Client Trust After Software Launch

Sometimes, in Customer Success, we miss opportunities that stem from an emotional connection we establish through storytelling, and instead, we focus only on the metrics. While adoption rates, usage stats, and renewals matter, persuasion and buy-in happen when we go beyond the numbers. Let me explain with a real example. We had a client whose revenue targets were at risk because their team wasn’t adopting our software. This wasn’t just a minor issue—every week without adoption was costing them lost deals. They were facing real business consequences, and their leadership was getting frustrated. We stepped in by taking a hands-on approach. We ran a discovery call to uncover the root cause, and what we discovered was that the sales team was resistant because it was yet another tool, and they didn’t see it as fitting into their workflow. We took their feedback and made adjustments. We customized a training program, set up workflows tailored to their specific needs, and met regularly with their team to ensure they weren’t just using the product, but fully integrating it into their daily operations. Within 3 months, they turned things around—adoption hit 90%, and their team was closing deals faster with fewer roadblocks. The real win? Revenue went up 25%, and they not only hit their target but exceeded it. That was the business problem we solved—getting their team to use the tool effectively and drive growth. But here’s the emotional side: the client’s manager had been carrying the weight of that failure on her shoulders. Every missed target felt like it was on her, and it was stressing her out. Once adoption clicked and they started seeing results, that stress disappeared. She felt relief knowing she could finally report back to leadership with success and her team was functioning smoothly. That’s the power of storytelling in Customer Success. It’s not just about listing the results. It’s about telling the story of the business problem you solved, and then tying it back to how that solution made your client feel. When you can paint the picture of both the professional and emotional wins, you’re building trust—and trust leads to renewals. Here's how you can do it: - Reframe their problem as a shared challenge: Position yourself as their partner, working together to solve the issue. - Describe the emotional impact of the solution: Don’t just say, "We improved adoption by 90%." Also say, "We helped the team go from stressed and frustrated to confident and in control." - Highlight the relief: Paint a picture of what it felt like for them when they could finally relax, knowing the problem was solved. When you can tell a client’s story in a way that brings out that emotional relief, you’re no longer just a service provider—you’re the partner who made their life easier. That builds trust. Want to learn revenue-generating strategies and tactics that work? Sign up for my newsletter ⬇ #customersuccess #sales #gotomarket

Enterprise software rollouts fail for one reason most people miss. Software adoption is about trust. When customers ask about implementation time, they're not really asking about technical setup. They're worried about losing the momentum they've built. They've muscled their referral programs manually to maybe 30-35% of hires. Now they need software to scale, but can't risk everything grinding to a halt. Here's what actually works: Start with simple wins. We helped one customer get their core referral process running in days while building the full integration. Instead of waiting 4-8 weeks to see value, they could immediately tap into their existing workflows. We also built a UAT guide so customers knew exactly what to test. We tracked every integration milestone - from job data sync to candidate processing. Clear documentation, no surprises, no scattered testing, no missed issues. They hit 830 referrals in six days. Their original goal was 750 in three months. The tech has to work. But trust is built when you prove you won't break what's already working. #ChangeManagement #Recruiting #DigitalTransformation

63% of customers say the onboarding process determines whether they’ll stay with a product or service. A structured, transparent onboarding plan is essential for building trust and setting the stage for a smooth collaboration. Here’s how we guide our clients from day one to a successful release: Initial Discovery & Alignment ↳ Define goals and success metrics right away. ↳ Identify key stakeholders to ensure a unified vision. Detailed Roadmap ↳ Set clear milestones with realistic timelines. ↳ Address potential bottlenecks early to keep things on track. Transparent Communication ↳ Share progress updates and demos at regular intervals. ↳ Use clear channels to handle questions and feedback promptly. Iterative Development & QA ↳ Develop in sprints, testing, and refining after each cycle. ↳ Ensure continuous feedback loops so changes happen fast. Smooth Handover & Post-Release Support ↳ Provide thorough documentation and training. ↳ Offer ongoing support to keep everything running seamlessly. At our company, we refine our onboarding approach with every project. This helps us deliver high-quality solutions while making our clients feel confident from kick-off to launch. #SoftwareDevelopment #ProjectManagement #OutsourcingTips

In my early days at ProofHQ, our system went down every time I got on a plane. Every time I touched down, I’d check my phone—and boom, another outage. Back then, we didn’t have in-flight Wi-Fi, so when I was on a transatlantic flight I was totally incommunicado. It became a bit of a running joke: “The system runs on Ant’s laptop—when he shuts it down for a flight, the whole thing crashes.” Funny joke. But in reality, it was a huge problem. In software, the product simply has to work. It’s what people are paying for. So when your system is down and your software isn’t working for your clients—you have a major, major issue. Downtime affected our team’s morale, but it also hurt our trust and credibility with our customers. I often spent those first few hours in my hotel room calling clients to try to smooth things over. Eventually, I realized this problem wasn’t going away. We needed to get serious about the service we were providing to our customers. We had to improve our uptime. So we took a step back and rebuilt our architecture. We introduced a simple principle: run three of everything—one for us, one for the client, one as a backup. That decision changed everything. It gave us the buffer we needed. Reliability improved. The firefighting stopped. We built confidence with our clients—and with our team. We’ve continued to run a similar protocol at Ziflow to ensure maximum reliability for our clients. Here’s the truth: all software will go down at some point. But that should be a rarity—not the norm. When you’re running a start-up, everything can seem urgent. Believe me, I know firsthand how hard those first years can be. But the number 1, absolutely top priority has to be: does your product work, consistently?