Pass the baton! Congratulations. Now that your sales team closed a new client, the customer’s next journey into this partnership has started. This starts the important goal shift to retention and expansion. Let’s cover the topic of the critical phase, called the Sales to Customer Success Handoff.
A Sales-to-Customer-Success handoff is the process of transferring a customer from the sales team to the customer success team. Typically introduced to the client after the sale has been made and the customer has agreed to the service contract. Keep in mind that it's also possible to introduce the customer success manager (CSM) before the sale, during the sales process, to the client as a valuable resource. The CSM can begin building a relationship with the customer and get ahead of understanding their specific needs and goals related to the product or service they’re about to purchase.
During the Sales-to-Customer-Success handoff, the sales team should provide the customer success team with all the necessary information and materials to ensure a smooth transition for the customer.
This can include:
• Customer's information: The sales team should provide the customer success team with the customer's contact information, including their name, email, phone number, and any other relevant contact details.
• Agreement details: The sales team should provide the customer success team with a copy of the sales agreement or contract, including any details about the product or service that was sold, as well as any specific terms or conditions related to the sale.
• Customer's expectations: The sales team should provide the customer success team with information about the customer's needs and expectations, and what they hope to achieve by using the product or service.
• Sales history: The sales team should provide the customer success team with a history of the sales interactions and any relevant information about the customer's purchase decision process, this can help the CSM to understand the customer better and develop a tailored approach to their account.
• Ongoing communication: The sales team should also establish a clear communication plan with the customer success team, so that they can stay informed about any ongoing issues or concerns that the customer may have and can address them in a timely manner.
By providing this information, the sales team can help the customer success team to quickly understand the customer's needs and to provide the appropriate level of support and assistance.
Now it’s time to go all in with onboarding and expand! Good luck!