From creating prompt emails to summarizing buyer accounts in seconds, AI is a dream software for CSMs. Is it simply as highly effective for a buyer success operations chief? Because it seems, utilizing AI for buyer success operations by leveraging its analysis and analytical capabilities can yield equally spectacular outcomes.
ChurnZero’s You Mon Tsang says that whereas AI’s velocity and “wow” issue are spectacular, its actual worth in SaaS comes from making use of it to present workflows to unravel formidable challenges. And, provided that fixing formidable challenges is what CS ops is all about, I’ve already discovered generative, conversational AI to be a useful associate.
Utilizing AI correctly for operations can improve your buyer expertise group, complement your obtainable sources, and allow you to work smarter. We’re incorporating it into our operations in a number of methods at ChurnZero, and I’ll share a few of them with you over the approaching months.
You’ll be able to apply the methods and examples I’ll share to nearly any operations puzzle, however let’s begin with probably the most impactful methods to make use of AI in CS operations: strategic buyer segmentation.
The best way to use AI as your assistant in designing a buyer segmentation technique.
Are you strategically segmenting your prospects, and, in that case, is your segmentation technique working? Whether or not the idea of segmentation is solely new, or your previous system wants an overhaul, AI may be your finest buddy as you design this essential buyer success technique.
(When you’re behind the curve, try this text on the significance of buyer segmentation earlier than we dive into learn how to make it occur.)
1: Use AI to assist outline your required segmentation outcomes and scope.
ChurnZero just lately went via a major re-segmentation course of. Our prior segmentation targeted on firm measurement, however we knew that incorporating different datapoints would assist us higher serve our prospects whereas driving inner efficiencies.
We would have liked a segmentation technique that checked out a mix of traits and remained easy, offering segmentation that’s steady and permits us to do knowledgeable capability planning for the CS Group. (For extra on capability planning and repair fashions, try this text on learn how to assist CSMs succeed).
What targets would you concentrate on on your firm and group? Widespread targets of segmentation embody rising retention, sourcing focused upsells, bettering buyer survey responses or boosting particular function adoption. Right here, you may ideate your ultimate outcomes together with your favourite generative AI software, speaking with it as you’ll a useful colleague.
Strive these AI prompts as you outline the targets of your buyer segmentation technique:
Recommend particular and measurable targets that may be achieved via strategic buyer segmentation.
- I need to use buyer segmentation at my SaaS firm to assist me discover focused growth alternatives in my buyer base. How can I measure the success of this initiative?
- I would like to boost the NPS rating of my SaaS firm. What ought to I think about when constructing my buyer segmentation technique?
2: Use AI as a knowledge evaluation assistant.
Chances are high that you have already got an concept of what datapoints may very well be essential in your buyer segmentation course of. Suppose holistically about what it is advisable to know to finest serve your buyer, learn how to allocate your inner sources, and your particular, desired outcomes.
After getting outlined the info you need to consider—which might embody datapoints like firm measurement, business, product utilization information, and development stage—use AI that can assist you unpack it. Listed below are some prompts you need to use:
- Assist me work out whether or not firm measurement needs to be a think about my buyer segmentation technique to extend retention.
- What information do I would like to research to resolve whether or not to include product utilization information into my segmentation technique?
- Stroll me via discovering whether or not utilization of X function is correlated with renewal outcomes.
- Present really useful ranges for buyer segmentation primarily based on ARR from this information set. (tip: embody the info set).
Vital observe: When utilizing AI for buyer success operations challenges like information evaluation, take care to guard your prospects’ information. When utilizing the ultimate immediate above, for instance, I offered solely the ARR numbers, with no additional information that might hyperlink them to prospects in any means. For extra on defending buyer data and belief, see the second merchandise right here.
3: Use AI to ideate on segmentation methods and ways.
Together with your wants outlined and information analyzed, it’s time to phase your prospects and develop focused methods particular to their wants and your targets. Once more, you need to use particular AI prompts that can assist you in your method. Strive these pattern prompts
- I’m an operations chief at a SaaS firm. Give me three excessive stage methods that I can use with our largest prospects who’ve excessive product utilization however low adoption of a key function.
- Recommend two totally different ways for every of those segments of shoppers to enhance the response charge on a buyer survey despatched by a SaaS firm.
- 1. Section 1 – Low ARR + Excessive Product Utilization
- 2. Section 2 – Low ARR + Low Product Utilization
- 3. Section 3 – Excessive ARR + Excessive Product Utilization
- 4. Section 3 – Excessive ARR + Low Product Utilization
- I do know that prospects that carry out X habits usually tend to purchase Y function. How do I encourage extra of X habits?
4: Monitor and modify.
Set up a cadence of often reviewing the efficiency of your initiatives. AI can speak you thru learn how to implement choices for monitoring success. Discover these through the use of prompts akin to:
- How do I carry out A/B testing with product adoption initiatives?
- How do I analyze qualitative suggestions to find out the success of my survey initiatives?
- How do I resolve whether or not X initiative is having an influence on GRR?
5: Apply your AI-enhanced framework to assist different key CS operations initiatives.
Buyer segmentation is only one instance of the initiatives I’ve taken on at ChurnZero the place AI has been my associate and guide. I encourage you to make use of this framework for buyer segmentation and apply it to different subjects like:
- Buyer suggestions evaluation
- Churn evaluation and prevention
- Optimizing assist features
- Lowering time-to-value in onboarding
In all these examples, you need to begin with a transparent understanding of your wants and goals, analyze information, act, and monitor and modify primarily based on the outcomes you’re seeing. Maintain the next finest practices in thoughts as you’re chatting together with your new AI buddy.
4 finest practices for utilizing AI in buyer success operations.
1: Begin broad and refine.
When your operations puzzle appears overwhelming or you’re simply not sure of the place to start, begin broad and permit AI that can assist you slender your focus. Deal with prompts that enable you title targets and challenges. Refining your imaginative and prescient via collaboration with AI will will let you craft extra significant and efficient prompts.
2: Be particular together with your prompts.
You’re all the time going to know greater than your AI bot concerning the context wherein you’re appearing. Enter decides output! Use a immediate with as a lot data as doable to assist AI enable you.
I’ve discovered it very useful to specify that I’m asking the query within the context of a B2B SaaS enterprise. A immediate like, “Write an electronic mail to prospects encouraging them to purchase extra of Product X.” goes to yield a really totally different consequence than, “Write a five-sentence electronic mail to prospects encouraging them to purchase extra of Product X from the point of view of a CSM at a B2B SaaS firm.”
3: Decelerate.
That is very true within the information evaluation section. We have now been conditioned to anticipate prompt outcomes and this will translate into our work. Count on that bettering retention, realizing significant enchancment in buyer onboarding, and different worthy initiatives will nonetheless take time. Time invested in approaching information evaluation with an open-mind and really understanding what the info is telling you’ll yield dividends. Check what AI is telling you. Ensure you can replicate and clarify the outcomes.
4: Apply your personal information.
AI doesn’t know the story the best way you do. AI can’t contextualize in the identical means you may. You’re the professional, not AI. You understand your small business, your prospects, the economic system and the atmosphere wherein you’re working. Earlier than AI, most analysis possible would have began with a Google search, on the lookout for related data and studying what you may. Deal with AI as a software in your toolbox when researching or studying one thing new.
Amanda Flurry is Buyer Expertise Operations Supervisor at ChurnZero. She focuses on optimizing buyer experiences by leveraging AI and data-driven methods to boost satisfaction, retention, and operational effectivity. Amanda is enthusiastic about strategic planning, course of enchancment, and correct forecasting to drive enterprise outcomes.
