The discussion revolves around the effectiveness of Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) in customer success. Misconceptions are challenged, revealing that QBRs can sometimes hinder rather than help customer satisfaction. The hosts emphasize the importance of quality over quantity in customer interactions, critiquing appointment quotas. They explore various meeting types and stress the need for tailored engagements based on customer needs. Practical tips for maximizing meeting effectiveness and preparation are also shared, aiming to enhance value for clients.
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Quick takeaways
Focusing solely on quantity, like meeting quotas, can detract from the quality and value delivered in customer engagements.
Differentiating between routine meetings, account reviews, and business reviews allows for more tailored interactions that better address customer needs.
Deep dives
The Value of Customer Meetings
Meetings with customers should be aimed at delivering real value and helping them achieve success. It's essential to assess whether these meetings are genuinely beneficial or merely formalities that consume time without positive outcomes. A focus on numbers, such as a target for the number of meetings, can lead to an unhealthy emphasis on quantity over quality. This can ultimately undermine trust and progress, as customers may feel their needs aren't being addressed effectively.
Types of Customer Meetings
There are three primary types of meetings that customer success teams can hold with clients: routine meetings, account reviews, and business reviews. Routine meetings focus on ongoing support and progress checks, while account reviews provide insights into how clients are utilizing products. Business reviews are more strategic, concentrating on clients' broader goals and progress related to the company's offerings. Distinguishing among these types ensures that meetings are tailored to the customer's needs and expectations.
Effective Meeting Strategies
To enhance the effectiveness of customer meetings, it's vital to establish a clear agenda centered around the customer's interests and needs. Structuring meetings can help avoid chaos and ensure a consistent approach across all interactions. Preparation is equally important; knowing the customer’s context and potential objections can foster more productive discussions. Ultimately, practice and continuous improvement of meeting strategies can lead to more meaningful engagements with clients.
ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The Quarterly Business Review is a popularized concept in Customer Success but what it entails can differ a lot and in some cases it can actually work against us in our job making the customer successful.
In this week’s episode of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln challenge common misconceptions around QBRs and put forward some alternatives that will deliver more value to the customer. They also discuss operational metrics and the pros and cons of setting quotas for customer appointments.
THIS WEEKS QUESTION: “I have a target of doing at least four business reviews with my customers. It eats up a lot of time, and I don't see a lot of positive coming out of these QBRs.”
TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED: * Operational metrics * The different kinds of customer meetings
QUOTES: Johan Nilsson (02:11): “Putting a metric into customer success can be really harmful."
Lincoln Murphy (04:00): “Where we see things kind of go off the rails is when these operational metrics, are just there without any consideration for why”
Lincoln Murphy (08:50): “In theory, if the customer was seeing something positive out of it, you as the CSM would be seeing something positive out of it too. But it's also possible that the CSM could be seeing something positive, but the customer is not.”
Johan Nilsson (09:58):” Maybe we should start moving from what should this person do to how can we help them. What are these types of meetings that we have with the customers and how should we do these meetings?”
Lincoln Murphy (13:32): “Also if you want executives to show up a trick is to simply call it an executive business review because executives are attracted to things that say executive”
Lincoln Murphy (15:38): ”If you don't know what's in it for them and you can't figure out why they would care about that, then it probably shouldn't be part of the meeting.”
Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/
Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here.
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