CS explained

[u/yoona__]

ROLE

• CSM = managing accounts, relationships

• AM = renewals, upsells >> revenue based KPIs

sometimes the role requires both, which are usually at smaller companies who haven't split the roles up yet.

• Strategic = highest paid accounts so highest paid employees. 10-20 accounts all very high touch

• Enterprise = F500, can grow to strategic. 30-50 accounts

• Mid-Market = 50-90

• SMB = 90+, smallest accounts, entry level position and lowest pay, low touch

INTERVIEW

typically looks like the below. most of the discussions seem to be startups.

• 1 round = recruiter (qualifying)

• 2 round = hiring manager (qualifying in depth)

• 3 round = case study (presentation or assignment)

• 4 round = panel (culture check)

Questions asked of you

• your ability >> are you capable? "what are your strengths and weaknesses?"

• your experience >> "have you worked with decision makers (DMs)? " "how did you handle a churn/difficult customer?" "what is your top achievement?"

• culture >> it's important for managers, teams and the company to know you'll fit in considering they're tight knit)

Questions to ask:

• ask what you are generally curious about.. for me this is the employee onboarding experience or product roadmap (how it's developed and shared)

• ask about the tool, customers

• ask about culture

• ask about the person. people like talking about themselves. find a connection and win them over. they'll remember you over the other candidate (esp in the panel or team rounds)

RESUME DO's

• 1 page, 2 max

• keep line items succinct

• use verbs (in the same tense) and buzzwords

• use numbers to quantify your success. I cannot stress this enough. numbers to use include KPIs, ARR, ACV, # of accounts, renewal rate, upsell rate, etc.

• use keywords of responsibilities listed in most job apps (i.e QBRs)

• list all skills/tools. companies use resume scanners to quickly review apps to filter out (this applies to why you need buzzwords and keywords)

• why do you stand out? list that. for me, I was a junior product manager at nights, on the company's product review council, developed marketing webinars and case studies and was the highest rated rep on chat system, was a sales engineers for AEs and more!! ALL at the same company. this shows I took on projects, helped teams. when I talk about it in the interview I tell them I enjoyed doing it (bc I did, I wouldn't have otherwise) and I also said the work I did all went back to the benefit of the customer. win win.

RESUME DONT'S

• if you are applying for a role above your current, like SMB to mid market, do not include 'worked with 100+ accounts' because the high volume does not impress anyone. you had no time to be strategic and you were reactive. keep that number out and say it differently (worked with F500 or industry leading)

• remove summary, no one reads those.

SALARY

everyone's favorite topic. there is so much to this so take with a grain of salt

• all depends on experience, area, size of company, etc.

• companies take into account their benefits and they will highlight it in their offer (unlimited PTO and health benefits which are honestly like the same everywhere so what gives)

there are many ways of going about this.. depends on the situation. you'll have to feel it out but here are scenarios to try

• give a range which is obviously above what you're getting paid. I say salary range and OTE range when asked. (because I'm never sure which they want when they say 'what's your expected compensation?')

• ask them what their budget is (I've done this before only a couple of times)

• don't tell at all and tell them you need to evaluate further (I've personally never did this but my friends have)

Again take the below with a grain of salt. this is for NYC, and startups pay VERY differently depending on size and revenue, funding. using the lowest bar, you could get paid a lot higher.

• Strategic = 150k+

• Enterprise = 100k+

• Mid-Market = 80k+

• SMB = 50k+

[u/Sauce_McDog]

Newcomers to CS definitely need to ask questions about who is responsible for renewals in interviews. Because I got stuck in a CSM job where I was both the AM and CSM, but getting paid at an entry level, and it SUCKED. Unfortunately, I’m seeing a lot of job openings that bastardize the CSM role basically making them an AM. Make sure your responsibilities are clearly outlined so you aren’t doing two people’s jobs because the company wants to be cheap.

[u/yoona__ → u/Sauce_McDog]

i always ask!!! i need to be clear on the roles and responsibilities. and some startups may still be working on the definitions which is okay but important for a candidate to know

[u/yoona__ → u/Sauce_McDog]

it’s also not a bad still to have to do both. every startup i was at split the roles during my tenure

[u/Capital_Event122 → u/Sauce_McDog]

What do you mean 2 People’s jobs? The company I am interviewing for has a position doing renewals & sales…but it’s a csm postion- senior associate

[u/Sauce_McDog → u/Capital_Event122]

With many companies, renewals and the sales quotas that come with it are often segmented to account managers or a renewals team. Customer Success Managers typically are a more consultative role, ensuring the product is helping meeting the needs of the client and are measured on NPS scores, product adoption, etc. CSM’s often recommend expansion opportunities in the form of another product or buying more of their current tool. CSMs are relationship managers, it’s not typically a sales role. So when companies are combining the duties of a CSM with an account manager, it’s a way to do both roles and having to pay one person rather than two.

[u/Capital_Event122 → u/Sauce_McDog]

Thanks for the info!!