Presales powerhouse, post-sales pro: driving customer success with professional services

In the modern world, achieving sustained growth in software product selling requires a comprehensive approach to customer engagement, spanning from presales to post-sales. The first year of Customer engagement is critical, and when managed effectively by transitioning presales insights beyond sign-up into the entire customer lifecycle, a ‘one team’ approach can drive incredible growth by demonstrating a focus on proactive, continuous Customer support.

We will explore the impact of effectively transferring presales insights throughout the customer journey, ensuring seamless transitions, and maintaining customer satisfaction and trust. Often, sales people prioritise immediate revenue over the long-term success delivered by professional services, leading to a disconnect in customer expectations and delivery. By integrating sales and delivery teams and hiring professional services to accelerate adoption, companies can enhance customer relationships, secure long-term loyalty, and drive sustained growth. This comprehensive approach ensures that every interaction is an opportunity for success, ultimately leading to a more cohesive and effective customer experience.

To achieve consistent top-line growth, organisations must bridge the divide between presales and post-sales teams. Reaching this level of maturity is challenging, but customers can immediately discern when a company is genuinely committed to delivering value from the first call after contract signing. We have heard it all before “Don’t confuse Sales and Delivery” or this classic: “I am too busy selling to joining your delivery calls”. Ensuring seamless collaboration between sales and delivery teams is essential to demonstrating a true investment in customer success.

After a contract is signed, customers often notice a shift in focus during the handover to the service delivery team. The initial enthusiasm, passion, and motivation that characterised the sales process can diminish, as the account executive turns their attention to their KPI’s. This transition can lead to a perceived loss of importance and relevance in the continued delivery of the solution. Ensuring that the service delivery team maintains the same level of commitment and engagement is crucial for sustaining customer satisfaction and demonstrating a genuine investment in their success.

Sales teams are commonly not compensated to stay engaged post-sales, however organisations that drive a culture that encourages this, leads to a much more seamless Customer experience. If the Customer feels they are being handed-off, rather than dealing with ‘one team’.

The first 12 months for any customer are critical. If the post-sales team understands the customer’s business objectives intimately, half the battle is won. This initial year determines whether the customer will become a loyal client or become disillusioned and seek alternatives. A seamless, detailed handover of business objectives is essential for setting the right tone and establishing the foundation for a lasting partnership.

Customer Success Managers are crucial for ensuring customers achieve their desired outcomes, enhancing long-term satisfaction and loyalty by providing continuous support and proactive engagement. Customers often start looking for an alternative software solution well before the end of their annual subscription term, typically around 6 to 9 months into their contract. This period allows them ample time to evaluate new options, plan for migration, and avoid any potential disruptions to their operations.

Given the importance of a timely engagement, it is essential that Customer Success Managers conduct interactions more frequently than monthly. The clock is ticking, and without regular, value-adding touchpoints, it becomes challenging to demonstrate immediate impact and solidify the relationship within the first crucial year. Being proactive and technically adept, along with having strong business discovery skills, is vital. Building great relationships requires a deep understanding of the customer’s needs and objectives, allowing for the provision of tailored solutions and continuous value. This ongoing engagement ensures that the customer feels supported and valued, ultimately leading to stronger loyalty and long-term success.

During the Presales stage, it is crucial to align the “how” of your company with the “why” of your customer. This involves understanding and addressing their unique needs, pain points, and desired outcomes. By doing so, presales professionals can build a compelling case for how their solutions can provide significant value. This alignment is not just about presenting features and benefits but about resonating with the customer’s core business objectives and challenges.

What distinguishes a good presales professional from a great one is their ability to make this connection deeply and effectively. A great presales person goes beyond the surface-level requirements to truly grasp the strategic goals of the customer and become a partner to them. They can articulate how their company’s solutions align with these goals, building a sense of partnership and trust. This capability not only helps in closing deals but also sets the stage for a long-term relationship built on mutual understanding and value creation.

However, if this valuable knowledge and context are not seamlessly transferred through the customer lifecycle, the benefits of this hard work are lost once the contract is signed. It is essential for the insights gained during presales to be communicated effectively to the post-sales and delivery teams. Without this continuity, the customer may feel neglected or misunderstood, leading to dissatisfaction and potential churn. Ensuring a seamless handover and maintaining the alignment throughout the customer journey is key to realising the full potential of the initial presales efforts.

An incomplete handover leads to significant discontinuity, leaving post-sales professionals in a challenging position. Unlike presales teams, post-sales teams are not prepared to conduct a separate discovery phase and are forced to engage with the ‘doers’ responsible for implementation instead of the ‘thinkers’ who made the buying decision. This disruption in the flow of information creates a fragmented and disjointed customer experience. The lack of continuity not only diminishes the initial enthusiasm but also exposes the post-sales team to appearing unprepared and incompetent, severely undermining the perceived value of the solution and the credibility of the entire organisation.

In contrast, a well-executed handover ensures a coherent and cohesive experience for the customer, seamlessly bridging the gap between presales and post-sales. However, not many companies get this presales to post-sales transition motion right. Companies that invest in training their presales teams to thoroughly understand the customer's business objectives and challenges from the outset set themselves up for success. By mining valuable insights at the beginning of the customer journey, these companies enable their entire organisation to reap the rewards of sustained engagement and satisfaction.

Continuity is key in maintaining a positive customer experience. When presales insights and context are effectively transferred to post-sales teams through a synchronised documentation process, it ensures that the customer's journey is uninterrupted and their expectations are consistently met. This approach not only enhances the customer relationship but also builds trust and loyalty, ultimately driving long-term success and growth for the company.

In today’s subscription-based landscape, winning new business is merely the beginning. Providing customers with an engaging end-to-end experience demonstrates a cohesive, unified team effort. A well-executed customer handover bridges the divide between presales and post-sales, laying the foundation for delivering intrinsic customer value. It is crucial for the presales team to pass down their hard-earned customer insights along the value chain, ensuring that all departments benefit. When renewal time approaches, customers will clearly communicate whether you have earned the right to continue working with them for another year.

Customer retention in a subscription-based world hinges on continuous value delivery and proactive engagement. Maintaining strong relationships through regular touchpoints, addressing evolving needs, and demonstrating ongoing value are essential. A synchronised effort between presales and post-sales teams ensures that customer objectives are consistently met and exceeded. By fostering a culture of collaboration and communication, companies can secure long-term loyalty and drive sustained growth.

Driving customer success with professional services means providing customers with expert support and guidance throughout their journey, from initial engagement to long-term usage. This ensures a seamless onboarding process, minimising disruptions and accelerating time-to-value. By understanding the unique needs and objectives of each customer, professional services teams can customise solutions that enhance the overall effectiveness and relevance of the product.

Continuous engagement and proactive support are critical components of this approach. Professional services teams offer ongoing assistance, addressing issues before they escalate and ensuring a positive, uninterrupted experience. Access to technical expertise ensures that customers utilise all aspects of the product effectively, maximising its benefits and meeting their technical needs. This proactive support helps in successful product adoption by providing training and resources that empower users to get the most out of the product.

Ultimately, driving customer success with professional services encourages long-term partnerships built on trust and continuous value delivery. By maintaining a strong relationship through consistent support and engagement, companies position themselves as strategic partners invested in the customer’s long-term success. This integrated approach ensures customer satisfaction, loyalty, and sustained growth, making every interaction an opportunity for success.