This is a curated guide of skill resources, vetted by existing Customer Success Managers, to help you cut back on Google searches and focus your time on getting up to speed!
🔑Pro Tip: We offer this document as a reference tool to help you on this journey and NOT to overwhelm you! You don't need to memorize all this material to land a job! Instead, dip in and use when you need it (e.g. updating resumes, preparing for an interview, cruising job descriptions, brushing up on skills, etc.).
Here are some key resources to get you up to speed and in-the-know. We recommend going through the list in this order as some of these core skill areas build on one another. Check them off as you go!
There are a lot of different aspects to the Customer Success role. Some companies organize teams and roles based on these specific strategies. Here's a breakdown of the different strategies to help you learn and talk to the talk. When you're looking at job descriptions you may see some of these specific strategies referenced. These are great resources for helping determine the right CSM role for you and prepare for interviews.
📈[Up-Selling and Cross-Selling](https://blog.hubspot.com/service/cross-selling#:~:text=Think of it as the,use with the primary product.)
👋🏼Churn
Alright, now that you're familiar with the strategies let's put them in greater context of the different types of Customer Success Managers. Here's our breakdown of the different flavors of Customer Success Managers. Use these when squinting at a job description and trying to identify the CORE skill this CSM must master. It can be helpful way to understand how to position yourself on a resume or for interviews.
The Product Lover Customer Success Manager - This CSM has an in-depth knowledge and passion for complex and technical details of the product. They are obsessed with product and articulating product details to customers, or anybody really! You could find these types of CSMs focused on strategies such as Onboarding and Retention.
The Operations and Process Guru Customer Success Manager - This CSM is a master at removing obstacles and ensuring a consistent positive experience for customers. Additionally, these CSMs are masterminds and developing and implementing workflows that streamline experiences for both customers and internal stakeholders. You could find these types of CSMs focused on strategies such as Onboarding, Retention and Churn.
