“I should have reached out to that client earlier”
“I can’t believe I didn’t notice that the champion left”
“Why did I recommend that client for the beta program when I knew they are sensitive to issues”
“I should have pushed for that feature request earlier”
It’s easy to be an armchair quarterback in customer success. It was very evident after the fact that you were going down the wrong path or didn’t see the warning signs. But when you are in the thick of battle and handling multiple client escalations, team meetings, client meetings, renewals, business reviews and other time-sucking tasks it can be easy to have something slide. Don’t beat yourself up to much over it.
I tell my team that stuff is going to happen and if you weren’t pissed off you wouldn't be in customer success. It hurts you because you care. That is a good thing. It’s a bad thing when you hold on to that negativity as you can spiral downwards. You have to insulate yourself from this and I have some tips that can help.
After reading Evy Poumpouras’ “Becoming Bulletproof” it was clear to me that I needed to follow some of her advice on how to get over certain mentally challenging situations such as an executive decision that didn’t go my way or a certain customer churning. Here are Evy’s tips:
Step 1: Set an expiration date. It’s ok to be pissed off but you need to set a specific amount of time for you to process your emotions - say 1 hour, 24 hours, or a week - and then move on.
Step 2: Acceptance. You then need to accept the new reality. You may not be happy with where you are but you need to deal with it. Get out of the “whoa is me” attitude and start to work on a solution. Don’t expect others to step in here. It’s time for you to step up and take ownership.
Step 3: Shift to the solution mindset. So you lost a client or you can’t move forward with that CS software you needed. So what? Setbacks are a part of customer success. It’s time to get innovative. It’s time to go back to the drawing board. Try and look at the situation from a different lens. This may mean discussing your situation with a trusted colleague and seeking their advice. Try and pull up so you can get a clearer perspective. It may be as simple as making some small changes and coming back to the client or senior management with a new approach.
These seem simple yet I hope they are a good reminder when you find yourself in a funk that you can’t get out of. Just remember that this happens to all of us. It’s ok to get down but it’s these situations that make us tougher. You will come out better on the other side. I promise. You got this.
Not subscribed? Get regular customer success tips to your inbox daily:
PS: another tip is to get a song that can shake you out of your state. Here’s one that is nostalgic for me: