Biggest Challenges Faced By A Client Success Manager At Watermark Insights
Daniel's biggest challenge as a Client Success Manager is the misconception that the role requires a deep technical product expertise; the reality is that "you don't need to be a product expert" to succeed, and focusing on this unnecessary goal distracts from other crucial aspects of the job.
Overcoming Challenges, Problem-Solving, Communication, Industry Realities, Workplace Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Daniel Zarazua
Client Success Manager
Watermark Insights
The University of Texas at Austin, 2012
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas - Masters in Education, Curriculum and Instruction
Legal & Policy, Anthropology, Sociology
Education
Sales and Client Management
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Being a product expert is not necessary for success in Client Success Management.
2. The biggest challenge is managing diverse client needs and issues, many of which are non-technical.
3. A key skill is effectively collaborating with the technical team to solve client problems, rather than needing to be a technical expert yourself.
Transcript
What was your biggest challenge in your current role?
The biggest challenge in my current role is that it's hard for anyone in customer success, especially in this type of technology company, to be the product expert of everything. You have to deal with many institutions, clients' needs, and issues that need to be solved right away.
Majority of these are not technical. If you did have that technical aspect, you wouldn't need to rely on anyone else on your team. It would be great for your thought process, to instantly find everything about the product.
That is one challenge I don't have, but it's not necessary to have. At the same time, it would be great to have. Anyone would love to be a product expert, but you don't need that.
So, the biggest challenge for anyone in this kind of role is thinking they need to be product experts. They believe it will help their job, which it might, but you don't need to be one in order to be successful.
A misconception challenge is thinking you need to be product agnostic or technology agnostic for everything. I can see this as a current challenge within the industry. It would be great to help with day-to-day tasks, but it's not necessarily required.