Introduction
Delve into the realm of customer success planning with John Sumpter, Customer Advocate, and Product Evangelist. John shares invaluable insights on working backward, aligning with customer expectations, and fostering meaningful connections for successful contract renewals.
John Sumpter - Customer Advocate • Product Evangelist
Customers who are silent are the loudest. Like most things in life, customers operate on a spectrum. You’ll have those who want a touchpoint with the team as much as possible to those who only want to be contacted at the end of the quarter or only during renewal time. The customers you never hear from at all are actually screaming. They haven’t figured out how to truly use your product, they are generally unhappy with the services so far, or there are fifteen other reasons you haven’t uncovered that could potentially lead to a non-renewal. Don’t wait until it’s two months away from renewal to check in with them. Pick up the phone and call them the moment you see them starting to slip away.
Data tells a story but does it tell the story your customers want to hear? Work backwards the moment you begin creating your customer success plan. Ask your customers where they want to be at the end of their first year with the partnership and work with them to build a plan that meets their expectations and can be achieved. No reason to tell them you can fly them to the moon if you can clearly see they are still trying to establish their land legs.
Your customers are people. They have lives outside of their day job. Be empathetic, make things easy and use the first few minutes of every meeting to actually connect with them. Someone is more likely to renew a contract because they enjoy working with you and you’re able to deliver versus a team that delivers but lacks the actual relationship.
About John Sumpter
With over 12 years of experience in customer success and business development, I am passionate about delivering exceptional customer experiences and driving operational excellence across various industries and markets. I have proven skills in scaling innovative projects, professionalizing global processes, and developing client engagement with brands such as HP, Wipro, Salesforce, Kaiser Permanente, UnitedHealthcare, TriNet, and others.
Most recently, I served as the Director of Client Success at Collective, a leading AI revenue-focused platform dedicated to helping sales, marketing, and customer success departments. There, I focused on building a team dedicated to high customer satisfaction, retention, and growth. I also partnered with product, engineering, and marketing teams to provide feedback, insights, and advocacy for our clients.
I am a product evangelist and a humble techie who loves to learn and explore new solutions and opportunities. You can find me rummaging through the fridge for cookies during my off-time.
About Company
Collective[i]: The world’s first network to superpower sales. We leverage AI to automate CRM data entry and forecasting, produce data-driven insights and connect the right people to accelerate revenue growth. Join us in our mission to make the world a more intelligent place. We are hiring smart, motivated, and curious colleagues to bring their talent to our team. We offer great benefits and the flexibility to work from wherever works for you.