Imagine a warm October day in the bustling streets of New York, where four remarkable women stride down Fifth Avenue, laughter echoing in their wake. Their camaraderie seems seasoned, yet they’ve just met. What unites them? Their dedication to revolutionizing customer experience.
These leaders, embody a new era of Customer Success (CS) and Community leadership, where innovation and empathy converge to redefine customer satisfaction. In a world where customer retention reigns supreme, their insights are invaluable.
The Capote of CS
Kellie Capote, Chief Customer Officer at Gainsight, sheds light on the evolving landscape of CS. She underscores the rising prominence of digital strategies, particularly Digital Customer Success (DCS), as the next frontier. With a keen eye on scalability and efficiency, she emphasizes the pivotal role of community in delivering personalized experiences and driving growth.
“As folks try to figure out how they scale their organizations, we will see lots of progressive, innovative stuff happening in the world of technology. I think the macroeconomic landscape is the catalyst and accelerator for that as we all figure out how do we scale our work? But the reality is technology has evolved, and the way our end users want to consume technology is evolving, right? There’s a lot more interest, especially from certain personas, to have more of a self-service, personalized user experience, and the companies that lean into that and embrace it are going to be the ones that win in the long term,” says Capote.
The Tech Whisperer
But community isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a strategic imperative gaining recognition from senior management. Shira Re’em, Head of Community Success at Miro, shares her expertise in harnessing community power to foster brand advocacy and deepen customer relationships. For Shira, community transcends mere conversation; it’s a catalyst for innovation and collaboration.
“Community isn’t just about those one off conversations with our customers. The team truly values our community of users who have such strong insight and feedback about the product, and our job is to take this information and action on it, which then adds value back into the community and the company at large. Once you have this Community formula, you can take that foundation to any size company, as long as you understand the customer’s motivation, intent, and goals. Then, make sure you’re aligning those goals with your company’s goals, to drive relevant impact,” says Re’em.
The Visioneer
Nisha Baxi, Head of Digital Customer Success at Gong, embodies a vision of inclusivity and empowerment. Drawing from her rich background in marketing and advocacy, she champions the transformative potential of community to inspire and connect individuals on a profound level.
“Our CEO Amit Bendov says this all the time: ‘follow the music.’ I’ve realized that when the community wants to do something, you must listen to them. You have to do what they want because that’s what’s going to grow your community. You may have your own goals within your own company. Understood. We want to be able to tie what we do to business impact. But if the community says we want a meetup on data, then you run a meetup on data. I noticed when I tried to do things that I wanted; it didn’t work. But when it was about what the community wanted, it was a success,” says Baxi.
The Jill of All Trades
And then there’s Carrie Melissa Jones, a true polymath in the realm of community strategy. As a consultant, author, and founding partner of CMX, Carrie’s journey epitomizes the transformative power of community to foster belonging and drive meaningful change.
“We’re moving toward a need. And for organizations to stay themselves, a need to have communities centric models of being responsive to communities, co-creating alongside communities, and financially benefiting communities. I just see the job growth potential is huge. We’re at the tip of the iceberg of what this profession is going to be,” says Jones.
Their predictions for the future of CS and community echo a sentiment of evolution and adaptation. As technology advances and customer expectations evolve, the imperative for community-centric models becomes increasingly clear. From personalized experiences to co-created value, the possibilities are endless.
So, as we navigate the ever-changing landscape of customer-centricity, let’s draw inspiration from these trailblazers. Let’s embrace innovation, empathy, and collaboration as we chart a course towards customer success in the city and beyond. Together, let’s shape the future of CS—one conversation, one community at a time.
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