SaaStr Annual 2024: 3 Ways to Create and Nurture Great Customers for Long-Term Success with Workato

In today's competitive market, transforming good deals into great advocates is key to sustaining long-term success. This session will cover how creating good customers is not a post-sale endeavor, but rather, begins at the earliest stages of the funnel and through your entire customer lifecycle.

1. 3 Ways to Create and Nurture Great Customers (for Long Term Success) Hannah Peacock Director, Solutions Marketing Workato Nam Le SVP, Embedded Sales Workato

2. What role is most essential in driving the long-term success of your business? CUSTOMER SUCCESS

3. Session Overview Creating great customers is elite Sales Customer Success builds Business Resilience 3 strategies to ensure Customer Success ( + your business ) thrives Key points + takeaways

4. Customers Success + the Long-Term Health of your Business

5. Great Customers need Great Coaches Build Strong, Trust-Based Relationships: Customers feel supported and understood, fostering trust and deepening the relationship . This connection often translates into long-term commitment and advocacy . Facilitate Continuous Growth and Improvement: Help customers continuously refine their strategies and adapt to new challenges. This proactive support keeps them engaged and aligned with their evolving needs, driving ongoing success and expansion . Strong Relationships Grow and Change Together: Startup life is chaotic, and many people fail trying to find too much order in it. The right customer base + the right team allows you, as a founder, to maintain the right level of agility you’ll need to tackle challenges you won’t see coming!

6. Long-term Growth and Customer Success Customer Success teams offer a proactive approach to ensuring customers achieve their desired outcomes with your product/service A thriving Customer Success team = retention , loyalty , and lifetime value Investing in Customer Success will lead to sustained growth and competitive advantage

7. #1: Managing Customer Expectations Throughout the Marketing and Sales Cycles

8. Managing Customer Expectations Clear, honest communication is key Accurately aligning marketing messages with product capabilities Have Marketing work with CSM’s in defining What is your perfect customer? Ensuring the sales process centers around specific KPIs that attribute to time to value Techniques for Effective Expectation Management Transparent product demos, case studies, and testimonials Collaborative goal-setting between Sales and Customer Success teams Benefits of Proper Expectation Setting Reduce churn due to unmet expectations Build trust and credibility from the outset

9. #2: Removing Barriers to Rapid Time to Value

10. Removing barriers to rapid time to value Common barriers to time to value (TTV) Complex onboarding, lack of resources/training, unclear product usage Strategies to reduce TTV Align Sales process with CS engagement as one continuous customer journey Ensure Sales remains (lightly) involved early in the process while CS takes over to ensure accountability Create continuous feedback loops to identify and address potential delays Benefits of Reducing TTV Higher customer satisfaction Quicker adoption

11. #3: Building a Clear Path to Expansion

12. Building a Clear Path to Expansion Organic Growth in Customer Relationships Building trust and value over time leading to natural expansion opportunities Methods to Encourage Organic Expansion Regular check-ins to identify new needs or opportunities Undersell! Create a cadence of consumption (and payment!) to normalize iterative expansion. The Role of Authenticity in Expansion Honest and value-driven interactions that foster long-term loyalty Benefits of a Clear Path to Expansion Increased Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) through upsells, cross-sells, and renewals Strengthened relationships leading to advocacy and referrals

13. Key Takeaways

14. Key takeaways A customer-centric approach is critical for sustained business growth The vital role of Customer Success in creating great customers & long-term business success The three strategies: Setting expectations, reducing TTV, and path to expansion Prioritizing CS will lead to: reduced churn, higher CSAT, greater CLTV, trust, advocacy, and expansion

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