6 Reasons Your Customer Success Managers Need to Improve Their Consultative Dialogue Skills

Customer success managers have unmatched access to a client’s mind. During a service call, the customer’s tone, inflection, and word choice provide a level of detail not seen elsewhere in the customer engagement lifecycle.

This level of insight makes customer success managers an untapped resource for organisations seeking to deliver unexpected value for customers. It also creates opportunities for positioning new or expanded products as part of a holistic solution.

Here, we look at how enhancing your customer success team’s consultative dialogue skills add value for your customers and your organisation.

Drive Consistency

Training your customer success managers on a structured method for transitioning from serving an immediate need to understanding the customer’s broader needs ensures every team member has the skills needed to fully engage the customer on every call.

Increase Cross-selling and Upselling Opportunities

Customer success managers who enhance service through consultative selling skills to more deeply understand customer needs realise greater economic value by knowing how to position new or expanded services as part of a solution that satisfies the customer's complete need.

Boost Customer Loyalty

The inherently authentic nature of a consultative dialogue improves the customer experience and demonstrates a true commitment to delivering a personalised and effective resolution to the customer’s issue.

Build Customer Success Manager Confidence

Asking for a sale can be uncomfortable for a customer success manager who does not train on selling skills and frameworks. Training equips your customer success team with the tools they need to naturally position solutions and ask for the sale.

Improve First Call Resolution Rates

Consultative selling is not only about sales — it is about taking the time to fully explore and understand the customer’s known and unknown needs. Engaging customers in this level of conversation ensures that the need is fully understood and defined by both parties so that the customer success manager can provide the right solution for the customer the first time around.

Build Competitive Advantage

As barriers to entry are lowered and customers are more aware of alternative options, their experience with customer service teams becomes increasingly important. Setting aside the benefits of consistently creating opportunities in customer service conversations to upsell or cross-sell. Consultative dialogue skills build trust. They make your customers feel that your team values their business and is capable of providing them with the support they need to be successful. This trust is a competitive advantage that is not easily replicated by competitors.