Customer Success Managers (CSMs) are crucial in ensuring customers derive maximum value from a product, which, in turn, leads to longer customer tenure and increased revenue for the company. To effectively influence the value customers gain, CSMs must thoroughly understand the product and know how to showcase its features and applications in the client's business. Comprehensive product knowledge not only enables CSMs to highlight the product's value but also helps in building trust, managing upgrades, and driving cross-sell opportunities. However, it’s common to find CSMs who are not well-versed in the products they support. 

 

Reasons Why Some CSMs May Lack Product Knowledge: 

 

1. Inadequate Training: Without comprehensive or ongoing product training, CSMs may struggle to support customers effectively.
    

2. Complex Products: (some) Highly complex products with frequent updates can be challenging to master, especially without sufficient time or resources.
    

3. High Turnover: In high-turnover environments, new CSMs might not have enough time to fully learn the product before they start interacting with customers.
    

4. Large Product Portfolio: Managing multiple products can make it difficult for CSMs to become experts in any single one.
    

5. Communication Gaps: Poor communication between product development and CSM teams can leave CSMs unaware of important updates or features.
    

6. Role Misalignment: If CSMs are hired for their customer relationship skills rather than technical knowledge, they may lack deep product understanding.
    

7. Overemphasis on Metrics: Focusing on quantity over quality in metrics can lead to CSMs prioritizing customer interactions over product knowledge.
    

8. Time Constraints: Juggling multiple responsibilities often leaves CSMs with limited time to thoroughly learn the product.
    

9. Limited Access to Resources: Without access to detailed documentation, product roadmaps, or internal experts, CSMs may struggle to gain deep product knowledge. 

 

Solutions: 

 

1. Encourage CSM Teams to Embrace Continuous Learning as a Culture, Not Just a KRA: 
    

   • Creating a culture of continuous learning means fostering an environment where ongoing development, curiosity, and improvement are embedded in the organization's DNA. This mindset encourages CSMs to see learning as an essential part of their professional growth, rather than just a checkbox to fulfill their job responsibilities.
      

   • Product Knowledge as a KRA: While it's true that some CSMs may achieve success with limited product knowledge, deeper understanding can significantly enhance their effectiveness. To promote better product knowledge, consider making it a KRA for your team. However, ensure that you provide sufficient support and resources to help them master the tool. This approach will empower CSMs to not only meet their KRAs but also to deliver more value to customers.

      

2. Hands-On Training: 
    

   • Onboarding Plan: Develop a comprehensive onboarding plan for new employees by leveraging feedback and insights from previous hires and learning from the best-performing CSMs on the floor.

   • Product Demos and Simulations: Conduct live demonstrations and simulations to let CSMs interact with the product in a controlled environment.

   • Use Case Exercises: Present real customer scenarios and encourage CSMs to solve them using the product. 
      

3. Modular Training Programs: 
    

   • Feature-Focused Modules: Break training into modules that focus on individual features, allowing CSMs to master the product step by step.

      

   • Skill based training: Skills such as time management, consultation, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and project management are essential for Customer Success Managers (CSMs). These skills directly impact their ability to build strong customer relationships, enhance customer satisfaction, and ensure long-term success for both the customer and the company. To strengthen these competencies, you can collaborate with internal or external partners, such as CX-Charter, to provide specialized training.

   • Progressive Learning: Start with basic features and gradually introduce more complex ones, ensuring a strong foundation is built. 
      

4. Product Certification: 

   • Certification Programs: Implement certification programs with assessments to ensure comprehension and encourage in-depth product study.

   • Level-Based Certifications: Offer tiered certifications (beginner, intermediate, advanced) to promote continuous learning as the product evolves. 
      

5. Shadowing Product Experts: 

   • Pairing with Specialists: Have CSMs spend time with product managers, engineers, or support teams to learn from experts. 

   • Cross-Departmental Meetings: Facilitate regular meetings between CSMs and product development teams to discuss features, releases, and customer feedback.
      

6. Customer-Centric Product Training: 

   • Case Studies: Use real success stories and case studies to demonstrate practical applications of the product. 

   • Team discussion: Allow your team members to learn from each other by dedicating 15 minutes of your weekly discussions to special case discussions.

   • Customer Feedback Integration: Incorporate customer feedback into training to help CSMs understand common challenges and solutions. 
      

7. Interactive Workshops and Q&A Sessions: 

   • Workshops: Organise workshops where CSMs can collaborate on product-related challenges, promoting active learning. 

   • Q&A Sessions: Hold regular Q&A sessions with the product team to clarify doubts and address questions.

      

8. Learning Resources: 

   • Knowledge Base: Develop a comprehensive knowledge base with tutorials, videos, FAQs, and other resources. 

   • Product Wiki: Maintain an up-to-date internal product wiki with the latest product information and tips for CSMs. 

   • Encourage the Adoption of Learning Resources: Regularly assess the utilization of learning resources and actively gather user feedback to enhance their effectiveness and encourage broader adoption.
      

9. Peer Learning and Knowledge Sharing: 

   • Internal Forums: Set up forums or discussion groups for CSMs to share insights and best practices. 

   • Lunch-and-Learn Sessions: Host informal sessions where CSMs can discuss product topics in a relaxed setting. 

 

Depending on the product's complexity, consider incentivizing learning, and providing access to product sandboxes. By incorporating these strategies, companies can ensure that CSMs not only understand the product but are also confident in conveying its value, troubleshooting issues, and driving customer retention through exceptional value addition. 

 

“The only thing worse than not training employees and losing them is not training them and keeping them”.  By Zig Ziglar

 

By investing in comprehensive training for your CSMs, you not only enhance their individual performance but also strengthen your organization's overall ability to deliver exceptional customer experiences and achieve long-term success.