Allow end users to send emails to segments of customers at scale

Related products: None

It would be nice to allow end-users to be able to send a message to multiple customer contacts across their book of business. Could be allowing access to segments that the Admin grants permission to.

Use cases include sending an update to customers on an upcoming event, or targeting customers based on some data point to receive information particularly relevant to them. 

 

I made an updated version of this request based on Simple Journeys, but it is the same feature request.

Here are the details:
 

As a CSM / CS Leader, I want access to the new Simple Journeys feature for my book of business so that I can more easily communicate with my entire book of Customers.

 

Requirements

  • Access would need to be limited to only the Companies and Contacts to which a user is associated as their [(CSM) - (CS Leader) - (AM - Sales) - (PM - Product)]
  • Tokenized email capabilities (JO Simple Programs, essentially)
  • Reporting interface accessible at a user level
    • Opens 
    • Click throughs
    • Bounces
  • Check box field at a Contact level that designates a contact as Do Not Contact using mass communications.
  • GS Admin ability to enable or disable the feature in the instance, by segment, by user type.
    • Potential use case of only CS Leaders having access to the tool in an organization.
  • 2.0:  Ability to schedule recurring templates as a user for my customers.
    • Use case: Usage reporting based on customer’s needs and priorities; better usage report = better visibility and better usage over time.

Context

  • Currently, Simple Journeys is only available for certain admin level roles within Gainsight.
  • A CSM has to be an effective communicator. Currently, I have to manage all of my customer communication at a 1:1 level using Gmail/Outlook
  • I can use GS templates but it is still incredibly manual and tedious and all done outside of Gainsight.
  • The goal of this feature is to truly make Gainsight the software users live out of to empower their customers.

 

Use Cases

  •  CSM
    • Send content and communication out to my customers en masse; allowing me to share product insights, best practice content, and other important information to established personas and contacts efficiently across my customer base.
    • Greatly improve both CSM efficiency and efficacy as they increase their ability to communicate and connect with customers.
    • Include reporting capability into the body of the templates and CSMs could easily create a custom usage dashboard for 
  • CS Leader
    • Regional communications about key initiatives, product updates, important/urgent company level comms.
    • Particularly useful if CS Directors play a largely customer facing role (attending EBRs and other meetings, managing escalated risks, etc.) as it can keep them as a more regular face in the relationship.
    • Thought Leadership communication with any customers of a certain type chosen with filterable fields.
  • Renewal Sales
    • Send reports / tables that house usage or renewal information to my customers with a renewal within xx amount of days; more easily automate this process
    • Filter existing customers and contacts to a particular Product, use case, persona type, willingness for advocacy, etc. to find a connection for a potential prospect.
  • Product Manager
    • Filter existing customers and contacts to a particular Product, use case, persona type, willingness for advocacy, etc. to reach out to as a potential beta tester of a feature, and do so en masse.

Problems Improved/Solved

  • Improve CSM efficacy by allowing them to think of and execute on how to to better help their customers at scale.
  • Encourage frontline team members to create effective content that can be templatized and used at scale. 
  • Gather campaign data to determine which templates are working most effectively, allowing continued iteration on journeys and workflows to improve the customer experience.
  • Contact cleanliness and management will happen naturally as a result of teammates communication efforts. The proper gathering of personas and needed contacts at a customer will be prioritized because it will be in view regularly. 
  • Possible PX integration to insert a pop-up for my customers into the product as a CSM.

This would be extremely helpful. Today, Salesforce users can make a list of contacts and mass email them with templates in about 3 steps. With a small admin team we can’t always support each request in as quickly a manner as they need and I’m having a hard time convincing stakeholders to keep messages in Gainsight for visibility when it’s extremely time consuming for them to go account by account to send an email, especially for our users that have high account ratios.