{"id":24172,"date":"2020-07-14T17:32:26","date_gmt":"2020-07-14T16:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/blog\/?p=24172"},"modified":"2024-11-15T16:13:20","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T16:13:20","slug":"top-customer-success-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/blog\/top-customer-success-books\/","title":{"rendered":"The top books every Customer Success Manager should read"},"content":{"rendered":"

Customer success \u2013 every business wants to invest in it but only a few know what it actually entails or how to do it well.<\/p>\n

There are a lot of words that get thrown around with customer success: problems to be solved, implementation, product experts, expansion, strategic partners, technical advisors, proactive versus reactive. But what does all this really<\/em> mean, and how will it help us help our customers be more successful?<\/p>\n

The most effective way I\u2019ve found to deepen my expertise as a customer success manager, to cut through the jargon to real, practical advice, is through reading. Reading can be a magical way \u2013 and no, I\u2019m not just talking about \u201cLord of the Rings\u201d magical \u2013 to upskill, to broaden your knowledge, and to find creative ways to kickstart or level up in your career.<\/p>\n

As an avid reader, I\u2019m often asked by our Customer Success team<\/a> to recommend books that I\u2019ve found valuable. Below I share the three books that have most meaningfully impacted the way I work with customers and that I\u2019d encourage every customer success manager to check out.<\/p>\n

3 must-read customer success books (and a bonus \ud83e\udd13)<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve picked these books for their insight into what customer success can do for your organization and their best practices for understanding what your customers need (versus what they often \u201cwant\u201d) and how to manage your customer relationships at every step.<\/p>\n

“You\u2019ll find wide-ranging advice that\u2019ll help you connect more personally and effectively with your customers”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

No matter where you work or how your customer success team is structured, you\u2019ll find wide-ranging advice that\u2019ll help you connect more personally and effectively with your customers.<\/p>\n

1. The Trusted Advisor<\/em><\/a><\/h3>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

As customer success managers, we are well positioned to serve as customer advocates. While we often influence new sales and expansion opportunities, we rarely do any of the hard selling ourselves. This puts us in the advantageous spot of being a trusted advisor who can build and deepen customer relationships without having them feel like we are \u201conly in it for the contract.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Trusted Advisor<\/em> examines the dynamics of building customers\u2019 trust and organizes them into a simple yet powerful equation. Trustworthiness, they argue, is the result of your credibility, reliability, and intimacy, divided by your self-orientation, or T = (C + R + I) \/ S. Your objective is to prove your knowledge, deliver on your promises, and build an emotional connection with your customers, while minimizing your own interests.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an example of how I\u2019ve applied this equation to my everyday work:<\/p>\n