Introduction

As a Head of Customer Success or VP of Customer Success for a B2B SaaS organization, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start and how to set the team up for success. One useful tool to help guide the onboarding process is the 30-60-90 day plan. It can help new VPs of Customer Success build a strong foundation for success.

The first few months in a new role can be challenging, particularly if you’re taking on a leadership role in a fast-paced SaaS organisation. However, having a plan in place can make the transition smoother and set you up for success. The 30-60-90 day plan is a tool commonly used by new VPs of Customer Success to establish priorities and goals for the first few months on the job. In this article, we’ll explore what the plan involves and how it can help you build a strong foundation for customer success.

The First 30 Days

The first 30 days as a VP of Customer Success are critical in setting the stage for future success. During this time, you should focus on getting to know the team, identifying areas for improvement, and developing a plan for customer success.

Setting priorities

The first step in the 30-60-90 day plan is to set priorities for the first 30 days. These priorities should be based on your initial assessments and conversations with the team and key stakeholders. Some potential priorities might include reviewing customer data, identifying areas for improvement in processes or tools, or setting up regular meetings with the team.

Getting to know the team and key stakeholders

During the first 30 days, it’s important to take the time to get to know the customer success team and other key stakeholders in the organisation. This can include conducting one-on-one meetings with team members, attending cross-functional meetings, and building relationships with other departments.

Identifying areas of improvement

Once you’ve had a chance to get to know the team and the organisation, you should begin to identify areas for improvement. This might involve reviewing customer feedback or data to identify patterns or trends, or conducting surveys to gather feedback from customers or the team.

Developing a plan for customer success

Based on your initial assessments and the feedback you’ve gathered, you should develop a plan for customer success. This plan should include specific goals and objectives, as well as strategies for achieving them.

Creating a communication plan

Finally, during the first 30 days, it’s important to establish a communication plan. This might include setting up regular meetings with the team and other stakeholders, establishing channels for feedback and communication, and identifying key metrics to track progress.

The Next 30 Days

Once you’ve established priorities and a plan for customer success in the first 30 days, the next 30 days should be focused on implementation and refinement.

Implementing the customer success plan

During the next 30 days, you should focus on implementing the customer success plan you developed in the first 30 days. This might involve working with other departments to ensure cross-functional collaboration, or developing training materials for the team to ensure everyone is aligned on the goals and strategies.

Identifying gaps in skills or resources

As you begin to implement the customer success plan, you may identify gaps in skills or resources. This might include areas where the team needs additional training or support, or where additional tools or resources are needed.

Continuing to meet with key customers for feedback

During the next 30 days, it’s important to continue to gather feedback

The Final 30 Days

The final 30 days of the 30-60-90 day plan are focused on refining and optimizing the customer success plan, and ensuring that the team is set up for long-term success.

Refining the customer success plan

During the final 30 days, you should focus on refining the customer success plan based on the feedback and results from the previous 60 days. This might involve making adjustments to goals or strategies, or developing new initiatives to address any gaps or opportunities.

Establishing metrics and tracking progress

In order to track progress and measure the success of the customer success plan, it’s important to establish metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). During the final 30 days, you should work with the team to identify the most important metrics and establish processes for tracking and reporting on progress.

Ensuring the team is set up for long-term success

As you approach the end of the 90-day plan, it’s important to ensure that the team is set up for long-term success. This might involve identifying areas where additional resources or support are needed, or developing a roadmap for future initiatives and priorities.

Evaluating progress and planning for the future

Finally, as you wrap up the 90-day plan, it’s important to take stock of your progress and evaluate the impact of your efforts. This might involve conducting a retrospective with the team to identify successes and areas for improvement, or developing a plan for the next 6-12 months based on the insights and feedback gathered during the 90-day period.

Stakeholder Communication

Regular updates with stakeholders are an important part of the 30-60-90 days plan. By keeping stakeholders informed of your progress and any challenges you’re facing, you can ensure that everyone is aligned and working towards the same goals.

Here are some tips for establishing regular updates with stakeholders:

Identify key stakeholders: As part of your 30-60-90 days plan, you should identify the key stakeholders who need to be kept informed of your progress. This might include your boss, the CEO, the board of directors, and other leaders within the company.

Establish a communication cadence: Establish a regular cadence for communication with your stakeholders. This might include weekly check-ins, bi-weekly updates, or monthly reports, depending on the needs and preferences of each stakeholder.

Provide updates on progress: During your regular updates, be sure to provide updates on your progress towards your goals and objectives. Use data and metrics to provide insights into your progress and the impact of your efforts.

Share challenges and roadblocks: Don’t be afraid to share challenges and roadblocks you’re facing, and work collaboratively with stakeholders to find solutions.

Ask for feedback and input: During your updates, be sure to ask for feedback and input from stakeholders. This helps to ensure that everyone is aligned and working towards the same goals, and can help to identify opportunities for improvement.

Celebrate successes: Finally, be sure to celebrate successes and share wins with your stakeholders. This helps to build momentum and support for your efforts, and reinforces the importance of customer success within the company.

Overall, regular updates with stakeholders are an important part of the 30-60-90 days plan. By keeping stakeholders informed and working collaboratively to achieve your goals, you can establish a strong foundation for long-term success in your role as VP of Customer Success.

Developing Product & Domain Knowledge

Developing product knowledge is an essential part of being successful in a customer-facing role such as VP or Head of Customer Success. Understanding your product, its features and limitations, and how it can be leveraged to meet customer needs is critical to effectively guiding customers through their journey with your product.

Having a deep understanding of your product will not only help you better serve your customers but also allow you to identify areas where your product can be improved or optimized to meet customer needs. This, in turn, can help you drive product innovation and growth for your organization.

This might include attending product demos or training sessions, reviewing product documentation, and working closely with product teams to understand upcoming releases and enhancements

Gaining domain knowledge related to customers using the product is also important for product development. Understanding the needs, preferences, and behaviors of the target customers is essential to building a product that meets their needs and provides value. It is important to conduct customer research, such as interviews, surveys, and user testing, to gain insights into the customer’s needs and behaviors. This knowledge can be used to inform product features, design, messaging, and marketing strategy.

Customer Visits

Customer visits can be a valuable part of a VP/Head of Customer Success’s 90-day plan, as they provide an opportunity to gain deeper insights into customer needs and challenges, build relationships, and identify opportunities for improving customer success. The timing of customer visits will depend on a number of factors, such as the size of the customer base, the geographic distribution of customers, and the availability of resources. It may be appropriate to schedule customer visits throughout the 90-day period, with a focus on key accounts or regions that are critical to the success of the business. Identifying the top 25 customers can be a useful exercise in understanding where a company’s revenue and relationships are concentrated.

In general, it’s a good idea to prioritize customer visits based on the potential impact they can have on customer success, as well as the level of engagement and relationship with the customer. Ideally, customer visits should be conducted early in the 90-day period to help inform the development of the customer success strategy and ensure that it aligns with customer needs and expectations.

Conclusion

30-60-90 day plan is a powerful tool for new VPs of Customer Success at SaaS organisations. By setting priorities, gathering feedback, and developing a plan for customer success, you can establish a strong foundation for long-term success. By implementing and refining the plan over the first 90 days, you can ensure that the team is set up for success and that you’re on track to achieve your goals and objectives.