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Big Impact Customer Success For Small Teams

Big Impact Customer Success For Small Teams

See how these customer success teams pulled off standout results.

Tomas
January 28th, 2025

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Editor Notes

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The Scoop

As we charge forward into 2025, I’m fired up about how smaller CS teams can make a huge impact—especially when it comes to picking the right tech and placing data at the heart of every move.

This edition’s lineup:

Standout examples that prove you don’t need a massive budget to build a top-tier Customer Function.
Five practical strategies you can roll out right now to delight and retain customers.

Cheers,

Tomas - Chief CS Enthusiast, The Customer Champion

P.S. My latest LinkedIn post dives into an intriguing development: while fewer CS teams now report directly to CEOs, the overall influence of Customer Success is growing across industries.

Building a Great Customer Function

Who says you need endless cash and a huge crew to wow your customers? I’d argue the opposite. I’ve seen lean teams pull off big results—often surprising their bigger competitors.

Below, you’ll find four examples that show how putting the spotlight on customer needs (rather than your budget) can lead to winning strategies. If you’re aiming to build a stellar Customer Function without a sky-high burn rate, read on for some tried-and-true insights!

1. Buffer: Transparency as a Trust Builder

Buffer, a social media management platform, has gained attention for its open approach and data-focused methods. I believe their main win is how they’ve built trust with customers by sharing nearly everything—an approach that’s uncommon yet refreshingly honest.

Key Moves

Public roadmap shaped by direct customer feedback
Metrics dashboard that anyone can view
Proactive communication across different channels
Data-backed customer health scoring

2. Hotjar: Fueling Success with Product Insights

Hotjar showcases how digging into user behavior can lead to powerful customer success strategies. I find their focus on analytics and automated flows especially appealing for smaller teams trying to stretch their resources.

Key Moves

Tracking user actions to spot issues before they escalate
Automated welcome and onboarding based on usage patterns
Regular outreach to gather direct input
Ongoing feedback loops to shape product direction

3. Intercom: Focusing on Speedy Resolutions

When Intercom was still a smaller player, they made resolution speed their top priority. I see this as a crucial lesson: fast, high-quality responses can become your brand’s hallmark.

Key Moves

Targeted approach to solve issues on the first try
Systematic feedback collection to shape product improvements
Product-led success strategies that highlight core features
Automated monitoring for early warning signs

4. Notion: Harnessing the Power of Community

Notion went from a small operation to a big success story by rallying a passionate user community. In my book, this is a perfect example of how engaged users can effectively run a big part of your support process.

Key Moves

User groups that encourage folks to help each other
Template libraries to jumpstart use cases
Detailed educational materials and training sessions
Different playbooks for various customer segments

Common Threads I’ve Noticed

Metrics Everywhere: Each company leans on numbers to guide decisions.
Empowering Customers: They push for self-service and ongoing education.
Being Proactive: Early warnings and quick interventions keep small issues from growing.
Easy-to-Repeat Systems: They define processes clearly and automate repetitive tasks.
Open Communication: They share updates often and keep feedback channels wide open.

Practical Pointers for SMEs

Start Small, Aim Big
Pick one or two meaningful metrics, document your progress, and lay the groundwork for future growth.
Teach Your Customers
Offer basic guides, create a brief onboarding flow, and let users solve common questions on their own.
Choose Tech Thoughtfully
Go for tools that can handle growth without losing the human side of your customer relationships.
Encourage Community
Provide spaces for people to swap ideas, share tips, and celebrate each other’s wins.

At the end of the day, I believe building a top-tier Customer Function is less about fancy budgets and more about knowing your customers inside and out. When you set clear goals, track what truly matters, and commit to steady improvement, you can pull off customer success strategies that might rival even the biggest names out there.

So, are you ready to put your own spin on these ideas and potentially join the ranks of standout SMEs in the customer success world? I’d love to see what you do next!

Quick Tips

Five Practical Moves to Strengthen Your Customer Function

If you’re aiming to level up your approach without draining your wallet, these tactics might be just what you need. They’re drawn from real-life examples where lean teams found success, so you can bet they’re easy to adapt. Pick the ideas that resonate with you, try them out, and watch how your customer relationships evolve.

Personalize Your Onboarding

Take a cue from Groove, which offers one-on-one onboarding chats to new users. If that’s a stretch, focus on your most valuable customers first. A personal touch can work wonders for early adoption and long-term loyalty.

Try This:
Schedule welcome calls for your next five new customers to see if it boosts engagement.

Use Data for Proactive Outreach

Typeform offers a good example here: they keep an eye on basic user metrics (like login frequency) to spot risk factors and potential growth opportunities. You don’t need top-tier analytics—simple data points can reveal a lot.

Try This:
Pinpoint three basic signs of healthy (or struggling) accounts and find a way to monitor them regularly.

Set Up a Knowledge Base

Calendly shows how a well-organized support center can seriously cut back on repetitive inquiries. If you’re just starting out, a small FAQ is a great first step, and you can add more over time.

Try This:
Write down your 10 most common questions from users and create clear, easy-to-find answers.

Empower Your Power Users

Check out how Zapier spotlights its most active fans. These folks can become your biggest supporters—providing feedback, advocating for your brand, and helping other users in your community.

Try This:
Reach out to your five most engaged users and ask for their input on your product. They’ll appreciate being heard, and you’ll likely discover new insights.

Offer Multiple Support Channels

While email is a good start, adding just one more avenue—like chat or social media—can make it simpler for customers to reach out in a way that suits them. Even smaller teams can test this approach for a short time to see if it sticks.

Try This:
If you only offer email support, add a second channel for a month and keep an eye on user satisfaction.

Remember, you don’t have to tackle all these steps at once. Think about which ideas best match your goals, give them a try, and track the results. By starting small and staying flexible, you’ll be well on your way to building a Customer Function that truly resonates with your audience.