

• Key account manager;
• Sales manager;
• Customer relationship manager;
• Regional Sales Manager.

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What is the salary of a CSM?

Junior Customer Success Manager Salary

The Salary for a Customer Success Manager is composed of both a fixed and a variable. A Junior CSM who has less than 2 years of experience earns on average between €32K and €41K per year. A variable of up to €5,000 can be added to this salary.

Customer Success Manager Salary

A Customer Success Manager earns after 2 to 3 years of activity, on average between €40K and €55K per year without taking into account the variable.

Senior Customer Success Manager Salary

After 5 years of experience, a CSM can claim a total salary (fixed salary and variable salary, which represent a package) ranging from €50,000 to €70,000.

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Different Customer Success Management jobs

The titles you need to know

- Customer Success Specialist

- Customer Satisfaction Manager

- Customer Success Account Manager

- Customer Sales Manager

‍What is a Customer Success Specialist (CSS)?

The role of a Customer Success Specialist is to improve relationships and interactions with customers. It analyzes and improves the measures put in place to satisfy and retain customers. It is by a parses thorough that he finds innovative solutions and effective for the company in the field of customer relations. The difference is non-existent with a CSM.

What is a Customer Satisfaction Manager?

The Customer Satisfaction Manager Insure theimproving interactions customers with all of his services and employees of his company. To achieve this, like CSS, it is based on the collection andcustomer satisfaction data analysis. The Customer Satisfaction Manager can manage a team of CSS and CSM and train other teams, including salespeople, in customer service best practices. According to the teams, the difference is minimal with a CSM.

What is a Customer Success Account Manager?

One Customer Success Account Manager finds solutions to help its customers achieve their business goals. His main mission is to increase the turnover and sales of his company through purchase renewals And additional sales.

What is a Customer Sales Manager?

The Customer Sales Manager ensures that the expectations of its customers are met. Its primary objective is to provide excellent customer service and to promote this excellence in the society in which he works. It uses various sales and loyalty tools and techniques to offer the best possible customer service.

As you will have understood, these different positions are very similar. They have roles and missions that are more or less similar and the title of a position can change from one company to another.

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Our advice for finding a CSM job

First, start by prioritizing your job search over recognized sites like JobTeaser, LinkedIn or even Welcome To The Jungle. This will prevent you from wasting time with offers that are not verified, and that do not provide enough information on the CSM business.

Then, thanks to some elbow grease, define for yourself your expectations. This will make it easier for you to determine the missions you want to carry out.

Once you've found a few offers you might be interested in, ask yourself a few questions:

• What are your motivations?
• What are you looking for in a position, in a team, in a company?
• What are your soft skills, qualities and expectations?

A job offer, in order for it to deserve your attention, must contain several pieces of information, be clear and precise, and include a minimum of care in its presentation. Don't just rely on what the company is selling you in their job offer. Check out reviews and experiences so you're not baffled on your first day at work.

Show your recruiter that you are genuinely interested in the CSM position and that you have the skills to do this job.

Finally, don't be afraid to use your network. In your job search, it is undoubtedly your best ally!

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