👋 Hello to all of the readers of FunnelStory's latest edition of our newsletter- The Story Corner, Mid-January edition. This edition covers product-led customer success and a few announcements at the very end.
A Happy New Year to all our readers! Another year and an extra day to boot. We hosted a product-led customer success meetup on Jan 18th in Palo Alto to kick-start the year. Given the new year and dark evenings, we were again expecting a moderate registration. We were again surprised to receive over 130 registrations and a full-house attendance.
Our keynote speaker at the meetup was Oren Yaqobi, SVP of Customer Success at Redis. Following is a summary of his talk, followed by the video of his session.
Redis’s Journey from Reactive to Proactive Customer Success
Redis's open-source NoSQL database powers applications across diverse industries with over 10,000 paying customers. This vast landscape presents unique challenges for Oren Yaqobi, Redis's SVP of Customer Success. Unlike traditional SaaS models, Redis's usage extends beyond the confines of a user interface, making traditional user behavior tracking largely ineffective. This complexity is further amplified by the on-premise deployments of Redis, where usage data hinges solely on customer-driven log sharing.
Oren and his team have pioneered a data-driven approach that transforms customer success from a reactive response to a proactive partnership. They have mastered the art of "hacking" customer success by leveraging data analytics from seemingly unconventional sources.
Extracting Actionable Insights from the Data Deluge:
Turning support tickets into early warning systems: By analyzing trends and anomalies within customer support tickets, the team proactively identifies potential issues before they escalate. A sudden ticket surge with a specific error code could signify a technical hurdle, prompting proactive outreach and support.
Automating for efficiency: Recognizing the value of human interaction, Oren's team utilizes automation to handle repetitive tasks like data collection and analysis. This frees up their time for personalized customer engagement, adding a human touch to the data-driven approach.
Transforming insights into action: Data is more than just observations; it's a roadmap to success. Oren emphasizes the importance of deriving actionable insights from the data, tailoring support and guidance to address specific customer needs and drive tangible results.
Turning Crisis into Catalysts for Connection:
Outages, while undesirable, become opportunities for relationship-building. The team embraces these critical moments as catalysts for proactive engagement, offering unwavering customer support and strengthening internal partnerships. This crisis-as-catalyst approach fosters a culture of shared ownership and reinforces the Redis ecosystem's resilience.
Collaboration – The Secret Sauce:
Collaboration is central to Oren's philosophy. He champions close partnerships between customer success, product, and sales teams, ensuring customer needs are heard and translated into product roadmaps and sales strategies. This seamless alignment guarantees that every interaction with Redis, from pre-sales inquiry to ongoing support, contributes to customer success and business objectives.
Oren's ten-year tenure at Redis has crystallized a winning formula:
Alignment: Seamlessly align customer goals with business objectives.
Actionable Insights: Weave data-driven insights into every interaction.
Empowered Connection: Utilize data to empower, not replace, human connection.
These principles form the foundation of Redis's customer success strategy, demonstrating that proactive partnership, fueled by data and collaboration, is the key to navigating the complexities of modern software experiences.
Oren's journey is a testament to the power of resilience and adaptability in customer success. He inspires us to face challenges head-on, prioritize clear communication between teams, and never lose sight of the core goals: serving customers and achieving business objectives. By embracing the data, fostering collaboration, and turning every interaction into an opportunity for connection, organizations can make the transition from reactive to proactive customer success.
