Change Management Insights For Enhancing Client Relationships

I can't begin to tell you how often I get a call during which the person I'm speaking with says something to the extent of, "I've been running our Voice of the Customer surveys for years and nothing's getting better in those customer relationships." This, of course always results in me asking how they've worked toward changing their people, process and technologies to meet their customers at or above their expectations based on what they learned in that feedback? Surprisingly, the answer is almost always the same, "what do you mean?" Too many CX teams have been lead down the primrose path of overcommitting technology solutions as the magic silver bullet cure-all for all issues with their customers and do not put anywhere enough emphasis on the need to adapt and change, and to meet their customers, where they are, in their respective journeys at those defining moments of service. Indeed, I tell them that an overreliance on tech as that silver bullet is very much the same as an overweight person blaming their bathroom scale for their unhealthy condition. It's not the scale's fault they may overeat and perhaps get too little exercise, and until this changes, the scale won't report anything more optimistic. The moral of this short story is obvious. CX improvement may be powered by the customer's voice, but it is always a change management function. If we do not prepare to change our ways and continue to evolve our organization and how we do what it is we do, we risk not meeting our customers when and where they are looking for us and will indeed continue to disappoint. Ignoring the most basic need for adaptive change is akin to the famous Albert Einstein quote about his definition of insanity: doing the same things the same ways you always have but looking for a different (and presumably better) outcome. The odds, my friends, are against. We need to be willing to change, and in many ways, burn the boats from our past and free ourselves to find new and innovative ways to serve our customers when, where and how it matters to them. Until we do this and fully commit to transformative changes to practically every aspect of our business, we are truly only paying lip service to our customer focus and the experiences we create. It's a gigantic, missed opportunity for so many. Knowing how to change and using state of the art technology as a change enabler will prove to be key in this process. Having the right priorities, focus areas, and direction will have a positive, orchestrative effect and conversely the lack of the right analytics to guide this decision process will leave you sub-optimized or worse, functionally crippled. If I leave you with nothing more here, please consider customer experience as a change management job more so than simply a measurement one. We all need data to make our decisions, true point, but don't assume that just because you have invested in a state of the art NPS program, that this alone will be enough to make an impact.

In the past month I’ve spoken with execs of varying sized software companies, all sharing a very similar initiative for 2025: They’re pivoting their post-sales strategy from a traditional customer success motion, to more heavily focused on a consultative, revenue-generating account management org. And so, it got me thinking: 1) Why this shift is happening so much these days?, and 2) How should companies can go about successfully making this shift? (**post continued in the comments**) 1️⃣ WHY THIS IS HAPPENING Lets be clear - this isn’t a subtle change. It’s a deliberate and strategic response to broader shifts in how B2B tech companies operate and compete. It’s also tempting to say it’s just about maximizing revenue from existing accounts. Sure that's a big part of it, but the reality is deeper and more nuanced. First off, customer expectations are evolving. Your clients today aren’t looking for “responsive” CSMs—they need proactive business partners. They want vendors that understand their priorities, anticipate their needs, and deliver measurable outcomes. Most important - the want to grow their business through the solutions they've bought, and they need help doing so. In addition, buyers are more scrutinized than ever - renewal conversations are now treated with the same rigor as new sales discussions. CFOs, procurement teams, and executives want to see clear ROI before they renew or expand their spend. The pressure on YOUR champion to prove value to their own stakeholders has risen drastically, and they're passing that responsibility onto their vendors (eg. your CSM/ AM) Finally, the commoditization of features has changed the game. With technology advancing so rapidly, product differentiation between vendors is shrinking. So, the experience customers have AFTER purchase—how they’re supported, grown, and enabled—is becoming the key driver of competitive advantage. 2️⃣ HOW TO PURSUE THIS CHANGE Shifting to a revenue-driven, consultative post-sales model is not just about renaming roles from CSM to AM - it’s a systemic change in how the org operates. Here’s how to make it work: a) Audit Your Customer Journey: Start by mapping the current customer experience. Identify where value delivery breaks down—whether it’s onboarding, feature adoption, or renewal / expansion conversations. The goal is to pinpoint where your team can drive both customer outcomes and revenue opportunities. b) Up-skill Your Post-Sales Team with Sales Competencies: Moving to an account management team means equipping your post-sales reps with skills like business case development, strategic account planning, and ROI storytelling. For example, train your team on how to identify cross-sell opportunities by analyzing usage patterns or how to build expansion cases that align with the customer’s long-term goals.

What do most Customer Success teams get wrong about user adoption? It takes more than communication and training to change people’s behaviors. Damon Centola, a noted social network scientist, says there’s a big difference between hearing about something and creating new norms. Well-connected influencers can quickly get the word out, a phenomenon Centola calls a simple contagion. Like COVID-19 in the early days, news can travel exponentially fast. Add some resistance, however, and Centola says the contagion becomes complex—spreading it takes multiple exposures. For example, if you see a neighbor put their yard waste to the curb, you’d do nothing. But if three neighbors did the same thing, you’d ask what’s happening. After learning that there’s a special waste pick-up the next day, you’d clean up your backyard, too. It’s the same thing for technology. Once peers adopt, the social pressure’s on to adopt, too. In successful transformations, the wave starts small, progresses to adjacent groups, and after a tipping point, mass communication accelerates the change everywhere. The difference in this approach is astounding: 90% adoption versus only 3% relying on mass communications alone. The lesson? If your solution depends on changing the habits of many users, don’t rely exclusively on training and communication. Use social network analysis tools like the one pictured from Polinode to reveal the hidden change agents. Then work with your sponsor to target them, score an early win, and expand along the perimeter before converting the masses. You’ll get substantially higher adoption and your economic buyer will get maximum ROI. Integrate change management into your customer journey with scientifically proven methods. Contact me directly or see the Comments below. #customersuccess #customersuccessmanagement #cx #saas #revenueoperations #changemanagement

Want to drive change in your team? Start by defining how you want your customers to feel. At Factors, we’re transforming our Customer Success team to deliver a world-class experience. Here’s how we’re making it happen: 1.⁠ ⁠Process overhaul We revisited old systems (like Slack-based support and onboarding decks) and introduced new ones (helpdesk, 45-day onboarding reviews). Every piece was designed with the same quality and care as our main website. 2.⁠ ⁠Skill mapping We identified critical areas for upskilling: → Communication best practices (Slack, email). → Empathetic responses in tough situations. → Productive meeting techniques. → Stakeholder management. The team is tackling these through formal sessions and personal development. 3.⁠ ⁠Customer experience goals We defined the emotions we want to evoke in every interaction. Customers should feel heard, respected, and supported with thoughtful, personalized solutions. 🎯 But the biggest challenge? Making this transformation stick. Here’s my plan: 1.⁠ ⁠Lead by example: I’m consciously adopting these practices myself (writing thoughtful Slack messages, staying responsive, or treating every interaction with care and respect) 2.⁠ ⁠Celebrate wins: Celebrating wins, big or small. Recognize team members for adopting these changes. Shoutouts and performance incentives go a long way. 3.⁠ ⁠Reinforce consistently: Repeat our commitments every 4-6 weeks to ensure they become part of our team’s DNA. I firmly believe transformation sticks when teams see personal and professional value in the change. What else could I try to make this stick? #CustomerSuccess #Leadership #ChangeManagement #CustomerExperience

Not a lot of businesses are recognizing the power of Change Management as a vehicle for enhancing customer experience efforts. Here's how to unlock the power of change management principles in the context of CX. 🎯 Understanding Customer Needs Before initiating any change, you must have a deep understanding of what your customers really want. Utilize data analytics, behavioral data, operational and financial data, customer interviews, surveys, market dynamics, competitive information, and other signals to assess and understand needs. 🤝 Aligning Objectives Leadership Alignment: Ensure that your leadership is onboard and committed to customer experience improvement. Stakeholder Involvement: Involve the frontline employees who interact with customers daily to contribute to the decision-making process. 🗓️ Planning Identify Key Changes: Prioritize which areas require change based on customer feedback and business metrics. Set Targets: Establish measurable KPIs to gauge the success of the changes you plan to implement. These should be business- and customer-driven metrics. Don't make this a metric like "increase OSAT from X to Y." 📣 Communication Internal Communication: Clearly communicate the why and the how to all internal stakeholders. This should include executives, directly impacted employees, and the broader line of business. Tailor it to the stakeholder. Customer Communication: Be transparent with customers about what changes to expect and how they will benefit. Keep them up to date on progress. 🛠️ Implementation Pilot Testing: Conduct a small-scale test of the changes to assess their effectiveness. Feedback Loop: Gather continuous feedback from customers and employees throughout the implementation process. 📊 Evaluation and Adaptation Assess Impact: Examine metrics regularly to determine whether the changes are having the intended impact. Iterate: Use data-driven insights to make necessary adjustments. 🚀 Sustaining Changes Training: Continuously train your team to adapt to new changes. Feedback Mechanisms: Keep the dialogue open with customers and employees for sustainable improvements. 👩💻 Leveraging Technology 👨💻 Data Analytics: Use analytics to pinpoint improvement areas. Communication Platforms: Use tools like Slack or Teams for internal communication. Automation: Implement bots for routine tasks. CRM Systems: Manage customer relationships digitally to gain insights. 💡 Involve Employees Effectively Employees are the face of your customer service. Include them in planning, provide training opportunities, establish regular feedback forums, and reward those who contribute to customer experience improvements. Have you applied change management principles to enhance the customer experience in your organization? What worked for you? What didn't work for you? #ChangeManagement #CustomerExperience #Leadership #DataAnalytics #EmployeeEngagement #Technology