Building a Tech Touch/Digital Led Segment

  • 18 March 2021
  • 3 replies
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  • Gainsight Employee: Golden Ruler
  • 318 replies

Over the last year, the most common topic I’ve heard from other CS Leaders is how to build a Tech Touch or Low Touch CS team/motions. 

 

Through all my conversations, there two most common approaches:

  1. Pooled Model
  2. Designated Program Managers

In the Pooled Model, there are a few CSMs who managed a “queue” of customer inquiries as well as manage proactive events such as webinars and round tables.

 

With a Program Manager model, someone manages the programs for a different stages in a customers life. For example, one program manager might specialize in Onboarding, another Adoption, and another in Renewal management. 

 

I would not argue that these two are mutual exclusive. In fact I would argue combining these two models begins to bridge the gap for a high touch model to a low/no touch as it allows customers to still have “someone” to reach out to through the pool.

 

One thing to also consider is the shift in getting information to customers. Moving to a tech touch or digital led model puts the ownership of digesting information on the customer. In a traditional CSM model, CSMs can reiterate information to customers on calls and ensure information is sent to customers at their request. Without having a dedicated CSM, you can push the information to the customer, but it’s on the customer to read case studies, emails, newsletters, product release notes, and attend webinars. This can be accomplished through thoughtful in-app engagements and lifecycle based emails and events that drive understanding.

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I’m always looking to learn more and network with others leading, building, and innovating in Tech Touch/Digital Led. Happy to setup time for several of us to network if there is an interest.


3 replies

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Hi Lane,

We are in the midst of creating a strategy for Digital CS and how we approach this. We already have a high-touch model in place and really want to scale our efforts around tech-touch.

If there are others in the community that have, or are considering this model, then I would be very keen to connect!

Many thanks,

Harri

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I implemented a model like this that combined tech touch via JO and CTAs for a pooled CSM model.  

The one thing I found challenging was how to quantify the success of the program. 

If I had it to do over, I would design a call to action/metric for each email and then, use that to measure the effectiveness.  

So if the purpose of the email was to drive training, then I would want to build out a way to see if that happened post-email. Easier said than done if all the data doesn’t live in Gainsight.  :) 

There’s another post on this that also has some good details:

 

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We currently have an active Pooled Model and are working on automating the renewal outreach to a tech touch model for a specific subset of customers that live in the pooled model. Would love to see any examples from folks who have tried this and hear any do’s/don’ts you’ve uncovered!

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