How to Build a Successful Customer Success Team: Insights from Intercom's Strategy

Imagine you're running a successful bakery business. You've built a loyal customer base, and your sales are steadily increasing. However, as your business grows, you realize that you can't personally guide and support every customer through their entire journey with your bakery. That's where a dedicated Customer Success team comes in, acting as a strategic partner to ensure your most valuable customers have an exceptional experience and achieve their desired outcomes.According to Max Klimmek, Head of Customer Success at Intercom, a Customer Success team arises to provide high-touch guidance to a company's most valuable customers without disrupting the Sales and Support teams. At Intercom, the Customer Success team's mission is to "ensure Intercom's most important customers see faster growth through better relationships."Initially, Intercom's Customer Success team started under the Support department but later transitioned to the Sales organization to become strategic partners. This move allowed the team to focus on long-term customer success strategies without being bogged down by day-to-day support issues.One of the key principles that guided the development of Intercom's Customer Success team was embracing "unscalable tactics" initially. This approach involved trying different strategies and tactics to determine what worked best for their customers before codifying them into repeatable processes. By starting small and iterating, the team could identify the most impactful ways to support their customers.Building trust with the Sales team was also crucial for the Customer Success team's success. They achieved this by maintaining a bias toward saying "yes" and leading with conversation rather than prescriptive solutions. This collaborative approach helped establish the Customer Success team as a valuable resource for both customers and the Sales team.Intercom scaled their initial Customer Success group to more than 10 people globally, with responsibilities ranging from onboarding and account reviews to product training and long-term customer success strategies.Klimmek emphasizes that every company's Customer Success team will look different based on their unique needs and customer base. However, the core principles remain the same: defining the team's mission early, getting buy-in from stakeholders, and focusing on building trust and delivering value to customers.Just as a bakery might have a dedicated team to ensure their most loyal customers have a delightful experience and keep coming back, a Customer Success team acts as a strategic partner to help a company's most valuable customers achieve their desired outcomes and foster long-lasting relationships.