Implement a Customer Experience Strategy at a Startup with VP of Customer Success, Adriana Zeman – CB77

At Startups, Making Focused Decisions Along the Way is Key

At Zaius, Adriana’s job is to shape what the customer experience is – understanding how customers interact with them and vice versa. The customer experience begins once contracts are signed and during onboarding. Initially, there was a brief cycle in which the experience ended at the onboarding process, but Adriana wanted to extend the customer journey into one that became an ongoing relationship. 

During this process at a startup, Adriana explains that it’s important to take the time to understand and listen to who the customer really is. While gathering data about the customer, create a knowledge base around what is and isn’t driving success. Once you’re able to compile and clarify the data, bring it back to the organization so you can start making focused decisions. Here is where you say, this what I’m seeing – here are the patterns driving success and not driving success.

Making focused decisions along the way is key, especially while at startups. It’s really easy to get distracted by “shiny objects” and try to capture as much of everything that you can. Along the way, you’ll always have to make sure that you’re acting with the greater focus in mind. Initially, there was a lot of time spent fixing one-off problems. Adriana and her team realized they should repurpose their meetings and try to determine the overall process to focus on the larger themes. This method allowed them to get to the root of the problem and solve for the one off customer emergency. 

Adriana’s 6 Month Plan for Customer Success Implementation:

Month 1: Understand/create order in the role -focus decisions. Do a lot of listening and observation at first to understand the organization and its customers. (Tweet This) Build upon successes and see if you can get some quick-wins.

Month 2: Data gathering and building customer pathways/journeys. Create priorities and prove value with early execution action items.

Month 3: Recasting key parts of the operation and deliverables, such as support packages. Establish focus on key areas.

Month 4: Build the organization to support the work ahead – identify what is working and not working.

Month 5:  Stabilize the team and processes. Build out partnership relationships, stabilize key cx processes — tactics: schedule calls with different customers to get perspectives.

Month 6: Customize, refine, and expand tools for support. Recruiting to expand team.

What Do You Know NOW that you wish you knew THEN?

Adriana:

1. You have to start with customer empathy at the core. There’s an underlying challenge when a customer has a problem, and it’s about trying to understand what it is that they’re worried about. I’ve learned that CX has to be about wanting to help someone solve a problem. (Tweet this)
2. There isn’t really a guidebook because every organization is different.
3. You’re only going to be successful if the entire organization buys in to the value of customer success and of driving a customer experience and what it brings. (Tweet this)
4. Trust your gut.

Adriana Zeman, A Strategic and Experienced Customer Success Leader