
Managing Sponsor Change: Moderator – Matt HenslerDirector, Customer Success

• 14 months in customer success

• Marketing and Brand Strategist

• @matthensler

How To Navigate With A New Champion.


Session Focus…FREAK OUT, but don’t panic


Understand The Risk And Opportunity

Session Focus…


Deploy Strategies With Urgency And Purpose

Session Focus…


Meet Your Panelists

Kelly PayneDirector, Customer Success

Sandy MirandaVP, Customer Success

Beth YehaskelVP, Customer Success

• 6+ years in customer success

• Publication Editor and Writer

• Doctor• @kelly_payne22

• 4+ years in customer success

• 15+ years in customer service & support

• News Anchor• @smiranda_DMS

• 8 years in customer success

• Marketer and Technical Writer

• Archaeologist• @byehaskel


Why are sponsor change strategies critical for customer success teams? Explain what is at risk.


Relationship Advocacy ARRThe Importance of Sponsor Change Strategies


•Retention/Churn Risk• Early Warning Signs / Risk Alerts are Key• If happens close to renewal, game plan

needed•Communication Risk

• Overall Partnership (POC/EB)• Communication Breakdown

•Knowledge Risk• “Begin Again” = Value proposition• Regain new Champion

The Importance of Sponsor Change Strategies


How should sponsor change strategies differ for different customer segments? (e.g. enterprise vs. SMB customers)


Sponsor Change Strategies for Enterprise vs. SMB


Sponsor Change Strategies:•Who they are in the Org / How they play into the Decision Tree/Partnership = measure the impact of the departure•CSM must understand the company hierarchy•Having a repeatable process for this event is essential to the larger partnership & success of your business



• Easier to have a sponsor ecosystem at large organizations

• Value of face-to-face meetings easier to cost-justify

• More urgency in SMB since main sponsor assumes many roles (e.g. power user, budget owner, etc.)



How should your sponsor change playbook change for different types of sponsors in a customer organization?


Depends on:•The “role” the Sponsor plays in the partnership.•How well you know the customer, their business and goals.

Different Strategies For Different Sponsor Types


• Tailor your strategy to what VALUE means to each sponsor Power user value ≠ contract signer value

≠ budget owner value Make sponsors aware of value YOU bring

THEM in their role

Different Strategies For Different Sponsor Types


How should customer success teams proactively manage sponsor relationships to minimize panic when a change does take place?


Absolutely! •Clean Data = Productivity •Defined Process = Proactive Alerts for CSMs to act on

Proactive Steps to Minimize Sponsor Change Events


• Use technology• Create

checkpoints

Proactive Steps to Minimize Sponsor Change Events


What opportunities come with sponsor change?


Opportunities That Come With Sponsor Change


• Help make new champion successful • Follow exiting sponsor to their new company• Customer “reset” to re-establish goals and

gather deeper intelligence about the account

Opportunities That Come With Sponsor Change


Provide an example of a sponsor change that did not go as intended. What went wrong?


Prior to using Gainsight:•No defined process•No Sponsor Change playbook•No Ownership (AM/CSM) on who reached out to welcome new Sponsor•Time delay: Waiting too long, Sponsor went MIA•Got Scrappy & Fixed it, but Lesson Learned!

Sponsor Change Gone Wrong


• Missed sponsor change is easier with small customers

• One situation where it was missed until 2 months after the sponsor change event

• Left an opening for a competitor to connect with new sponsor

• Resulted in churn that could have been prevented

Sponsor Change Gone Wrong


How do you prepare personnel in your company outside of customer success for their role in a sponsor change playbook?


• Forge relationships beyond the CSM• Develop a strong Executive Sponsor program

The Role of Your Co-workers Outside of Customer Success


• Pertinent information about a sponsor change is shared across systems.

• Tasks are created if an assist is needed.

The Role of Your Co-workers Outside of Customer Success


How does the sponsor change playbook change at different stages of the customer lifecycle? (e.g. onboarding vs. adoption vs. renewal)


System: Welcome Email

Cont

ract

Si

gn

Imp Manager & CSMSales Cycle

Day 1: Imp Tech

Outreach

Pre-Close, Tech & Project

Call

AdoptionBuild & CustomizeSales

Engage the right Sponsor for each stage of the Customer Lifecycle

Day 10: Build

Update & Review

Day 5: Build

Update & Review

Day 15: Build

Complete & Sign-Off

Day 20: Profile Update Training

Day 25: EC Walk-thru

w/Analytics

CSM & Sales

Day 30: Services Launch & Employer

Branding BP

Expertise, Speed, Professional, & Quality


• Onboarding: - Evaluate the WHY

• Adoption: - Evaluate the WHAT

• Renewal:- Re-establish possibilities

Sponsor Change Strategies At Different Customer Lifecycle Stages


Audience Q& A


Name 3 things attendees should do FIRST if no sponsor change strategies are currently in place.


1. Identify one or more sponsors a each account

2. Keep regular, proactive touch points with customers

3. Make a simple playbook on steps with new and former sponsor – gift baskets go a long way!

Top 3 Priorities For Getting Sponsor Change Strategies In Place


1. HOW – do you identify a change2. WHO – is responsible3. WHAT – should be done



1. Talk about it: Make sure Execs, Leaders & CSMs/Sales are all focused on it & Define a Playbook

2. Use Tools & Monitor, Monitor, Monitor (CTAs): Gainsight Sponsored Tracking

3. Tie to Retention/Churn


Pulse 2016: Managing Sponsor Change

Business

Transcript of Pulse 2016: Managing Sponsor Change