Industry experts agree that the practice of customer success has made it big time as companies continue the transition to the subscription business model. What they don’t know is that 30 years ago, many top music performers were already singing best practices and principles for customer success.
Don’t believe me? Here are 3 hit songs from the 80’s that actually align with modern-day thought leadership in the field of customer success:
Tina Turner, “What’s Love Got to Do With It”
Song Quote:
“What’s love got to do, got to do with it
What’s love but a second hand emotion
What’s love got to do, got to do with it
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken”
Hidden Message:
Customer love is not the core metric for customer success. Customer success should be operated as a business, and the customer’s product consumption data and business outcomes are much better indications of the customer’s health and their willingness to renew. This “second hand emotion” should not be used as the primary indicator of a healthy customer, and you can only know how the customer is truly feeling by looking behind your customer’s walls.
The Police, “Every Breath You Take”
Song Quote:
“Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I’ll be watching you”
Hidden Message:
Connecting the dots for all customer data is a vital component of customer success. By closely monitoring product consumption and license utilization, you are able to build an early warning system that can help detect which customers need your attention and why. You can also use the data to create better customer segments that will help you prioritize and focus your team’s efforts so they can focus more on valuable customer engagements.
Cyndi Lauper, “Time After Time”
Song Quote:
“If you’re lost you can look and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall I will catch you I’ll be waiting
Time after time”
Hidden Message:
Nurturing customers with valuable engagements is the best way to proactively manage your growing customer base. Whether it’s boosting slow product adoption after onboarding or behavior-based communications with new feature announcements, you need a model that can turn potential issues into opportunities to add more value. Most importantly, no customers are falling through the cracks.
If you want to heed the sage advice from these 80’s stars and simplify the complexities of your customer success, request a Totango demo today!
Guy Nirpaz says:
Kevin seems like customer success is idea from the 80s as all these songs are 🙂
What about money for nothing, brothers in arms and when the doves cry?