Best Practices for Customer Collaboration

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬—𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐨-𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬. Building lasting marketing partnerships isn’t about one-off projects; it’s about transforming every engagement into a collaborative journey toward growth. Here's how to turn clients into true partners: 1️⃣ Overdeliver on Value: • Surprise them with insights and extra resources that go beyond the brief. • Offer actionable ideas they didn't even know they needed. 2️⃣ Communicate with Radical Transparency: • Keep clients updated at every stage—no surprises, just honest progress. • Open, clear communication builds trust and solidifies long-term relationships. 3️⃣ Listen First, Act Later: • Understand their unique challenges before pitching solutions. • Tailor your strategies to what they truly need, not just what sounds good. 4️⃣ Show, Don’t Just Tell: • Use real data, case studies, and tangible examples to demonstrate success. • Let the results speak for themselves, turning promises into proven outcomes. 5️⃣ Embrace Their Perspective: • Involve clients in the creative process and welcome their feedback. • When they feel heard and valued, they become invested in your shared success. When you shift from viewing clients as transactions to seeing them as partners, every campaign becomes a joint venture toward innovation and growth. Your insights fuel the conversation. #MarketingStrategy #ClientEngagement #BrandPartnerships

Throughout my decade-long journey in the tech industry, if there's one lesson that’s stuck with me, it’s this: your connection with your customers is everything. At Supersourcing, we’ve woven this belief into the fabric of our business. And trust me, it’s made all the difference. Here’s how we keep our customer focus sharp and true: - Listen First, Act Fast: Early on, I learned that listening isn’t just about hearing words; it’s about understanding your customers' underlying needs and emotions. We prioritize active listening—through regular feedback loops and candid conversations—so that when we act, it’s both swift and deeply aligned with what our clients actually want. - Tailored Solutions, Not One-Size-Fits-All: One of the most transformative shifts we made was moving from a transactional mindset to a partnership approach. It helps us understand our clients’ bigger picture—what are their goals? What keeps them up at night? We tailor our solutions to align with these insights, making our support feel less like a service and more like a collaboration. - Transparent Communication Builds Trust: I can’t stress enough how much transparency has contributed to our success. It’s about being upfront, even when the news isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Our clients appreciate honesty, and this straightforward approach has helped us build strong, lasting relationships based on trust and mutual respect. - Proactivity Is Key: Waiting for a problem to arise means you’re already too late. We’ve built a culture of proactivity—whether it’s checking in on developers regularly or anticipating potential roadblocks, we aim to address challenges before they turn into problems. These strategies have been pivotal in driving not just customer satisfaction but loyalty and advocacy. It’s about being more than a vendor; it’s about being a partner who genuinely cares about the success of those we serve. How do you keep your client relationships strong and authentic? I’m eager to hear your thoughts!

One of the best ways to create authentic relationships with your customers, get honest feedback on your product and surface game changing ideas is to create a Customer Advisory Board (CAB). Here are the lessons I’ve learned about how to create and run a successful CAB. Your personal involvement as CEO is critical. If you lead it yourself, customers will engage at a deeper level. They’ll be more honest, more vulnerable, and more likely to become evangelists for your company. No one else can unlock this dynamic the way a CEO can. Be clear on the persona. Is your CAB for buyers, users, or budget holders? At BetterCloud, our sweet spot was Directors of IT. Not the CIO, not the IT admin. Know exactly whose voice you want in the room and tailor everything to them. Skip the compensation, give them “status”. Don’t pay CAB members—it gets messy. Instead, make them feel like insiders. Give them a title, early access to roadmaps, VIP treatment at events, and public recognition. People want to feel valued and influential, not bought. Set a cadence you can maintain. I tried monthly meetings once. That was a mistake. Quarterly is the sweet spot. One in-person gathering per year—ideally tied to an industry event—goes a long way in deepening relationships. Structure matters. CABs aren’t just roundtables. They’re curated experiences. Keep meetings tight (90-120 minutes), show real products that are still in the development process (even rough wireframes or high level ideas), and create space for interaction. Done right, they become the ultimate feedback engine. Build real relationships. Your CAB shouldn’t just exist in meetings. Build one-on-one connections. Text, email, check in at events. Keep it small enough that people feel seen and valued. When they have a direct line to the CEO, they stay engaged—and they speak the truth. Done right, your CAB becomes more than just a feedback mechanism. It becomes a strategic asset. It can shape your roadmap, sharpen your positioning, and strengthen your customer relationships in ways no survey ever could. For a deeper dive and detailed tactics behind each of these, check out the full writeup on the Not Another CEO Substack.

Your Product Managers are talking to customers. So why isn’t your product getting better? A few years ago, I was on a team where our boss had a rule: 🗣️ “Everyone must talk to at least one customer each week.” So we did. Calls were scheduled. Conversations happened. Boxes were checked. But nothing changed. No real insights. No real impact. Because talking to customers isn’t the goal. Learning the right things is. When discovery lacks purpose, it leads to wasted effort, misaligned strategy, and poor business decisions: ❌ Features get built that no one actually needs. ❌ Roadmaps get shaped by the loudest voices, not the right customers. ❌ Teams collect insights… but fail to act on them. How Do You Fix It? ✅ Talk to the Right People Not every customer insight is useful. Prioritize: -> Decision-makers AND end-users – You need both perspectives. -> Customers who represent your core market – Not just the loudest complainers. -> Direct conversations – Avoid proxy insights that create blind spots. 👉 Actionable Step: Before each interview, ask: “Is this customer representative of the next 100 we want to win?” If not, rethink who you’re talking to. ✅ Ask the Right Questions A great question challenges assumptions. A bad one reinforces them. -> Stop asking: “Would you use this?” -> Start asking: “How do you solve this today?” -> Show AI prototypes and iterate in real-time – Faster than long discovery cycles. -> If shipping something is faster than researching it—just build it. 👉 Actionable Step: Replace one of your upcoming interview questions with: “What workarounds have you created to solve this problem?” This reveals real pain points. ✅ Don’t Let Insights Die in a Doc Discovery isn’t about collecting insights. It’s about acting on them. -> Validate across multiple customers before making decisions. -> Share findings with your team—don’t keep them locked in Notion. -> Close the loop—show customers how their feedback shaped the product. 👉 Actionable Step: Every two weeks, review customer insights with your team to decipher key patterns and identify what changes should be applied. If there’s no clear action, you’re just collecting data—not driving change. Final Thought Great discovery doesn’t just inform product decisions—it shapes business strategy. Done right, it helps teams build what matters, align with real customer needs, and drive meaningful outcomes. 👉 Be honest—are your customer conversations actually making a difference? If not, what’s missing? -- 👋 I'm Ron Yang, a product leader and advisor. Follow me for insights on product leadership + strategy.

Customer Success Leaders—If you're not actively shaping the Product Roadmap, you're missing a critical opportunity. The most effective organizations don’t treat CS as a participant—they rely on it as a strategic partner. Product teams should be co-designing the future with their customers. That means: ✅ Understanding emerging use cases and evolving needs ✅ Enhancing the product based on real customer insights ✅ Prioritizing with business impact and revenue in mind In today’s market—where consolidation, cost-cutting, and efficiency are top priorities—building a product that truly solves business challenges is the difference between success and irrelevance. So, how do you drive better alignment between CS and Product? Here’s what I've seen work: 1️⃣ Lead with Data & Insights -Identify the most adopted and least adopted product features -Pinpoint where customers are dropping off and why -Find personas and use cases that drive the most value -Look for patterns and trends across your customer base 2️⃣ Support Data with Customer Stories -Conduct interviews and surveys to capture direct feedback -Dive into workflows and edge cases to understand nuances -Align product evolution with customer goals and business objectives 3️⃣ Prioritize Product Feedback Strategically -Leverage customer data to rank impact and urgency -Tie feedback to revenue—renewals, expansions, and upsells -Ensure recommendations align with the broader product vision 4️⃣ Maintain an Open Dialogue -Establish a structured collaboration rhythm (bi-weekly syncs, Slack channels, shared roadmaps) -Keep all teams informed on designs, timelines, and priorities -Be clear, concise, and adaptable—Product is balancing competing priorities across the org 5️⃣ Close the Loop—Every Time -Set clear expectations with customers early and often -Enable Product teams to engage directly with customers for firsthand learning -Continue gathering feedback even after launch (beta programs, customer advisory boards) At the end of the day, great products are built by teams who stay close to the customer. CS should not be a passive observer in product development—it should be a driving force. When you get this right, you influence retention, expansion, and advocacy. And that’s a business win. __________________ 📣 If you liked my post, you’ll love my newsletter. Every week I share learnings, advice and strategies from my experience going from CSM to CCO. Join 12k+ subscribers of The Journey and turn insights into action. Sign up on my profile.

Your biggest customer risk? Betting everything on one relationship. What happens when that one person leaves? ❌ Projects stall. ❌ Your partnership unravels. ❌ The renewal becomes risky. And the worst part? You never saw it coming. Top-performing CSMs don’t take that risk. They don’t rely on one strong relationship—they build a network of champions. Why multi-threading matters: ✅ Mitigate Risk: If one stakeholder exits, others keep things moving. ✅ Increase Influence: Connect the dots across teams and drive execution. ✅ Drive Results: More relationships = better insights, faster problem-solving, and stronger success. How to multi-thread before you need it: 1️⃣ Leverage Your Existing POC Your primary contact is your bridge—use them to expand your network. 🔹 “Who else on your team is involved in this initiative?” 🔹 “I’d love to connect with someone in [department X] to better understand their goals.” 🔹 “Can you bring someone from IT/Operations to the next meeting so we’re fully aligned?” 💡 Pro tip: Position these as opportunities for collaboration, not an end-run around your contact. 2️⃣ Navigate Office Politics Like a Pro Every company has internal dynamics. The key? Stay neutral, and focus on value. ✅ Align on shared goals – “We’re all working toward [specific metric]. How can I best support your team?” ✅ Ask for cross-team feedback – “Are there challenges I can help with? I want to ensure we’re delivering max value.” ✅ Share positive results and the value your product delivers - "Sharing our last quarter's shared results to celebrate 3 big wins!" ✅ Be a connector – Bridge gaps between teams. Your influence will skyrocket. 3️⃣ Use Data & Insights to Open Doors Customers trust numbers—use them to justify new relationships. 📊 “Our data shows [team X] could optimize [Y process] in order for us to see even better results. Can I connect with someone there?” 📊 “We’ve helped similar teams achieve [result]. Would it help to set up a quick call with your [relevant team]?” 4️⃣ Build Relationships Across Departments Don’t limit yourself to one function. Get to know: ✔ Customer Support – They hear pain points firsthand. ✔ IT/Dev Teams – They control key tech decisions. ✔ Finance & Procurement – They hold the budget. ✔ Marketing/Sales – They shape customer messaging. 👀 Ask: “What are your top priorities this quarter?” or “How do you measure success?” Their answers will reveal hidden opportunities for you to add value. 🔥 Take Action: Build Your Safety Net The best CSMs don’t leave relationships to chance. They expand their influence and build networks of trust—before they need them. 👇 Want to sharpen your Swiss Army knife and build the skills to succeed in CS? Join 15K CS professionals in Unconventional Growth [link in comments]. #CustomerSuccess #CSM #CustomerRetention #RevOps #CX

I boosted the customer experience and conversions with one strategy: collaboration. Collaboration isn’t just beneficial, it’s essential to managing the buyer’s journey. Using HubSpot, we’ve transformed our approach to ensure every touchpoint with customers is informed, seamless, and impactful. Here’s what we learned: 1/ Unified communication: All departments, from marketing to sales to customer service, stay in sync. This alignment ensures no customer query slips through the cracks. 2/ Data-driven insights: HubSpot provides real-time data that helps us understand customer behaviors and preferences, enabling personalized interactions that lead to higher conversions. 3/ Customer feedback loop: Regular feedback integrated into our process helps continuously refine the customer journey. 4/ Streamlined Processes: With everyone on the same platform, we reduce redundancy and enhance efficiency. The result? A smoother buyer's journey that not only attracts customers but also turns them into advocates. How have you leveraged collaboration in your business to enhance the customer experience? Share your strategies below! #hubspot #collaboration #experience

A reminder to all CS practitioners and leaders alike. Never set up a call to “just check in” - make sure you have a plan! Below is an actual example of guidelines I've put out for a few of my teams. Feel free to take them and make them your own. What else would you add? ________________________________ The check-in call is a good time to review the status of the partnership and mutually created goals, update any action items, discuss challenges, and adjust plans accordingly. You should also use this time to share any product updates! They will likely hear about things from a marketing drip campaign, but you are their trusted advisor, so it's great to hear them directly from you as well. A few other helpful things that can help guide content for these calls are: - Use Google Alerts and see if there's news about the customer. Bring up anything good or positive you've learned and ask probing questions about how and if this impacts their function. - Twitter and LinkedIn are also helpful for looking for updates that are interesting. - Come with a key insight that you've learned about their industry from others you are working with. Try showing them that you know their account and their market and that you are a valuable partner. - Look at usage trends. Has usage changed recently? Talk about usage trends and anything interesting you are seeing. Are there any other folks that should have access? - Try to get connected with other departments that could benefit from using this service/solution. - Bring up the past EBR goals and keep them at the center of the conversation. - Be prepared to discuss open tickets as it is likely to come up. Best Practices: - Before your call, send an agenda (at least 1 day in advance). Always be respectful of their time. Ask: - Is there anything you’d like to add to the agenda? - Is there any person who should be added to the call? - Come with some probing questions ready for problem statements or progress you’d like to assess. Always have a few and work them in naturally. When you start the call, start with some small talk, but keep things on track. - Have one slide that shows the agenda. Prioritize items by importance. - Try and stay on the agenda, but also listen for topics that may drive strategy. - Be flexible and prepare to adapt to their needs. Mind your talk-to-listen ratio. - It’s important that you lead and share, but make sure you talk less than the customers. Of course, I am not suggesting you sit in awkward silence, but make sure you are aware of how much you are speaking compared to them. Listening actively. Pay attention to what’s being said, how it’s being said, tone, body language, and any other non-verbal cues. This will help you gain a greater understanding of the overall health of the relationship. Follow through and follow up! - Always follow up with a thank you email with any information or actions clearly documented. These emails should be sent within 24 hours of the initial meeting.

Creating value for customers is at the heart of product management, but it requires seamless collaboration between product, sales, and customer success teams. When these teams aren't in sync, it can lead to frustration, missed opportunities, and a disjointed customer experience. As product leaders, you may have seen firsthand how crucial it is to bridge these gaps and create a unified approach to serving your customers. In this Dear Melissa episode, I dive into practical solutions for a common challenge: facilitating tight collaboration between customer-facing teams and product development. Here are five key strategies to foster collaboration and align your product, sales, and customer success efforts: - Establish robust feedback loops between customer-facing teams and product - Leverage existing customer data from sales and success teams - Implement idea management systems for tracking suggestions - Create clear guidelines for communicating product development stages - Use product operations to standardize cross-functional collaboration Improving collaboration between these teams isn't just about smoother internal processes—it's about creating a better experience for your customers and driving real business value. By implementing these strategies, you can create a more cohesive approach to product development that takes into account diverse perspectives and customer needs. What challenges have you faced in aligning your product, sales, and customer success teams? Share your experiences in the comments, and let's learn from each other's insights! For another perspective on this topic, listen to the full Product Thinking episode featuring Bryan House, Chief Experience Officer at Elastic Path. Listen Here: 🎙️ Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/eRvJMnBe 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e_uDxZkK #productmanagement #customerexperience #sales #productdevelopment

Creating content with your customers is my favorite way to extend your brand halo. A shift towards customer collaboration transforms your content motion from a mode of constant self creation to a drumbeat of curation. The challenge is creating the right collaboration opportunity where your customer doesn’t just share it once, but makes your thing a part of their external promotional stream. Here’s what I do to make this happen: 1. Selecting the right topic: It’s always good to ask your customers up front what messages that they're taking to market this year. If you build something that centers around their main messages then you're instantly designing content that will have more shelf life for their promotion. The most impactful content strategies not only allow for your customer’s point-of-view to be a part of it, but also have it work cohesively with your own messaging. 2. Prioritizing organization: Your customers don’t want to have to do a ton of additional work during a collaboration. It’s your responsibility to make the request stupid simple and easy for your customer. Creating a brief for your customers to absorb on their own time can cut out a ton of back and forth. 3. Setting expectations up front: If you're creating content with your customers and you want them to share it with their audience you need to ask them to do it. The ask should come up front and you should earn commitment from them. It’s really important to let your customers know exactly what you’re looking for them to do and also ask the right questions to identify other opportunities for them to share. 4. Early access: Give your customers early access to the content, your promotional plan, and graphics that they can use for their promotion. When you give your customers access to the deliverables early it also gives them another reminder to share. 5. Make your customers look like heroes: Your customers have offered up their time to help promote your brand. The most important thing that you can do during this process is to create content that is going to make them shine on your stage. This always means going above and beyond to make sure that they’re being featured as true thought leaders in the space. Customer collaborations can’t be viewed as a one and done thing. Customer collaborations need to be a part of your strategy and happen consistently in order to make the impact that you’re looking for. When it starts to work you’ll see your audience grow. You’ll know when it’s really working when your customers not only signs their renewal, but wants more from your brand.