1. Embrace Hosting

This year, I dove right into hosting, aiming to positively influence attendees’ experiences at the massive Pulse event. Whether it was playing pong, searching for the best espresso, getting down with Dance Dance Revolution, chowing down at the secret poké station, or—oh right, it’s a work conference—I meant soaking in numerous insightful tracks, keynotes, and running the executive meeting center along with Kristen Keller, Field Marketing Manager, Gainsight. It was all thrilling. The ad-hoc chats where I just pulled up a chair at lunch or chatted up a partner like Mark Deegan, CEO, Wigmore IT Group Limited, and started talking shop were the best. It was all about making those small but memorable connections.

And what’s more memorable than sharing a stroopwafel moment in Amsterdam?

2. Celebrate the Community

The attendees brimming with enthusiasm and our fantastic sponsors truly make Pulse pulse! I enjoyed stopping to chat with several sponsors, and catching up with Amy Downs at Customer Obsessing Consulting, who I’ve known for nearly 20 years, was a true highlight.

From her days as a CCO to co-founding a consulting company that designs CX and Customer Success programs, witnessing her journey has been nothing short of amazing.

3. Keep Celebrating the Community

Pulse is a journey of personal and professional growth for every attendee, and it’s an honor to see our friends hitting their stride. There were too many incredible moments with our community to remark on here—but let’s touch upon one more. Faye Richards, Head of Customer Operations and Scaled Accounts at Yulife, shared what this year’s Pulse meant to her on LinkedIn:

“2024 marked a major milestone. With our UK-based operations scaling to a global reach across the US, South Africa, and Japan, this year’s Pulse was all about validating the progress YuLife has made so far (great to have Natasha Rana with me this time around). And with exciting plans on the horizon, especially around Human-First  AI in customer success, it’s an exciting time for innovation in our field. Looking forward to what we can do together Rachel Valiente Bush in the next 12 months!

As I look ahead to Pulse 2025, I’m excited for what’s next. You might even see me on stage sharing insights from this incredible journey. ”

We can’t wait to see your debut on the Pulse stage, Faye! Keep crushing it—your story is incredible.

4. Give Back

Having attended and hustled at 14 Pulses, each event is an exhausting and amazing experience. I’m always honored to experience the magic our Events team creates; they make a huge effort appear seamless to the attendees, transforming complex logistics into a smooth, engaging experience. (P.S. I hope you don’t get charged for the cappuccinos because I drank about 100 of them to wash down my 50 stroopwafels.) It’s so fun to watch new attendees experience the magic. Here’s what stood out this time:

• Dynamic Discussions with Justyna Bąkowska from F5: We had intense discussions about data, AI strategies, and even extending Gainsight to her partner ecosystem using our Through Partner CS capabilities. While at the epic Pulse party, we screamed awkwardly into each other’s ears because we were too excited to wait to talk CS and Poland! To round it out, we even grabbed our AI PM Shantan Reddy to make some real-time roadmap recommendations while waiting for a sweet book signing.
• Connecting with James Lubbock: As the Head of Customer Success at hyperexponential, James joined my session on Gainsight Copilot—one of many AI features live or in beta. I nominated him for our next beta and can’t wait for them to experience it and provide feedback. Turning talks into action was awesome. IMHO, the smaller sessions should not be just another econ 101 lecture; it’s about sharing ideas and helping folks execute them on the spot.
• Strategy Chats with Kristen Sanders: Meeting Kristen, VP of Global Customer Success at BMC Software, was incredible. We dove into strategy and the benefits of advisory offerings, and talked up the power of a thriving advocacy program with Melanie Paddock, Sr. Manager, Customer Marketing & Advocacy, Gainsight

5. Innovate and Inspire

I had the privilege of running our Gainsight Copilot and AI best practices session, loaded with strategy, recommendations, and both live and beta features.

Gainsight Copilot empowers you to easily uncover the nuances of customer relationships. This advanced solution leverages conversational AI to inquire about specific customer details, saving you time and helping you deliver a more personalized customer experience.

But the real question is: Who did it better? Dad or my son, Einstein, who rocked the keynote in 2017 with Nick Mehta?

6. Rock the New Realities

We’re a group of passionate people navigating the realities of the market and macroeconomic conditions, but we’ll always have time to watch Sam Buddery, Senior Solutions Consultant, Gainsight, crowd surf to a cover band playing Rage Against the Machine and Teenage Dirtbag—or a saxophone player with a bedazzled hat. (Thanks, Ellie Sax for the incredible performance two years in a row!)

The Pulse community is not just about work; it’s about celebrating our collective journey in style. Like Sam Buddery (below) in the front row prior to his crowd surf.

Until next year, peace out, Pulsters!

Got Pulse FOMO? We Got You

Whether you missed the event or you’re looking to relive the magic, don’t forget to revisit our greatest hits in the Pulse Library.

The post Top Takeaways From Pulse Europe 2024: From Secret Poké to AI to the Best Community in Business appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Over the last five years, Harri has been on an incredible growth trajectory, rapidly innovating and scaling to meet market demands. As their customer success organization matured, they needed a way to listen, engage, educate, and empower their customers in a way that scales—in a single, consolidated platform. As such, they built a Customer Community as a single destination for customers to connect, share best practices, provide feedback, and build stronger relationships with the product. “It’s like bringing our customers into the same room—it’s powerful,” says Dan Maimone, Director of Customer Success and CS Operations, Harri.

We sat down with Maimone to get the full scoop on the team’s journey, the challenges they faced, and how Gainsight became the platform they needed.

Harri and Gainsight Break New Ground

Q: Congratulations to Harri on becoming Gainsight’s first quadruple multi-product customer in Europe! How does it feel to be breaking new ground with Gainsight?

Dan Maimone: Thanks! It’s really exciting. We’re thrilled to be Gainsight’s first customer in Europe to bring together Customer Success, Product Experience, Customer Education, and now Community under one roof. Our shift to Gainsight has already powered an outcomes-based approach that not only increased efficiency and product adoption, but has also helped us achieve our business goals. Now with Customer Communities, we are embracing Gainsight’s full Customer OS experience and can support our customers more deeply and effectively— it’s a testament to our commitment to their success. We’re eager to see the impact across our entire customer base.

Q: What motivated Harri to adopt these four products from Gainsight’s Customer OS suite?

Dan Maimone: We wanted to consolidate our tools in one place—we didn’t want to have six different tools across the customer success function. But on a deeper level, our philosophy has always been customer-centric, and we wanted to take it further. With Gainsight Customer OS, we’re able to listen, engage, educate, and empower our customers in a way that scales. Each product offers a unique function: Customer Success for relationship management, PX for gathering and acting on product insights, Customer Education to streamline learning, and now Community, where customers can come together, share knowledge, and support one another. Bringing all four together was a natural evolution for us.

Harri Launches Customer Community

Q: The launch of Harri’s Customer Community is now here! Can you tell us what you looked forward to the most with the new Community?

Dan Maimone: Absolutely. Our community is a place where customers can connect not just with us, but with each other. We’re anticipating that this will create a strong, peer-driven support system that enhances the Harri experience. Customers will be able to ask questions, exchange insights, and share feedback directly, giving us a direct line to their needs. It’s like bringing our customers into the same room—it’s powerful.

The platform brings together everything our users need in one easy-to-navigate space, including courses from Harri Academy, quick access to support, industry insights, and a dedicated area for the latest releases to keep users informed on new products and features. We will also soon introduce Community Groups and Beta Testing Opportunities within the platform, allowing users to connect over shared interests, participate in exclusive feature previews, and provide direct feedback to shape future developments.

With the combined integrations from Gainsight, Zendesk, and AI-driven personalization, we’re providing a seamless, highly collaborative environment that empowers our customers. This launch is a major step in our commitment to helping them succeed and thrive.

A More Personalized, Meaningful Customer Journey

Q: How will this four-product integration change your customer journey?

Dan Maimone: It changes everything. From onboarding to ongoing support and growth, each interaction is more personalized and meaningful. With so many insights at our fingertips, we can anticipate needs, respond to feedback in real-time, and help customers reach their goals faster. It’s a holistic approach that just wouldn’t be possible without a suite like Gainsight’s.

We’ve already seen so much forward progress. We improved our CSM reach by streamlining interactions and workflows. We gained insights into customer behaviors using learning analytics to understand and predict customer needs and responses. We tailored success plans by combining insights from CS and PX. We’ve enhanced operational efficiencies by integrating advanced AI tools and automated solutions. We’ve driven outcome-based adoption by linking product usage directly to customer success metrics. Now, we tie it all together by building a Customer Community as a single destination for our customers to connect, share best practices, provide feedback, and build a stronger relationship with the product.

Q: That’s amazing! As an innovative, all-in-one Gainsight customer, what advice would you give to other organizations considering a similar approach?

Dan Maimone: Start by truly understanding your customers’ pain points and goals. Once you know where you can have the most impact, look for tools that help deliver that value at every stage of the customer journey. For us, Gainsight provided the right ecosystem, and that alignment has been key. Don’t hesitate to go all in—being comprehensive in customer success pays off!

Next Steps for Harri and Gainsight

Q: Finally, what are Harri’s next steps with Gainsight’s platform?

Dan Maimone: Now that we’re live with the full Gainsight Customer OS suite, our next focus is driving engagement within the community and exploring more automation opportunities to deliver value at scale. We’re just scratching the surface, and with Gainsight, we feel equipped to keep growing alongside our customers.

Learn more about the team’s journey in our case study, How the Combination of CS, PX and CE Is Empowering Harri’s Teams and Customers.

The post Unlocking the Power of Customer-Driven Growth With Dan Maimone, Director of CS, Harri appeared first on Gainsight Software.

That’s why we make implementation simple, effective, and fast, getting your CS framework up and running in as little as eight weeks, delivering verified outcomes to your clients in as little as four months.

We’re excited to share how our Professional Services team has been addressing implementation hesitation, helping clients like Amelia and Abnormal Security swiftly and successfully stand up their CS frameworks.

So, what makes Gainsight’s implementation so effective and well-received? Here 5 key themes that the Gainsight team weaves through our approach:

1. Quick Setup with Industry Best Practices

The Gainsight PS team provides the tools, assets, and best practices necessary for clients to rapidly establish their CS frameworks. We aim to not just get you up and running but to do so in record time. Need to go live in a few weeks? We got you. Need to start with a more mature framework? We got you.

The bottom line: We deliver an end-to-end Customer Success framework in an estimated 8 weeks.

2. Meeting Clients Where They Are

Whether clients are in an early stage of their customer success journey or part of a multi-team organization, our implementation experts are equipped to customize solutions to meet distinct needs. We cater to both simple frameworks and complex cross-functional collaborations to ensure everyone is aligned and engaged.

The graphic above outlines the foundational outcomes of implementing Gainsight CS, which are driven by the implementation workflow listed below. The beauty of this CS framework? You can start small and scale. Early-stage companies that need to start with a basic framework can grow as they go, and large, mutli-product organizations can easily collaborate across many functional areas from the get-go.

3. Proven Track Record

Our implementation experiences are underpinned by industry-leading IP, allowing us to deliver highly successful outcomes. With an outstanding Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 71 for our Professional Services, we’re proud that our clients recognize our commitment to excellence. Just take a look below at what one long-time Gainsight user shared.

Customer Testimonial: Abnormal Security

Georges Arnaout, Vice President, Customer Success, Abnormal Security—who has extensive experience with Gainsight—said, “I’ve been a long-time Gainsight user, and this is my third implementation. The product consistently delivers on its promises and stands out by continually exploring new features and technologies.”

This reinforces the consistent quality of our Professional Services and the strategic advantages of our evolving offerings.

With Gainsight CS, you’re not just connecting systems and data; you’re creating an environment where customer outcomes flourish, backed by our dedication to continuous innovation and improvement.

4. Rapid Results

Our average time to verified outcome is approximately four months. This means that clients are not only up and running quickly, but they also begin to see meaningful, verified progress towards their goals in a short timeframe.

5. Speed to Full CS Framework

We’re proud to say that we can deliver a full end-to-end CS framework in an estimated eight weeks. This fast rollout ensures that your team can start focusing on delivering exceptional customer experiences as soon as possible.

Take a look below at what one user says about getting set up for success with Gainsight from the get-go.

Customer Testimonial: Amelia

René LeFave, Engagement Manager, Amelia expressed their experience after implementing our Professional Onboarding service: “The implementation was smooth and simple, making it easy for everyone involved.” This powerful statement reflects the seamless process that Gainsight aims for.

LeFave went on to share, “The assets provided will deliver great benefit to the team, and we’re excited to further iterate. We are very satisfied with the overall results and the positive experience we’ve had.” This highlights the emphasis we place on delivering not just a product but a comprehensive array of assets, guidance, and support that empowers teams to thrive.

Conclusion: Letting Go of Complexity

It’s natural to have concerns about the complexities of implementing a new system, but as evidenced by our clients’ experiences, Gainsight’s Professional Services team is dedicated to making the process as smooth and beneficial as possible. We provide the necessary assets, guidance, and support to facilitate a successful transformation—helping you deliver on your promise to your customers.

If you’re considering a new CS framework but you’re hesitant due to implementation fears, we invite you to join the ranks of satisfied customers like Amelia and Abnormal Security who have experienced first-hand the simplicity and effectiveness of Gainsight’s onboarding services. The journey to enhanced customer success doesn’t have to be complex—let us help you simplify it!

For more information on making your Customer Success implementation a success, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today. 

Learn More

Want to learn more about what makes a best-in-class customer success platform? Check out the Gartner Magic Quadrant for CSPs.

The post Demystifying the Implementation Journey: How Gainsight Makes Customer Success Simple appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Static and stale FAQs? Check. Zero personal touch or context? Double check. And when those avenues didn’t work, the backup “plan” was to funnel already frustrated customers into the support queue or into the abyss of their Customer Success Managers’ inboxes.

Needless to say, it wasn’t a great situation. Thankfully, self-service is growing up as companies ditch the traditional self-service motions and embrace in-app guidance, on-demand academies, and peer-to-peer online communities.

The result? Customers feel empowered to tackle challenges and find answers on their own, while customer-facing teams have the space to focus on initiatives that move the needle.

As Courtney Hauser, Gainsight’s VP of Customer Experience & CS Operations shared during our webinar on digital self-service solutions, “Self-service is game-changing for digitally expanding CS.” She’s spot on because you can achieve these benefits without increasing costs.

Let’s take a closer look at the self-service transformation and what it means for the future.

Beyond the Forum: Creating a Community That Empowers

Let’s be real: Communities, at least in their 2008 form, have always felt like a check-the-box thing thrown up to deflect a few tickets and save a few bucks. But today, communities are evolving into something more impactful. They’re no longer just places where customers seek answers; they’re dynamic spaces where customers connect, learn, and grow together.

As Kenneth Refsgaard, Gainsight Manager of Community Strategy & Programs, explained on the webinar with Courtney, “Communities used to be about support…It was that one use case. It was about ticket deflection. It was about cost reduction.”

But now? “They’re addressing more use cases, like product education, best practices, networking, and events,” he shared.

And when communities serve a greater purpose, the results are measurable—and here’s proof: Our research found that customers actively engaged in The Gainsight Community had 3% higher Gross Retention Revenue (GRR) than those with little to no engagement. Meanwhile, highly engaged customers expanded at a 2.2x higher rate than their less engaged counterparts.

CData Software, known for simplifying enterprise data connection, integration, and automation of enterprise data, also saw community-driven benefits, saving more than $650K in customer support costs by deflecting tickets. Well done!

This kind of impact doesn’t happen by chance, though. It’s the result of intentional, data-driven growth, often starting with something simple, like a product discussion forum, and growing strategically to account for your customer and product’s evolving needs.

The secret? Tracking metrics that give you insight into how your community drives impact, and then using those insights to scale by replicating what works—think expanding popular discussion topics and rewarding top contributors to increase engagement.

Customer Education: The Secret to Self-Sufficiency

A well-trained customer isn’t just self-sufficient—they’re a power user who’s engaged, confident, and ready to unlock your product’s true potential.

As Lila Meyer, Director of Global Education Services at Gainsight, noted during the webinar, “A trained customer relies far less on support for basic issues, which allows them to focus on achieving their outcomes.”

And the impact is measurable, with our research showing that trained Gainsight administrators achieve a 51% higher expansion ARR per account than non-trained administrators. Meanwhile, trained admins also have a 3X higher average healthy active user score—proof that education fuels individual and business growth.

The secret to scaling this kind of success lies in delivering academy content that feels effortless and relevant every step of the way.

Do that with self-paced content that empowers your customers to learn on their terms. Build on that with targeted learning paths that address their immediate need, and then tie everything together with certificates that give your customers a sense of accomplishment.

In-app Guidance: Supporting Your Customers in Their Natural Workflow

In-app guidance is the quiet powerhouse of digital self-service. The unsung hero, if you will, that delivers proactive support directly in your product, right when customers need it.

As Lane Holt, former Director of Customer Success at Gainsight shared during the webinar, “The first time a user logs in is critical…with guides and walkthroughs, we can make them feel welcome and ensure they know where to start.”

Lane highlighted the importance of in-app guidance during moments of change. “When we make updates to the platform, the last thing we want is for users to ask, ‘Where do I find this now?’ Providing clear guidance and linking to community resources and educational content ensures users feel supported and not disrupted,” she emphasized.

Like all self-service initiatives, scaling in-app guidance requires a strategic and customer-first approach that guides customers at different stages of life journey:

• First-time customers have a clear starting point and feel confident navigating your product for the first time.
• Returning customers remain supported when workflows or features evolve.
• Advanced customers can uncover new capabilities and level up their product usage without frustration.

The key to in-app success relies on your ability to monitor key metrics—like how often guides are used, how many customers complete them, and what actions they take immediately afterward—you can identify which in-app guidance drives the most value and where you can make adjustments.

For example, low completion rates may point to an unnecessarily complex guide, while one with high engagement could spotlight where customers need more support (and maybe assistance from community or education content).

Bringing It All Together With a Self-Service Symphony

Community, education, and in-app guidance shouldn’t exist in siloes—they should all serve as the building blocks of a unified digital self-service strategy that delivers real customer and business impact.

But this alignment doesn’t happen by accident, or overnight. It requires planning, smart technology, and a relentless commitment to improving.

Whether that’s using AI to find efficiencies, like creating courses for your academy or using data to refine community workflows, every self-service piece needs to work in harmony to push your customers to the expected outcomes.

As Courtney, Kenneth, Lila, and Lane will all tell you, digital self-service isn’t about cutting corners and doing less. It’s about empowering customers to achieve more. And when done well, digital self-service not only empowers your customers but also gives your teams the bandwidth to focus on what really matters—at scale.

Learn More

Hungry for more self-service content? Check out our blog, Introducing New Strategies to Scale Your Business: Empowering Customers with Self-Service.

The post Unlocking Digital Self-Service: Secrets to Success, Measurement, and Scale appeared first on Gainsight Software.

To understand why community is critical for growth, and how to implement the right strategies for your organization, we’ve got a new report, The State of Community 2024. Created to offer benchmarks for companies across industries, the guide also provides tactical advice for reaching new goals in 2025 and beyond.

Want a preview of the insights you can find inside? You’ve come to the right place.

Takeaway 1: Community Is a Top Priority for B2B SaaS Companies

The first major learning from the report showed that 70% of organizations already have a community presence. More encouraging, of the 30% who don’t currently have a community presence, about two-thirds plan to implement one in the future.

Widespread adoption shows that not only are companies excited about what community adds for their customers, but they also see the business case for continuing to invest in it. What’s more, companies of all sizes are investing in community. It’s not just enterprise companies with extra resources. Smaller companies are betting on community strategies to ensure sustained growth.

Takeaway 2: Community Is for Everyone

Another encouraging finding in the report highlighted how many departments are involved in community programs. Customer success stays involved across organizations of all sizes, but some carve out community teams, or lean on marketing teams to execute community strategies.

In terms of scaling community engagement, companies also bring in sales and product teams, professional services, and support, among others. It makes sense that scaling community programs includes cross-functional efforts. The value of an engaged community is everyone helping each other reach their goals. Those companies that mirror the same spirit in their community programs seem to see better results across all major metrics.

Takeaway 3: Customer Retention Is Heavily Impacted by Community

Customer retention is one of the biggest drivers of any company’s bottom line. Everything from revenue expansion to new customer onboarding is more effective when companies engage their existing customers. It’s also easier to keep your customer base with an engaged community. So, it was no surprise for the report to show that customer retention was listed as the top lagging indicator of community success.

What this tells us is maturing and expanding community programs helps customer success teams ensure customer retention. Perhaps more importantly, it does so without requiring extra hours from CSMs. Automated workflows and conversations between customers can keep customers engaged at all times without putting a further strain on your company’s workforce. It’s a powerful self-service strategy that provides a way for customers to get help without consuming internal resource. In other words, investing in community is a win for everyone.

Takeaway 4: Education Is the Core of Successful Communities

Finally, the report showed that learning is at the core of community efforts. 73% of companies indicated that peer-to-peer support and communication was the top priority, just behind knowledge sharing and education, which was the top objective for 74% of companies surveyed.

Interestingly, product feedback and ideation was the top priority for 54% of companies survived, indicating that we are all moving into a more advanced kind of community. Rather than simply serving to help customers get answers they need, communities are also serving the companies with direct lines of feedback. The value of direct customer conversations about product features, training programs, and use cases cannot be overstated. Optimizing all of these will have a tremendous impact on revenue and growth.

Get Your Copy of The State of Community 2024

The value and impact of community programs continues to develop every year. If we learned anything from this year’s State of Community, it’s that we are all on the cusp of learning what else is possible when we invest in our customers and community.

If you’d like to learn more, download your copy of The State of Community 2024 now!

The post State of Community in 2024: Here’s Everything We Know appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Without further ado, put your hands together for this year’s Pulse Europe GameChanger Award Winners!

The Architect : Odido, Jason de Krijger

The Architect Award recognizes the individual or team that has gone above and beyond to build a thriving customer community. The Architect is a visionary leader who understands the power of community to drive customer engagement, loyalty, and success. They are adept at creating a space that is not only informative and helpful, but also fosters a sense of belonging and connection.

This year, The Architect goes to … (drumroll, please) … Jason de Krijger, Community Manager at Odido.

Odido is the largest mobile phone company in the Netherlands—and offers the best mobile network in the world. The company wants everyone to be able to easily participate in the digital technology of today and tomorrow—and have fun while doing it.

Jason de Krijger wins this year’s Architect Award for masterfully overcoming the challenges of a rebrand. He was able to expand and connect the Odido customer base by ensuring a smooth journey and offering self-service tools. Well done, Jason!

The Challenger: Lighthouse Intelligence, Pedro Adolfi

The Challenger Award recognizes an organization that has not only weathered unforeseen challenges but has emerged stronger, showcasing an unwavering commitment to the success of their people, customers, and community. Even in the face of uncertainty, this Challenger thinks beyond products and strategic plans, focusing on the positive impact they can have on the people they serve.

This year, The Challenger goes to … (drumroll, please) … Pedro Adolfi, Senior Digital CS Lead at Lighthouse Intelligence.

Serving the travel and hospitality industry, Lighthouse is the technology platform that turns data complexity into revenue growth. They empower their customers to discover hidden insights, capture missed opportunities, and move faster while working smarter. But the Lighthouse team had a problem: outdated customer success tactics that left some customer cohorts unmanaged.

Enter Pedro Adolfi, our Digital CS hero of this award show. Adolfi solved for reactive customer communication, low adoption rates, and unstandardized one-to-one onboarding processes. Wow! He achieved this by defining and segmenting an intended customer lifecycle to impact retention, avoid overwhelming customers, and create synergy between manual and digital efforts. Well done, Pedro!

The Defender: Blue Yonder, Charu Smita

This award recognizes an organization that has strategically fortified its defenses against churn and empowered its customers through a robust and transformative customer education program. The Defender embodies a proactive and knowledge-driven approach to equip customers with the tools and resources they need to thrive. This award celebrates visionary leaders who understand that knowledge is the ultimate shield, preventing customer frustrations and driving long-term success.

This year, The Defender Award goes to … (drumroll, please) … Charu Smita, Director of Digital Experience at Blue Yonder.

Blue Yonder is an AI-powered, autonomous, end-to-end supply chain network. Their technology transforms how their customers do business, turning uncertainty into opportunity.

Well done, Charu and team!

The Dream Team: Mews

The Dream Team Award celebrates the extraordinary achievements of a cross-functional team that has redefined collaboration and united behind the common goal of customer success. The Dream Team exemplifies the power of synergy, where diverse perspectives and expertise come together to create seamless and impactful customer experiences. This team understands that success requires breaking down silos and fostering a culture of open communication, shared accountability, and unwavering commitment to the customer.

This year, The Dream Team Award goes to … (drumroll, please) …  Mews! The unstoppable Dream Team assembled included:

• Sarah Masterton-Brown, Head of Community Management
• Patrick McCrudden, Gainsight Administrator, Customer Operations
• Hadley O’Dwyer, Director, Customer Operations,
• Brenna ONeill, Instructional Design Lead, Customer Operations

Mews offers an intuitive and innovative property management system that allows their customers to spend less time at computers and more time focused on guests. However, faced with a resource-intensive onboarding process that slowed time to value for our customers, the Mews team saw an opportunity to leverage the power of community to drive customer success.

The Mews Dream Team implemented a Digital Onboarding solution. This low-touch, self-guided approach allowed customers to set up their property management systems efficiently, with in-app guides, automated feedback loops, and localized support across five languages. And did we mention the Mews Community drives engagement throughout the customer journey? We think that’s a dream come true.

The Transformational Leader: Commercetools, Hauke Rahm

The Transformational Leader Award goes to an individual who has driven transformative change within their organization by elevating customer success and product experience as strategic priorities. The Transformational Leader personifies a deep understanding of the customer journey, leveraging Gainsight’s comprehensive platform to implement innovative solutions, drive measurable results, and ultimately achieve sustainable growth.

This year, The Transformational Leader Award goes to … (drumroll, please) …  Hauke Rahm, VP of Customer Success, Commercetools.

Commercetools empowers customers to build and run outstanding shopping experiences with remarkable simplicity, limitless scale, and lightning-fast speed.

Hauke Rahm recognized that transforming the Commercetools Customer Success team to become more scalable as their customer base grew required a full reevaluation of when, how, and how frequently they engaged with their customers. By tackling customer engagement head-on as a 2024 priority, Rahm updated customer health scoring, embraced AI tools for Customer Success Managers, and launched the Commercetools Community. The impact? Increased customer participation and feedback, renewal improvement, and upsell and cross-sell success. Well done, Hauke and team!

Congratulations, GameChangers! We wouldn’t be able to shape an industry without you.

Want more inspiration? Check out some amazing customer stories here!

The post Celebrating Our 2024 Pulse Europe GameChanger Award Winners! appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Let’s dive into our top takeaways from today’s sessions.

AI Centered Around Human Needs Is the Future

The day kicked off with an engaging keynote that emphasized the importance of placing human needs at the forefront of AI development. As we delve into a future where AI becomes increasingly integrated into customer success strategies, it’s essential to remember that technology should enhance, not replace, the human experience.

To kick off the keynote, Gainsight CEO, Nick Mehta, jumped on stage to discuss the state of customer success right now. The truth is that many in SaaS are wrestling with challenges. In CS specifically, many teams have to juggle decreasing headcounts with more demands from the customer. All of that pressure is compounded by internal pressure to prove that CS can drive profitable growth.

It’s a lot. But, today’s CS teams have one huge advantage: AI.

The Human-First AI Playbook

Instead of trying to solve the current problems we’re all facing with more people or more processes, we can use the power of AI to create world-class customer experiences that scale our businesses. But it only works if we use technology to give everyone in the company more time to be human.

And with that, Mehta revealed The Human-First AI Playbook, with six core tenets. We believe AI should:

1. Eliminate Blindspots
2. Remove Grunt Work to Make Room for What Matters
3. Turn Every Teammate into the Best Version of Themselves
4. Make Self-Service Not Suck
5. Transform Novices into Gurus
6. Help Customers Find Their Work Bestie

Learn more about the Human-First AI Playboook.

Enter Staircase AI

In order to eliminate blindspots and empower CS professionals with the real-time insights they need to make the most impactful decisions, Gainsight acquired Staircase AI. Staircase is a powerful additional to the Gainsight platform.

Ori Entis, SVP, Product, Gainsight, said in today’s keynote: “Human judgment doesn’t scale, and Staircase AI helps you see the signals beneath the surface. With Staircase, you gain insight into often-missed patterns and trends, empowering your team to make smarter, data-driven decisions.”

Learn more about Staircase AI.

Networking and Amsterdam’s Culinary Delights

Amidst the rich learning experiences, day one also offered plenty of opportunities for networking. Attendees connected with industry peers, sharing their unique challenges and solutions and fostering a sense of community that feels both supportive and empowering.

Of course, a trip to Amsterdam wouldn’t be complete without indulging in its world-renowned food scene! Attendees were treated to a special stoopwaffle station, allowing everyone to enjoy this delicious Dutch delicacy. The combination of childlike joy and vibrant industry conversations truly embodied the spirit of the Pulse community.

Looking Ahead

As we wrap up an inspiring day filled with valuable insights and meaningful connections, it’s clear that the future of customer success is being shaped by AI that not only delivers solutions but also connects us on a human level. We can’t wait for Day 2, filled with more powerful sessions, innovative discussions, and opportunities to further explore how we can leverage technology to enhance human connections. See you tomorrow!

Want to learn more about what makes a truly great Customer Success platform? Check out the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Customer Success Platforms.

The post Pulse Europe 2024 Day 1 Recap: A Journey Into the Future of Customer Success and AI appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Particularly in the SaaS sector, Customer Success isn’t just an ancillary function; it’s vital for retaining and growing your customer base. That means you need a Customer Success Platform (CSP) that can grow with you. Let’s dive into what sets apart a great CSP, and how to find the right one for your organization. For the full scoop dive into our new Buyer’s Guide for CSPs.

What’s a CSP?

A CSP is like your customer’s personal concierge, keeping track of everything they need to succeed with your product or service. Whether you’re a scrappy start-up or a well-oiled enterprise machine, a good CSP should feel like your trusty sidekick. It’s got AI-driven efficiency and analytics that can spot potential churn risks and uncover golden revenue opportunities, including cross-sells, upsells, and renewals just waiting to be seized. Plus, it helps you deliver various CS strategies, from automated digital programs to one-on-one chats that feel as cozy as a coffee date.

Time to Build Your Business Case

Before you dive headfirst into vendor hunting, you need a killer business case on why a CSP is essential. Here’s what to include:

• Current Pain Points: What’s keeping you up at night? Identify the challenges and metrics that need fixing.
• Metrics that Matter: Track KPIs like Net Revenue Retention (NRR) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) to prove your CSP’s worth.
• ROI and TCO: Crunch the numbers and show the dollars and cents of this investment.
• Customer Outcomes: Define what success looks like for your customers and how your CSP can help them get there.
• Organizational Alignment: Identify any roadblocks across teams that the CSP can help clear.
• Operational Processes: Check out which features will integrate seamlessly with your existing tech stack.

Additionally, learning from industry research or consultancies can help validate your case, showing how your organization stacks up against benchmarks.

Assemble Your Dream Team & Nail Down Those Must-Haves

Assemble your evaluation dream team from Customer Success, Sales, Marketing, IT, and Finance to ensure all aspects are addressed, from everyday tasks to overarching strategies.

You will also want a CSP that’s all about delivering the goods. Check out these essential features:

• Integrated Ecosystem: It should play nicely with your CRM (think Salesforce, HubSpot) and other tools, allowing for smooth, real-time data flow.
• Open Data Model: Flexible is the name of the game—avoid black-box models and look for APIs that make data management a breeze.
• Health Monitoring: Your CSP should keep tabs on customer health and satisfaction, catching issues before they become headaches.
• Workflow Management: Time is money! Your platform should streamline processes and cut down on repetitive tasks.
• Self-Service Options: Make it easy for customers to help themselves with FAQs, chatbots, and knowledge bases.

The Dynamic Duo: CRM + CSP

Let’s be real: CRMs and CSPs are like peanut butter and jelly. CRMs handle customer relationships across sales and marketing, while CSPs swoop in post-purchase to ensure customers are thriving. Together, they create a full-spectrum view of the customer journey, giving you the insights needed to keep everyone happy and engaged.

Vendor Selection

Ready to find your perfect CSP?  Look for vendors that check all the boxes on readiness, scalability, integration, and security. Dive into solution presentations and don’t shy away from asking for a Proof of Concept (POC).

Investing in a CSP isn’t just a good idea—it’s one of the smartest moves you can make for your post-sales game plan. As economic pressures mount, a flexible, AI-driven CSP that can adapt to your customers’ evolving needs is necessary. The suitable CSP will enhance customer satisfaction and give you the tools you need to drive growth like a boss.

Download our complete guide to purchasing the right Customer Success Platform that will scale with you.

Want to speak with CS Pros in person to kickstart your journey? Join us at Pulse Europe November 13-14 in Amsterdam.

The post Introducing Our Customer Success Platform Buyer’s Guide appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Companies focused on long-term growth know that scaling requires efficiency rather than volume. For customer success organizations, specifically, executives must figure out how to balance the revenue-driving actions like expansion or churn reduction, while still addressing daily customer questions and training.

The answer is digital self-service for your customers. By empowering them to take control of their success, you make space for your CSMs to take meaningful actions for the business. Let’s talk about how to get started:

Start with Universal Customer Experiences

Digital self-service is not a replacement for customer success functions. Those personalized engagements are still best done by your CSMs. But there are universal customer experiences that can be optimized for efficiency with digital self-service. The best place to start include:

• On-Demand Training: Customers often want to figure out the answers to their questions on their own. Not only does it mean going at their own pace, but it also helps them avoid breaks in their own workflow. Because of this, on-demand training provides an efficient way to empower customers to create their own success.
• Customer Communities: Users of your product provide a wealth of knowledge, troubleshooting, and support to each other that can happen at any hour of the day. Creating a space for users to talk, celebrate, and help each other can help improve time-to-value and feature adoption without taking time from CSMs. In terms of essential self-service strategies, this is among the top.
• In-App Guidance: With enough customer engagements, your team should start to learn which parts of your product are confusing for new users. Take the opportunity to create in-app engagements to walk customers through those processes until they are confident they know what to do.

There will likely be other instances that your company can implement digital self-service strategies, but building a foundation of these three will ensure success for you and your customers.

Engage Customers in Your Product

Today’s customer needs a proactive partner. Companies build more trust and loyalty when they anticipate their customers’ needs, both as a new and experienced user.  As such, companies can improve their customer relationships by integrating workflows and communications in the platform.

Engagements that show users how to complete a new workflow, remind them of tasks, or improve their daily workload show that you’re thoughtful, proactive, and always around to help customers reach their goals.

What’s more, you can use the conversations on your community pages to inform which workflows need in-product communications most urgently. They are telling you what’s most important to them, and they want to know you’re listening. In fact, some Gainsight customers see a 40x increase in NPS responses after just six months of in-app engagements!

Maintain Your Identity in All Engagements

Another key element for effective self-service is consistency. Of course, this means keeping your voice the same across all engagements. Companies should ensure that everything from their product to their community pages and website look the same.

More importantly, though, customers want to feel like their customer journey is one experience. When they log in to your platform, they don’t want to see communications they’ve already acknowledged in their email inbox. They expect that they won’t have to repeat information during customer calls that they’ve already submitted via email. They’re having one customer experience of your company, and they expect you to create that for them.

To build successful self-service solutions for your customers, ensure that they all reflect your brand identity and that the data from each engagement is shared across your organization.

Build for the Future

The last step is, of course, to build a sustainable strategy for future growth. Each time you add a new self-service solution, there will be learnings for your customer success team. Collect as much data as possible to look for ways to optimize your operations. Funnel all that information into a central location so that when it’s time to find efficiencies, everyone is working from the most recent, and comprehensive data.

Remember that each engagement is an opportunity to learn more about what your customer values, what they struggle with, and what they rave about to their community. Taken together, this is the data that will allow you to grow consistently year after year.

Get the Strategies in Our New Guide

To learn exactly how to put these strategies into action, download our newest guide Empowering Customers to Take Success Into Their Own Hands: How to Scale Customer Success Through Digital Self-Service Strategies. 

You’ll learn how each step improves your business, and get real-world examples from other companies who implemented them.

The post Introducing New Strategies to Scale Your Business: Empowering Customers with Self-Service appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Humans are creatures of habit—whether that means knowing exactly where a button is or settling into a workflow—and that’s why migrating learning management systems (LMS) can be a touchy topic for Customer Education teams. After spending time and resources implementing one LMS, onboarding their internal teams, and driving awareness with their customers, the mere thought of starting over may be enough to keep them up at night.

I’d be lying if I said this thought didn’t cross my mind when it came time to migrate Gainsight University from its previous LMS to Gainsight Customer Education (CE).

Here’s the thing: The migration opened the door to new opportunities and benefits—and that made the entire process worth its weight in gold.

Why We Made the Switch

In 2023, we acquired Northpass (now Gainsight CE), with the vision of creating a more unified and empowering learning experience for our customers. The migration wasn’t just about changing platforms; it was about enhancing how we deliver value and finding new ways to empower our teams and customers. So, following the acquisition, we set out to reimagine the foundation of self-service learning at Gainsight. Our goal? Align with Gainsight’s vision of integrating learning into every aspect of the customer journey and create a learning experience that evolves with our customers and teammates and help them all unlock greater value.

It took some time but it was a deliberate process and time well spent and now I am excited to officially announce our rollout of Gainsight University on its new platform—Gainsight CE.

Why I’m So Excited

Was Aladdin and Jasmine’s “A Whole New World” inspired by the migration of Gainsight University? No, but it could have been because the migration lets us step into an entirely new world that’ll benefit our customers and teams.

Let’s start with the benefits for our customers and learners…

Benefits to the Customer: 

• A Connected Learning Experience: From in-product guides to on-demand training, everything our customers need to maximize product value is available in one place, whenever they need it. For example, by integrating our academy with Gainsight PX, we can deliver personalized in-product engagements that guide customers to our academy for personalized courses.

• Learning Based on Product Usage: We can now deliver more personalized learning experiences based on how customers are using Gainsight products. That means our customers aren’t just getting general, transactional training—they’re getting targeted content that helps them realize value quickly, no matter where they are in their Gainsight journey. For example, we can suggest a course to customers who are underutilizing key features or provide advanced training to those who are already proficient and want to become even bigger power users.
• Streamlined Navigation: Previously, getting to the course you needed meant navigating through a series of selections—choose your product, pick your role, then find your course. This process not only prolonged the training experience but also increased the risk of overlooking important courses. Now, with the new navigation in Gainsight CE, all courses are visible upfront on a single, seamless dashboard. There’s no need to click through multiple layers anymore. This streamlined approach means less time spent searching and more time learning.

Remember: The migration wasn’t just about moving content from one platform to another; it was about creating a learning experience that’s more personalized, engaging, and aligned with the way our customers engage with our products. If you’re switching LMSs, this should be your guiding light, too.

Now moving on to our internal teams…

Benefits to Our Team: 

• Real-Time Insights and Action: By migrating to Gainsight CE, our entire post-sales tech stack can now work together to provide more advanced—and real-time—customer insights. The result? Our teams can be more proactive and deliver more value to customers. For example, we can leverage product usage information (from Gainsight PX) to trigger training recommendations or enrollments or use course completions to inform health scores (in Gainsight CS).
• Stronger Collaboration: By bringing our academy into the greater Gainsight universe, our Customer Success, Product, and Education teams can easily share insights and align on enablement and engagement strategies with our customers, better equipping them to ensure the learning journey is directly tied to product adoption and success.

So, what’s the moral of the story? Migrating to Gainsight CE reduces a ton of friction from the learning experience, equips our customers with the knowledge they need to succeed, and equips our post-sales teams with the data and insights they need to deliver value. It’s a win-win-win.

Reflecting on the Migration Process: 3 Lessons Learned

Like I said, I’ve been involved in my fair share of migrations—five to be exact—and each one has taught me something (or reinforced a previous learning).

Here are three of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the years that you can apply to your next LMS migration, whether that’s Gainsight or not:

• Get everyone involved: While the Customer Education team (or whichever team is responsible for your academy) should own the migration process and strategy, don’t lose sight of the fact that customer education is a team sport. As a result, silos will undeniably be your biggest foe, so involve all major stakeholders from the start—think Product, Engineering, and Customer Success—to help you get ahead of potential challenges and iterate together.
• Communicate: Whatever level of communication you think you need for a successful LMS migration—double it. As the process goes on, maintain clear, consistent communication across all stakeholders with weekly updates, transparent roadmaps, alignment sessions, and open feedback loops to ensure every team knows what to expect, when, and why. Not only will this eliminate any ambiguity from the migration, but it’ll also give other teams a sense of ownership across teams.
• Flexibility is your BFF: No matter how airtight your migration plan is, change is inevitable. So, instead of forcing yourself to stick to a firm schedule, build buffer time into your schedule for unforeseen challenges, like teammate attrition or technical hiccups. You should also plan for significant testing if your migration involves significant new functionality.

I always remember a former boss telling me, “It’s not about what you’re leaving behind, but what you’re moving toward.” That perspective has stuck with me and rang true during Gainsight University’s migration to Gainsight CE.

It’s not just about changing learning platforms; it’s about embracing new opportunities that bring more value to our customers and teams, and keeps Gainsight ahead of the curve.

Cheers to learning, reflection, LMS migrations, and new opportunities that’ll unlock even more value for our customers and teams.

Want to learn more about Gainsight Customer Education or how you can migrate your academy? Reach out today to chat with an expert. 

The post A Whole New World: Gainsight University’s Next Chapter with Gainsight CE appeared first on Gainsight Software.

At Pulse Europe 2024, happening on November 13–14, we’ll embrace this change together as a community dedicated to shaping the future of Customer Success. We’ll explore how tools like Staircase AI are redefining the way we engage with our customers, providing real-time insights and enabling proactive strategies. And, most importantly, we’ll hear from business leaders in the CS community and beyond and learn from their stories.

Here’s a snapshot of what you can expect at Pulse Europe 2024:

Showstopping Session Content

The speaker lineup at Pulse Europe 2024 is designed to enlighten, motivate, and empower you with actionable insights that can elevate your Customer Success strategy. Our keynote speakers and breakout session leaders are seasoned experts, who will explore the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities within Customer Success, SaaS, and beyond.

We have so many incredible sessions coming up at Pulse Europe 2024, but here’s a look at a couple of our early favorites.

Human-First Leadership in the Age of AI: Balancing Technology and Empathy

Join Dominique Duquennoy, Head of Customer Success EMEA, SS&C Blue Prism for this incredible session. While technology is evolving rapidly and impacting our ways of working, it is more crucial than ever to maintain a Human-First approach in leadership. We’ll explore strategies to ensure that AI supports, rather than replaces, human interactions. In this session, Duquennoy will go through how this combo—technology and empathy—is key to supporting retention and growth strategies at scale.

Data Alchemy: How Gainsight’s Survey Tools + AI Turned User Feedback into Pure Gold

Join Angela Felicissimo, Vice President Global Customer Success, Learnship for an insightful session on how to turn your user data into a powerful growth tool. Many companies aim to make data-driven decisions, but it’s challenging when insights are buried across multiple feedback channels and data sources. This session will explore how Learnship solved this challenge by leveraging Gainsight CS, its survey tools, and AI to connect user feedback with behavioral data and uncover insights that drive key decisions and boost customer satisfaction.

GameChanger Awards

At Pulse Europe, we celebrate the pioneers who are driving the evolution of Customer Success through the GameChanger Awards. These awards recognize outstanding achievements and innovations in the field, highlighting the visionaries who are leading the way in transforming how we think about customer engagement, retention, and success.

This is not just a formality; it’s an opportunity to honor those who have taken risks, pushed boundaries, and set new standards for best practices within the industry. Their stories can inspire your own initiatives and provide a roadmap for future successes.

Gainstar Customer Recognition Program

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our Gainstar Customer Recognition Program in Europe! The Gainstar Program is designed to turn your passion for Gainsight into meaningful rewards and recognition. This is our way of celebrating the customers who help make Gainsight extraordinary!

By joining the program, you’ll gain access to unique opportunities to enhance your impact—whether it’s by sharing best practices, participating in a reference call, showcasing your success stories, or offering valuable feedback.

Along the way, you’ll elevate your personal brand while contributing to the future of Gainsight!

As you participate, you’ll earn points that unlock exclusive rewards, with multiple tiers that offer exciting benefits based on your engagement. If you see cool letterman jackets around the conference, don’t let the FOMO get you. Work your way up to Platinum status in the Gainstar Program, and you could be sporting one next year!

Join the Gainstar movement today and let your advocacy shine!

Why Attend Pulse Europe 2024?

Whether you’re a seasoned customer success leader or just starting out in education, community management, or product experience … there’s something for everyone at Pulse Europe 2024. Each session, keynote, and panel conversation is structured to provide actionable insights, foster collaboration, and ultimately unite the customer success community.

The conference is also an excellent platform for networking. You’ll have the chance to meet peers facing similar challenges, share solutions, and discover new partnerships that could drive success for your organization.

As you immerse yourself in the learning and celebration, think about how you can apply the insights gathered at Pulse to your day-to-day role. What strategies will you implement in light of AI advancements in SaaS? What partnerships can you cultivate? Drawing inspiration from conversations and experiences will help you return to your organization invigorated and equipped with fresh ideas.

Pulse Europe 2024 is more than just an event; it’s a movement toward greater customer success and satisfaction. Be part of a community that values growth, innovation, and collaboration.

Plus, we always have an epic party.

After our speakers wow us on the keynote stage, we invite you to celebrate with some of the best performers in Amsterdam

Join Us!

Pulse Europe 2024 is not just another conference; it’s an opportunity to participate in the evolution of Customer Success. Together, we will explore how advancements in AI are setting the stage for innovations that will shape the future of our industry.

This year, let’s embrace the changes and challenges ahead, recognizing that they offer new possibilities for growth and impact. Join us as we build the future of Customer Success, a landscape enriched by intelligence, empathy, and community engagement. We look forward to welcoming you at Pulse Europe 2024, where together, we can ignite a new era of transformation in Customer Success.

Register today for Pulse Europe 2024.

The post Pulse Europe 2024: Shaping the Future of Customer Success in an AI Wonderland  appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Customer Success teams often believe their only choice is between a platform that can be implemented quickly and one that is powerful enough to grow with them in the future. But it doesn’t have to be an either-or decision. In fact, companies should not invest in a Customer Success Platform (CSP) unless it offers both.

If you’re thinking about integrating a new CSP into your tech stack, we can help you find the perfect fit for you based on today’s priorities and your goals for tomorrow. Here are the top three things to keep an eye out for:

Evaluate How AI Is Integrated

Companies in the middle of a growth spurt all face the same issue. Their current Customer Success Managers (CSMs) are swamped trying to manage their accounts, but there may not be room in the budget just yet to hire more help. The team knows there are opportunities to streamline workflows, but no one has time to step back and assess operations.

That’s why AI is critical in a CSP. As a tool, it always has a high-level view of inefficiencies and can work in the background to remedy them. But the real power of AI is how it can support CSMs to focus on their most impactful and meaningful work. It can identify expansion opportunities and churn risks, produce quality engagements, and ensure no information is missed on every account.

If the goal of your company is to grow every year, you will likely experience these growth spurts every few years. You need a CSP that is constantly improving and expanding the power of AI so that you can make each transition seamlessly.

Gainsight vs. Catalyst: Get the Strategic Comparison

Map Capabilities Against Your Growth Plan

Another key factor to deciding which CSP is right for your company is the depth and breadth of the features it offers, as well as their power. Some platforms can offer a wide variety of features, but they lack the power needed to serve hundreds of customers at once. Conversely, some platforms may work perfectly in a few ways, but don’t offer comprehensive support for your CSMs. These are platforms that you’ll grow out of in just a few years, as your operations get more complex,

When making an investment as crucial as your CSP, it’s important to find the one that offers powerful features that work together across the entire customer journey. Think beyond what your teams need right now and remember that the right tool will grow with you far into the future. What are the features you’ll need in three years? Five? Invest in what makes the most sense long-term.

Prioritize Streamlining Your Team’s Workflow

The final consideration to remember as you consider what CSP your company should use is how it works within the network of your existing tech. As your customer base expands, the amount of data stored by your tech stack will grow exponentially. CSMs will also rely more heavily on automated processes to provide exceptional customer experiences.

If your CSP doesn’t integrate seamlessly into your ecosystem, you risk loss of data, inefficiencies, and, ultimately, unhappy customers. In order to avoid those issues, look for a CSP that can work with your current tools on day one.

Ask about the features that come out of the box, the programs it already works with, and what is possible based on the tools you use today. You’ll find that most companies offer custom integrations, but the right CSP will automatically work with the most important tools.

Learn More in Our Buyer’s Guide

For more guidance on how to identify the right customer success platform for your organization, check out our Buyer’s Guide: Select a Customer Success Platform to Grow With.

The post Can Your Customer Success Platform Scale with You?  appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Without further ado, here’s my perspective on how AI is becoming a crucial competitive differentiator in customer success.

1. Revolutionizing Customer Interactions

The advent of generative AI has ushered in a new era for Customer Success teams. AI-powered tools like Gainsight’s Meeting Assist are changing the game by automating time-consuming tasks such as note-taking. These tools can instantly summarize customer calls, identify potential risks, and recommend follow-up tasks, allowing CS professionals to focus on strategic initiatives.

Furthermore, AI-powered features like Gainsight’s Takeaways can surface key opinions and identify themes from customer interactions, providing deeper insights into both positive and negative sentiments. And Gainsight’s Customer Cheat Sheet offers quick access to essential data points, including renewal insights and strategic priorities, empowering teams to make informed decisions rapidly.

2. Accelerating Team Efficiency

One of AI’s most significant benefits in customer success is its ability to boost team efficiency. By leveraging generative AI capabilities for CS, teams can save hours previously spent aggregating and summarizing customer information. This efficiency allows CS professionals to focus on high-value activities that drive customer outcomes.

AI’s intelligent monitoring and alerting capabilities also enable teams to identify better gaps in user needs, adoption issues, and early churn risks. By providing AI-generated recommendations, these tools can kickstart CS motions and help teams proactively address customer challenges—before they become emergencies.

Learn More in Our Report: The State of AI in Customer Success, 2024

3. Enhancing Decision-Making with AI-Driven Insights

The power of AI in customer success lies in its ability to generate granular and accurate forecasts for retention, adoption, and expansion. Gainsight has further strengthened its AI capabilities through the strategic acquisition of Staircase.ai, enhancing its ability to provide deep, actionable insights.

This acquisition combines Gainsight’s comprehensive suite of CS tools with Staircase.ai’s expertise in relationship intelligence. Gainsight’s AI-powered solutions, now enhanced with Staircase.ai’s technology, can generate detailed forecasts using a wider array of data points, including both quantitative metrics and qualitative relationship data.

This comprehensive approach allows CS teams to identify potential issues early, understand complex customer dynamics, and take proactive measures to ensure customer success. By leveraging this enhanced AI capability, teams can access a more nuanced picture of customer health, make more informed decisions, and craft highly personalized strategies, ultimately driving better business results.

Learn More in Our Blog: How Glean Leverages Gainsight Essentials and Generative AI to Drive Customer Success

4. The Game-Changing Potential of AI Copilots

One of the most exciting developments in AI for customer success is the introduction of conversational AI assistants like Gainsight Copilot. This tool is exclusively designed for post-sales teams, offering a new level of strategic support.

With Copilot, CS professionals can engage in conversations about customers’ strategic priorities, quickly identify advocates within their customer base, and pinpoint top customers at risk. It even allows teams to gauge reactions to new product releases, providing invaluable insights for product development and customer engagement strategies.

This level of AI-powered assistance is transforming how CS teams operate, allowing for more informed decision-making and proactive customer management.

5. Choosing the Right AI Partner

When considering AI solutions for customer success, partnering with vendors with a proven track record is crucial. Look for providers who have been recognized as leaders in AI implementation since its early adoption in CS (around 2021). These vendors typically offer intuitive AI interfaces that make it easy to deliver actionable insights.

Conclusion

As we navigate the AI revolution in customer success, it’s clear that the future is already here—and it’s smarter than we thought. Whether we’re ready or not, AI is transforming how we understand and serve our customers.

So, fellow CS leaders, it’s time to embrace change. After all, in the race to deliver value, we’d rather teach AI to sprint than explain to our customers why we’re still crawling.

Remember, AI is a powerful tool in our customer success toolkit, but it’s not the whole workshop. It’s there to sharpen our insights and streamline our processes, allowing us to focus on what we do best: building genuine customer relationships and performing complex decision-making. After all, AI can analyze a thousand data points, but it takes a human to truly understand the story behind them.

Learn more at ai.gainsight.com.

The post Demystifying AI in Customer Success: Beyond the Hype appeared first on Gainsight Software.

But how do you know when it’s the right time for your organization to adopt self-service tools and solutions? More importantly, how can you identify which solutions will effectively address your unique challenges?

Let’s dive in.

Recognizing the Signals

Before exploring the world of self-service, it’s crucial to recognize the signs that indicate it’s time for a change. Here are some key signals to pay attention to before it’s tool:

Customers Can’t Expect the Same Service

Are certain customers receiving better service than others? If you’ve noticed variations in the customer support experience, this inconsistency could be a sign of your customer base outgrowing your current service levels.

Overwhelming Support Ticket Volume

An overwhelming number of routine inquiries flooding your support team is a clear indication of the need for self-service options. If your staff is regularly spending time addressing basic questions, it’s time to evaluate potential automated solutions.

Extended Response Times

If your clients are experiencing longer wait times for assistance, it can create frustration and detract from their overall experience. Consumers expect prompt and efficient support—delays can lead to dissatisfaction and increased churn.

Feedback on Availability

Have customers voiced complaints about limited support availability, especially during off-hours or differing time zones? This feedback is vital, as it points to the limitations of your existing framework.

Resource Constraints

If your customer success team is struggling to keep pace with customer growth without proportional increases in operational costs, you should consider scalable self-service solutions to help manage workflows effectively.

Customer Independence

An increasing desire for your customers to access information and support on their own terms is a positive indicator that they are ready for self-service options. Today’s customers want to advocate for themselves—bringing lessons into their own hands when it suits them.

Aligning Self-Service Solutions to the Right Problems

Once these signals become evident, it’s time to identify the appropriate digital solutions that align with your specific challenges. Here’s how to turn self-service into a key asset for your organization:

1. Customers Can’t Expect the Same Service

Recommendation: Proactively engage your customers in-app with a Product Experience (PX) solution.

By offering personalized support directly within your application, in-app engagement tools provide contextual guidance and automated assistance, ensuring every customer has access to help right when they need it.

2. Overwhelming Support Ticket Volume

Recommendation: Empower customers to assist one another within a Community platform.

Customers can quickly find solutions to common issues through peer interactions. This peer-to-peer support fosters a collaborative community environment, where users not only resolve problems but also share best practices and tips.

Learn More in Our Report: The State of Community in Customer Success, 2024

3. Extended Response Times

Recommendation: Provide immediate access to help using Community and In-App Engagement tools.

Community-driven forums enable users to collaboratively solve issues, while in-app tools offer quick guidance to prevent the need for inquiries.

4. Feedback on Availability

Recommendation: Give your customers always-on access to support and learning resources through Community, In-App Engagement, and LMS solutions.

Together, these solutions ensure that support and learning resources are readily available, addressing customer concerns about access and availability, minimizing wait times for assistance, and making educational resources accessible 24/7, significantly enhancing customer satisfaction and autonomy.

5. Resource Constraints

Recommendation: Digitize your customer education program with a Learning Management System (LMS).

By leveraging a Learning Management System to provide scalable customer education, you empower your existing team to manage a larger customer base without the need for proportional hiring.

6. Customer Independence

Recommendation: Empower customers with the resources they need, where and when they need them with Community, PX, and Education.

Community platforms, in-app engagement, and learning management systems all foster a culture of independence, allowing customers to engage with resources via a flexible learning framework, real-time in-product support, and community knowledge-sharing.

The Future of Customer Success Is Self-Service

Embracing self-service enhances customer satisfaction and optimizes operational efficiency. By proactively aligning the right self-service solutions with your challenges, you can ensure a seamless transition to a more scalable and customer-friendly service model.

As you navigate these changes, remember: Self-service is not just a strategy; it’s a mindset that empowers both your team and your customers to thrive. Start evaluating these signals today, and set your organization on the path to enhanced customer success!

Learn More

Ready to get started? Learn more about Gainsight Self-Service.

The post When to Embrace Self-Service Customer Success Strategies: Recognizing Signals and Choosing the Right Solutions appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Our biggest takeaway? Real-time insights, powered by Staircase AI, can flip the script on your expansion strategies and make sure that you aren’t missing opportunities to grow your business. Let’s dive into three ways AI powers expansion.

 1. Spotting Expansion Opportunities with Real-Time Insights

Imagine having a crystal ball that reveals not just what your customers are doing, but also what they could be doing. With Staircase AI, that’s exactly what you get! Our technology provides you with real-time insights that illuminate opportunities for you to grow your commercial relationship with your customers—these are opportunities that are often overlooked.

This means your conversations can go from average to awesome, transforming from “how’s it going?” to “hey, did you know we offer x that can really provide x, y, z value based upon your business objectives?” With this kind of proactive approach, you’re not just unlocking hidden nuggets of opportunity—you’re also making sure customers feel heard and valued. That’s the key to driving those juicy upsell and cross-sell conversations.

2. Cultivating Multi-Threaded Relationships

Let’s talk about the customer relationship journey. In the State of Customer Expansion Report, we found that “64% of renewing accounts are multi-threaded.” We’ve all heard the horror stories of losing touch when a key contact leaves the building. It’s like trying to keep a plant alive—you need more than just one little sprout! That’s why at Gainsight, we advocate for multi-threaded relationships.

Key Finding: 64% of renewing accounts are multi-threaded.

Nurturing connections with multiple stakeholders in your customer accounts keeps you safe and sound, even when change happens. By fostering relationships across different departments and ensuring everyone is in the loop, you not only protect your customer relationships but also create a safety net for continuity. Plus, with slick, streamlined handoffs between Sales, Support, and other customer-facing teams, your customers can rest easy knowing they’re in good hands no matter who’s on call.

3. Stop Wasting Time on the Wrong Accounts

Listen up, team leaders! We know efficiency is the name of the game, and our Staircase AI dashboard is your new best friend. Imagine having a powerful tool at your fingertips that shows you exactly how your team is performing. You can zoom in on their activities, see where they’re investing their time, and check it against your clients’ annual recurring revenue (ARR). This empowers you to understand which customers are draining your team’s time, and where you may be underinvested.

By understanding where your team is spending their precious hours, you can spot if they’re getting bogged down with lower ARR accounts. And let’s face it—we’d all prefer to channel our energies toward those clients that scream “growth opportunity!” With easy-to-digest data at your disposal, you can quickly pivot your strategy and keep your team laser-focused on the activities that will have the most impact.

Learn More in the State of Expansion Report

At Gainsight, we’re all about empowering your team to think big when it comes to customer expansion. With our Staircase AI technology, you can uncover real-time insights, foster robust connections, and amp up your team’s efficiency.

Curious about how to become a growth superhero? Dive into our State of Customer Expansion report and learn how you can supercharge every interaction with your customers. Together, let’s unlock the full potential of your customer relationships and take your expansion game to new heights!

The post Unlocking Growth: Supercharge Customer Expansion with Staircase AI by Gainsight appeared first on Gainsight Software.

THIS.

IS.

HUGE.

And that’s why I couldn’t wait to explain why it’s going to fundamentally reshape how businesses manage customer success across the globe! The possibilities are endless. SAP’s reach is unparalleled, and with this integration, we’re going to help thousands of businesses deliver extraordinary value to their customers, at scale.

Bridging the Gap Between Pre- and Post-Sales

One of the most persistent challenges companies face today is the handoff between pre-sales and post-sales teams. Too often, Sales, Account Management, Customer Success, and Support teams work in isolation, with critical data and insights trapped in siloed systems. This partnership eliminates those silos.

By integrating Gainsight’s customer success platform into SAP Sales Cloud, we’re creating one seamless workflow that unifies the entire customer journey. Whether it’s Sales, Renewal Managers, or Professional Services—everyone will have a complete, 360º view of the customer, powered by AI-driven insights. No more gaps. No more blind spots.

Ritu Bhargava, President and Chief Product Officer at SAP, summed it up perfectly: “By enhancing SAP Sales Cloud with Gainsight’s AI-driven customer success solutions, businesses will be uniquely positioned to cultivate deeper trust and loyalty with their customers, ultimately leading to higher retention and long-term revenue growth.”

This partnership is more than just a technical integration. It’s about reimagining how businesses engage with their customers—from the moment they sign a contract through every future interaction. The result? Deeper relationships, higher retention, and more growth.

Customer Success Is Now a Universal Business Strategy

For years, customer success was seen as a strategy primarily for software companies. But that’s changing fast. As more industries embrace recurring revenue models—whether through subscriptions, services, or ongoing maintenance—the principles of customer success are becoming critical for every company.

What started as a concept pioneered by software companies, customer success is now a critical priority for every company undergoing digital transformation to an as-a-service business model. A critical component of this model is the ability to drive value throughout the customer journey. And this is just the beginning of our partnership with SAP. Our joint roadmap includes integrations not only with Sales Cloud, but also other SAP products including Service Cloud, Datasphere, and more.

Whether you’re a manufacturer managing complex machinery, a telecommunications giant serving millions of customers, or a financial services firm offering personalized advice, the principles of customer success apply. And now, thanks to this partnership, Gainsight is bringing the tools to make it possible.

We’re taking what we’ve learned in SaaS and applying it to industries that are just beginning to realize the potential of customer success. By combining Gainsight’s proactive, AI-driven customer success platform with the enterprise power of SAP, businesses will be able to anticipate customer needs, mitigate churn, and drive growth like never before.

AI-Powered Insights for Every Customer Interaction

One of the most exciting elements of this partnership is the way we’re harnessing the power of AI to transform customer success. Gainsight’s platform already offers industry-leading AI-powered tools—like Copilot, which personalizes customer interactions and surfaces key insights in real time. But by integrating with SAP Sales Cloud, we’re taking that to an entirely new level.

Imagine being able to predict customer churn before it happens, or knowing exactly when and how to offer an upsell opportunity based on real-time data. That’s the future of customer success, and it’s happening right now.

Gainsight’s AI-powered health scores, combined with SAP’s vast data ecosystem, will allow businesses to manage every customer interaction with greater precision and insight. And the best part? We’re only scratching the surface.

From Vision to Reality: The Future of Customer Success Starts Now

The Gainsight–SAP partnership is about more than just a technical integration—it’s about transforming how businesses operate in a world where customer success is the driver of long-term growth. Together, we’re making it easier for businesses to not only retain their customers but to delight them, ensuring that every interaction is personalized, proactive, and valuable.

Here’s what Liz Miller, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Constellation Research, had to say: “A strategically driven customer success program can significantly enhance customer engagement and drive revenue growth. The partnership between SAP and Gainsight uniquely elevates insights and opportunities by integrating an enterprise’s success data with market intelligence while aligning customer understanding across Sales and Customer Success teams, delivering greater value to teams and to customers.”

Learn more about the Gainsight–SAP partnership. 

We’ve spent years building the tools that make customer success possible. Now, we’re bringing them to a much larger audience. And I couldn’t be more excited for the future that lies ahead.

This is a game-changer—not just for Gainsight and SAP, but for every business that’s ready to embrace the power of customer success. To all of our customers, partners, and colleagues: let’s build the future of customer success together!

Chuck Ganapathi, President and COO, Gainsight

The post A New Era of Success: Gainsight Partners With SAP to Transform How Businesses Drive Retention and Growth appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Concerns of scale, security, and power all stay top of mind for CIOs. “Scale is important—I need vendors I can grow with both in data volume, and complexity,” shares Karl Mosgofian, CIO, Gainsight. “It’s also a chance to streamline vendors, so I’m always on the lookout for platforms that offer end-to-end capabilities rather than just point solutions.”

CIO’s need to solve for today’s needs and whatever the future will bring. To help make that process smoother, there are a few questions every CIO should ask when evaluating a post-sales technology, like your customer success platform (CSP).

No matter which CSP your team is considering, these questions will clarify whether they can meet the demands of your CSMs and help grow your business.

1. What Are Examples of Long-Term Partnership Success?

Any established enterprise needs a proven CSP. While years in business don’t always equate directly to successful long-term partnerships, it’s usually a great place to start. As the CIO, ask for references from existing enterprise customers with similar structures and demands as your organization.

Ask both the customers and the CSP about the relationships between the different departments in each company, particularly how they communicate with other CIOs. Ask about how the product updates are communicated, how specific use-cases are addressed, and any surprises they encountered during onboarding.

Insights into how the CSP supports your team, both technologically and interpersonally, will show you which is the right one for you. “Business technology is as much about business as it is about technology—I need vendors who can help bring best practice as well as strong technology” shares Mosgofian.

2. What Are the Security Measures and Compliance Standards?

According to Cisco,  86% of Americans are concerned about their privacy. The general public continues to grow more aware of what their data is and who they share it with. As such, your enterprise needs reassurance that each of the tools in your tech stack meets your level of security and compliance.

Beyond the individual data, payment, and confidentiality standards, ask about the procedures and protocols in place should the worst-case scenario happen. Of course, the hope is the worst-case will never happen. But the right CS partner will have a proactive plan, rather than wait to react. Most of all, look for the CSP that goes above and beyond so that your team is protected, and your customers can trust your enterprise.

3. What About AI?

One constant companies of every size can count on is an increase in customer expectations. For enterprise companies, that means your CSMs need to cater to a wide variety of needs. Rather than adding headcount, enterprises can lean on AI technology to make teams efficient and ensure they never miss an expansion opportunity.

When considering a new CSP, CIOs need to know everything they can about how the solution uses AI. Find out the company’s philosophy about AI in general. For example, do they take a human-first approach to how AI features are implemented? Or do they add features as quickly as possible? Ask about training programs and the support available. Most importantly, ask: How does this AI differ from other point solutions on the market? Does it overlap with other AI in your existing tech stack? All of these answers will bring you closer to understanding which CSP will set you up for future success.

4. What Can We Replace?

Finally, and most importantly, ask what can be replaced from your current tech stack. A future-proof CSP supports the entire post-sales customer journey. Your enterprise should invest in the solution that takes the most comprehensive approach to customer success. “As a CIO, I’m not just looking for technology—we need comprehensive business solutions that address major processes like the entire post-sales journey,” Mosgofian adds.

Managing all customer-related information on a single platform not only streamlines your processes, but it helps reduce spend and makes information sharing much easier across teams. Make sure to give the CSP team a list of your current tech stack, what you’re hoping to replace immediately, and what you might want to replace in the future. Ask them if they have a product roadmap that matches your plans. While it may not be a one-to-one match, you should be able to come close with the right CSP.

Learn More

No matter what your enterprise organization needs, there is a CSP to help you support your current customers while continuing to scale your growth. Learn more in our ebook, Buyer’s Guide: Select a Customer Success Platform to Grow With

The post Top Questions CIOs Should Ask Their Customer Success Platform Provider appeared first on Gainsight Software.

With so much information and inspiration packed into two days, it’s important to plan ahead. We’ve created curated tracks for all Pulse Europe attendees that focus on topics from Human-First AI to scaling your business through CS.

If you’re still deciding what you want to focus on most November 13-14, this list will hopefully give you everything you need to know before you go to Pulse Europe.

Foundations of Customer Success

Customer Success has become pivotal in driving growth, loyalty, and long-term customer value. This track delves into the fundamentals of CS, providing attendees with essential knowledge and practical insights to implement effective strategies for reducing churn, building effective CS teams, uncovering expansion, and more.

We recommend this track for those who are attending Pulse for the first time, or just entered the CS community. You’ll learn the foundational knowledge you need to succeed, plus get a first glimpse into where our industry is headed.

Scaling CS: Work Smarter, Not Harder

This track is all about efficiency and growth. Making sure every action you take counts towards your organization’s goals. Learn how to optimize Customer Success operations, streamline workflows, and implement automation and AI to enhance the customer experience. Dive into proven strategies for creating a scalable CS framework that drives growth, reduces cost to serve, and maximizes customer lifetime value.

If your company is ready to leverage CS to drive revenue and improve customer engagement and satisfaction, you won’t want to miss these sessions.

Empowering Customers to Succeed on Their Own

Pulse Europe 2024 is all about unleashing the power of the customer, just like this track. Learn about implementing systems and strategies that help your customers help themselves. Explore actionable strategies that empower your customers to succeed independently through self-service tools and community-driven learning.

You should attend the sessions in this track if you are looking to ease the daily workload of your CS and support teams, reduce the cost on the organization to serve customers, and increase customer autonomy. Efficiency and education will be at the heart of each Empowerment session.

Must-Have Skills for High Performing CSMs

A must-attend for Customer Success Managers (CSMs) interested in taking their career to the next level. Hear directly from thriving CSMs as they discuss battle-tested techniques for strengthening customer relationships, managing risks, navigating change, and more. After each session, you’ll have new inspiration for exceeding both your customer’s and your company’s expectations.

Those who have attended Pulse in the past and want to get fired up about the future will find these sessions most helpful. They’re also a great place to meet potential mentors and mentees in the industry who have the same customer obsession that you do.

Advancements in Authentic, Human-First AI

The robots aren’t coming to take over. But AI is here to help us be more human, as long as we implement it thoughtfully, and with our customer’s experience in mind. This track is the best way to kickstart your journey into Human-First AI. Discover the symbiosis of cutting-edge AI and authentic human engagement, as we explore the exciting frontier where technology amplifies empathy and propels Customer Success into a new era.

Don’t miss the latest on how AI can drive real-time insights, faster answers, and better digital programs to foster genuine human connections. Whether this is your first introduction to AI or you want to see what’s next, you’ll get exactly what you need from these sessions.

Crucial Insights for Human-First Leaders

Discover principles and practical applications of human-first leadership, and its transformational impact on teams and customers. This track emphasizes the importance of empathy, understanding, and adaptability in leadership. You’ll leave with lessons on navigating AI and change management, cultivating a culture that values personal growth, and customer-centric decision-making to better navigate an ever-changing industry.

As the name suggests, this is the perfect track for veterans in CS. The industry will help you foster the kinds of talent and CS organization that you have always dreamed of leading. It’s also great for anyone looking to reconnect with the parts of the job we love most: the people.

Featured Speakers

We’re thrilled to announce the following speakers are confirmed to light up the stage at Pulse Europe 2024:

• Hadley O’Dwyer, Director of Customer Operations, Mews
• Chris Rauch, Chief Customer Officer, Supermetrics
• Óscar Ramos, Vice President SAP Signavio – Global Head of Customer Success, SAP Signavio –
• Liza Champion, Snr Director, CX Strategy & Transformation, Cision (Brandwatch)
• Diana Park, Director of Customer Success Operations, Adverity
• Angela Felicissimo, Vice President Global Customer Success, Learnship

We can’t wait to learn and grow together with our fabulous Pulse Europe 2024 speakers!

Register Today to Get Special Pricing for Pulse Europe 2024

There is still time to get special, reduced pricing, but it won’t last long. Head to the Pulse Europe Registration page to get your tickets and see all the other exciting details of our favorite event of the year!

The post Just Announced! Read All the Expert Learning Tracks Available at Pulse Europe 2024 appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Instead, the best we can do is prepare for as many futures as possible. For SaaS companies, that means identifying what our teams need to succeed and what tech is available to help them. Specifically, companies need platforms Customer Success teams can use to help drive revenue growth and community.

To help businesses future-proof their organization, we’ve detailed the most important considerations for choosing the right customer success platform. Here are the top priorities for any customer-obsessed company.

AI Tools Are at the Forefront of Features

While the robots we work with may not look like the ones in our imagination, AI is proving to be even more powerful than we dreamed. AI offers Customer Success Managers (CSMs) critical support so they can meet the growing expectations of customers without working 24/7.

When companies think about the tools that will help them today and into the future, AI must be at the forefront of their minds. Not only should the AI features make individual tasks more efficient, it also works to improve workflows and processes that might otherwise be overlooked.

Gainsight vs. Planhat: Get the Strategic Comparison

To ensure that you’re getting AI features that can work for you, ask each platform how they integrate AI throughout a customer’s entire lifecycle. Don’t settle for AI add-ons that focus on one specific task. Find a platform that thoughtfully integrates AI into everything from adoption to meeting notes to expansion and other revenue opportunities. When it comes to preparing for the future, investing in a solution that holistically integrates the power of AI, rather than approaches it as an afterthought, is a no-brainer.

Flexibility for the Growth in Your Future

Similar to thoughtful integration of new technology, Customer Success teams will need a solution that remains flexible to what the future brings. In the last decade, we’ve seen the best practices of CS evolve more than a few times. Only a few years ago, community engagement mostly happened outside of the organization’s official efforts. Now, it’s an integral part of growth and scale.

A future-proof customer success platform understands that the work of a CSM changes at the macro and micro level. As such, it is built with flexibility in mind.

But even beyond the tasks of CSMs, the right platform can also scale with the size of your organization. It wasn’t that long ago Amazon called itself a bookseller. We can’t promise that your organization will turn into the next Amazon with the right customer success platform, but we can promise that Gainsight will be ready to support your CS team should it happen.

While evaluating platforms, be sure to ask the sizes of the companies each platform supports. Ask how many are your current size and how many current customers are bigger than your company. The answers will help clarify whether that platform can support you today and anticipate your needs in the future.

A Proven Understanding of A CSM’s Experience

Finally, and most importantly, CSMs need a platform that understands their work. Any platform can organize a list of tasks for each CSM in the organization. The right customer success platform will keep each person focused on what they can do for each customer to make the biggest impact for the business.

In order to work efficiently, especially as your company scales, CSMs must always know their next best action. If everything is important, then nothing really is. A powerful CS platform identifies the meaningful work each CSM can do to make their customers successful, which tasks can be completely automated, and which tasks can be deprioritized at any given moment.

While you watch demos of each platform, take a look at the dashboards your CSMs will live in every day. Can you quickly make sense of what’s most important? Do the to-do lists look unmanageable? How easy is it to identify revenue-driving opportunities? These are all signals that indicate how helpful the platform will be for your team every single day. A focused team is an efficient team, and that’s the foundation of future-proofing your business.

A Powerful Platform That Can Grow With Your Organization

Get access to a customer success buying checklist that will walk you through every step of evaluating the right platform for you: Buyer’s Guide: Select A Customer Success Platform To Grow With.

The post Which Customer Success Platform Will Future-Proof Your Business? appeared first on Gainsight Software.

Today, we’re at a turning point in Customer Success. This isn’t just a fancy rebranding of the same old thing; it’s a revolution led by AI-empowered humans. And, at the heart of it all, is real-time intelligence and insights.

Why AI, you ask? Because it’s the difference between reacting to a storm after it’s hit or being the meteorologist who warns you to grab your umbrella before you step out the door. Let’s dive into the future of CS, empowered by real-time AI-enabled customer health insights.

Real-Time AI Intelligence: A New Frontier

In the world of Customer Success, artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t a buzzword. It’s the fuel that powers your team. Traditional CS models rely heavily on Customer Success Manager (CSM) manual assessments, periodic check-ins, and Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys—with dismal response rates—to gauge the health of an account. But this approach is like trying to drive while only looking in the rearview mirror. By the time you realize there’s a problem, it’s too late.

Enter real-time intelligence signals, or, as we like to call them, vitals. Real-time insights are the difference between being reactive and proactive. They’re like an always-on heart monitor for your customer accounts, continuously providing you with the vital signs you need to keep things running smoothly. These are the immediate, actionable insights that keep your finger on the pulse of your customer’s experience, such as:

• An overview of which customers haven’t had outreach in X days
• Slack notifications when a customer email contains an extremely negative message or escalation
• Reporting on relationship strength and which accounts currently aren’t multi-threaded
• Dynamic health scores updated daily based on ongoing customer communications

Whether it’s detecting slow disengagement, flagging support storms, or noticing subtle shifts in customer sentiment, real-time intelligence allows you to spot potential issues before they snowball into a full-blown crisis. AI allows us to turn blind spots into spotlights.

Think of it this way: Would you prefer to know your customer is at risk of churning now, or wait until they provide churn notice, when, at that point, it’s often too late to recover? Real-time insights give you the power to intervene at the moment it matters most, ensuring that minor issues don’t escalate into major headaches.

Productivity and Efficiency: The Secret Weapons of Customer Success

One of the biggest pain points for any CSM is the administrative burden of tracking conversations, logging notes, and constantly updating spreadsheets. It’s like trying to keep a house of cards standing in the middle of a windstorm. With real-time insights, much of this busy work becomes a thing of the past.

Instead of spending hours compiling data and creating reports, CSMs can quickly identify which accounts are being over-serviced (and potentially eating into gross margins) and which ones need more attention. This shift not only boosts productivity but also allows CSMs to focus on what they do best: building relationships and driving customer success.

Learn more in our report, The State of AI in Customer Success, 2024

Long-Term Visibility and Governance: The Strategic Advantage

Real-time insights aren’t just for quick fixes—they’re also crucial for long-term visibility and governance. For leaders and managers, having a clear, real-time view of the customer landscape allows for more strategic decision-making. Are there trends emerging across accounts? Are there systemic issues that need to be addressed? With real-time data at your fingertips, you’re not just reacting to the present; you’re planning for the future.

As a CS leader, this level of visibility allows you to drive faster action, ensuring that your team isn’t just putting out fires but is also preventing them from starting in the first place.

How It All Fits Together

Real-time insights drive action at every level of the organization. For individual contributors like CSMs and Account Managers (AMs), real-time insights provide the information needed to capture all conversations with accounts, flagging issues before they become critical. For leaders and managers, real-time insights offer visibility that empowers strategic business decisions, ensuring that your entire organization is aligned and moving in the right direction.

Ready to Elevate Your CS Operation?

The world of Customer Success is evolving, and with it, the tools and strategies we use to keep our customers happy and successful are evolving, too. Real-time insights aren’t just a nice-to-have; they’re essential for thriving in this new era. So, why wait to react when you can be proactive?

Sign up for a demo of Staircase AI today to see the difference that real-time intelligence can make.

The post The Evolution of Customer Success Relies on Real-Time Insights appeared first on Gainsight Software.