2023-05-02 15:31:18
Big pressure, good salary and zero unemployment. The customer success manager embodies the nugget that tech recruiters are snapping up, especially software publishers. Gifted with commercial flair, he does not chase new customers. But he does everything to ensure that the latter, once conquered, remain faithful to his employer’s digital solution and buy new options. At the slightest misstep, large accounts leave its portfolio and hundreds of thousands of euros in turnover, even millions, fly away… The annual software license can cost from 10,000 to €250,000!
Tact and great listening skills are the essential virtues of a customer success manager. “He is responsible for the loyalty of large, high-level customers,” summarizes Quentin de Beaufort, director of sales, IT and digital teams at the recruitment firm Robert Half, specializing in support functions.
“He ensures customer satisfaction from a qualitative point of view by making regular appointments with him,” continues Quentin de Beaufort. He collects his needs, for example for new functionalities, specifications or languages of the marketed software and sends them to the technical teams”.
Business goals
Beyond this vigilance regarding the slightest desire of the clientele, the commercial dimension also lies in its ability to offer new solutions. “He analyzes the customer’s figures and sees if he uses the product a little or a lot, if he can offer additional sales, underlines the Robert Half expert. The customer success manager may have business objectives, for example, when 50% of the software is not yet sold. He will try to push as much as possible. »
The situation is more than favorable for this profession. “It’s a profession on which we have a lot of requests from employers, confirms Quentin de Beaufort, author of a detailed note on the question. Software publishers have been much less impacted by the Covid crisis due to the growing digitization of the economy. They have grown a lot, have more and more customers that need to be retained. The customer success manager is version 3.0 of the after-sales service manager. »
To exercise such responsibilities, recruiters target, for juniors, candidates from business schools, from bachelor to bac + 5 level. They have the weighty portfolios and the most complex products. “But with experience, someone who comes out of BTS can manage small accounts,” says Quentin de Beaufort. At the top of the pyramid, we find “among the most experienced, seniors with 15 to 20 years of experience,” he continues. They are often people from the sales teams who want to move from conquest to customer relations. In this tech world that knows no borders, fluency in English is essential.
Salary levels depend on the type of managed accounts. On leaving studies, a customer success manager earns 35,000 to 36,000 euros per year. With 4 to 5 years of experience, the average fixed salary is between 45,000 euros and 60,000 euros per year. In the higher spheres, large American software publishers can pay a CSM from 80,000 euros to 100,000 euros per year. In many companies, it is also necessary to add a variable part.
A great sense of diplomacy
The natural evolutions of the CSM will carry them towards functions of supervision of their peers or the position of commercial director.
In addition to his pure professional skills, the customer success manager must have certain essential human qualities, the famous soft skills to which employers are so sensitive. “It takes a lot of diplomacy, insists Quentin de Beaufort. It is necessary to demonstrate pedagogy with the client but also in one’s own company. Indeed, it is necessary to be an internal mediator to negotiate the requests of the customer with the technical services. »
He hires: “You have to listen and show empathy”
Jean-Baptiste Artignan, partner at BlueSecure
This fast-growing start-up specializes in raising companies’ awareness of cybersecurity.
POSTS. “I am hiring two customer success managers, open positions on permanent and work-study contracts”, announces Jean-Baptiste Artignan.
MISSIONS. “The CSM accompanies customers in getting to grips with our solution, encourages them to use it, presents new features, encourages them to order additional options, to move on to the superior offer. He ensures their satisfaction and sends their feedback to improve the product. »
PROFILES. “These are human qualities that we are looking for. The relational part is very important. You have to listen and show empathy, take care of the customer. It’s a fiber! I am looking for people with a first experience in B to B customer relations. »
WAGES. “Compensation amounts to 38,000 to 40,000 euros fixed per month plus a variable that can reach an additional 5,000 euros because the CSM are interested in customer loyalty. »
DEVELOPMENTS. “As we are recruiting several customer success managers, one person can then manage a CSM team, with an HR dimension. Afterwards, she will be able to evolve towards a position of business strategy, to develop the products. »
Up to you : “The Customer Success Professional’s Handbook”, by Ashvin Vaidyanathan and Ruben Rabago (in English), Ed. Wiley, 288 pages, €28.42; “Customer Success” by Nick Mehta, Dan Steinman and Lincoln Murphy, Ed. Dicoland Lmd, €24.90.
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