Scaling Your Business Through Existing Customers
A few years ago, I had the privilege of hosting an event with Darshan Jain and Chelsea Madden where we talked about growth opportunities from existing customers. There were a lot of excellent questions from an engaged audience, as well, and this article will present to you the discussion we three had.
Hope you enjoy our conversation about scaling your business from your existing customer base.
Click to jump to a section: Customer Retention | Trusted Advisor Evolution | How To Earn That Trust | Lessons Learned
Tom: Darshan, how about you go first and do a quick intro?
Darshan: Sure. Thanks, Tom. I’m Darshan Jain, and, I’m with Blue Prism looking after their industry, especially focused on financial services and, insurance and banking. When those of you that don’t know Blue Prism, it’s all about digital labor. We were the ones that created the category, of, what today is called RPA or intelligent automation.
And, we continue to lead in certain sectors of that. Really thrilled to be here, Tom.
Chelsea: Hi, everybody. I’m Chelsea Madden. I’m the VP of customer success at SalesIntel. We are a sales intelligence platform and help, sales and marketing professionals, identify the right companies and the right contacts at the right time.
We’re also the reason why you potentially get some spam calls, but, all is good and and love and more. Super excited to be here, Tom.
Tom: Fantastic. Well, so today is talking about growing your customers, you know, scaling your business through growing your customers. And, you know, the sub theme to this is turning your customer success and account facing teams into trusted advisors.
And, you know, why is it important today to grow through your existing customers? Well, the econonmy can bring many uncertainities, which trickles down to adjusted goals for teams inside your organization.
But related to that, expanding an existing customer can be quite difficult. But they already have an amount of trust in you, so it should be easier to upsell vs. acquiring a net-new customer.
So, today’s conversation is all about growing your business through existing customers. The sub-theme we’re focusing on is turning your customer success and account-facing teams into trusted advisors
Darshan, Chelsea, I’ll start things off with this: what trends are you seeing in the marketplace in terms of a greater emphasis on existing customers given these factors?
Customer Retention
Darshan: Sure, I’ll go first, Tom. It’s definitely a truth that it’s easier to work with existing customers than to go find new logos. Getting new customers requires a lot of effort. But unfortunately, after we sign a contract or sell something to a customer, we often neglect them. Once they’re onboard, they’re passed off, and sometimes, no one is actively looking after them. It’s like we move on to the next conquest.
The truth is, it’s much easier to grow relationships with existing customers if we just put in the effort. Of course, we still need to acquire new customers, but focusing on your existing base can yield much higher returns. This especially applies when you work with large global brands. If you secure one division or business unit, there’s huge potential to expand within that same organization into other business units or geographies. I believe existing customers are the key to growth, and we should focus our efforts on maximizing those relationships.
Chelsea: I completely agree with that. From a customer success perspective, my philosophy is that your customer’s success is your success. If customers see value in your products or services and understand the return on investment (ROI), they’ll keep coming back. But the true ROI comes from serving and supporting their needs. When there’s uncertainty in the market, you want your customers to know you’re there for them no matter what.
As the business climate shifts, more companies will need to focus on retaining and growing their existing customers. New business may slow down, but if you can engage your current customers, it’s a different kind of cycle to focus on. The challenge, however, will be how to drive that engagement effectively. In startups, we’ve seen that Net Revenue Retention (NRR) is becoming the key metric for growth. This is something private equity and venture capitalists are paying close attention to, and it’s clear that businesses need to retain their customers and grow their evangelists. This is crucial for early-stage companies to focus on.
Tom: You know, Chelsea, I remember when you told me a while back that you really “wrap your arms around your customer,” and I’ve kept that in mind ever since. It’s a great strategy, and it’s really helped me reflect on how to approach customer relationships.
Now, when it comes to growing customers, we already have a foothold in their business. We know their operations, and we’ve established relationships. But to truly grow—not just through additional licenses or custom projects—we need to solve bigger, more strategic problems. The question is: How do we get a seat at the table to have those strategic growth conversations with our customers? How do we elevate those relationships to a level where we’re helping them address their most critical challenges?
Navigating Tactical vs. Strategic Conversations
Tom: I’ll start with you, Chelsea. Leading a Customer Success (CS) organization, I see that our teams tend to gravitate toward more tactical features, functions, and tech support. They get stuck in the weeds with these topics. We often struggle to shift into more strategic conversations. I’m curious—have you seen this as a challenge in your career as well? How do we break out of that rut and get to the strategic table?
Chelsea:
Definitely, Tom. I think you’re in the majority here, not the minority. What we do at SalesIntel is a bit different from other places I’ve worked. We’ve implemented a two-to-one model. We have a Customer Success Manager (CSM) who focuses on the tactical components: ensuring product adoption, checking if users are hitting the right buttons, and confirming that they understand all the features. Then, we have a separate Account Management team that handles the strategic side of things. They take on executive business reviews (EBRs), regularly ask tough questions, and focus on uncovering pain points through continuous discovery.
From a business perspective, as both of you know, vulnerability is huge. Customers are reluctant to admit problems or even raise concerns early on. These things don’t come out during the first call. It’s like peeling an onion—you have to ask the hard questions and continuously engage with them to truly uncover their needs. That’s how we create that bond and establish a strategic relationship—we’re offering insights, connections, and providing value beyond just the technical product.
Darshan:
Building off what you said, Chelsea, I’ve noticed a similar struggle in our CS team. They’re wonderful people who know the product inside and out, but they end up stuck in the technical weeds. Customers are only willing to share pain points if they’re tied to a product issue. When we reach out, the conversation usually revolves around technical concerns: “That feature doesn’t work,” or “I’m getting errors,” which leads us back to discussing specific product functionalities.
In the SaaS software world, customers—whether small or global—are conditioned by vendors to focus on technical aspects. We set the tone by saying, “How’s the product working? Did you upgrade to the latest version?” As a result, customers expect that same focus on feature functionality. In these monthly cadence calls, we rarely hear, “What were you trying to do when you used this feature? What’s the bigger problem you’re trying to solve?” We’ve created this cycle where we’re forced into technical conversations, and customers don’t realize there could be a more effective solution if we took a broader approach.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say a customer reaches out for help with an OCR feature in our product. They’re struggling to scan the bottom paragraph of a fax. They’re stuck on a specific technical solution: “How can I get the software to read this part of the fax?” If we stay in this tactical conversation, we’ll give them the technical workaround—like adjusting the box around the text or changing resolution settings.
But if we ask, “Why are you trying to do this?” they might explain that they’re using fax technology to bring data into their system. Now we can provide a more strategic solution: instead of working with a fax, they can use an API to get the data directly into the system without needing to OCR the fax at all.
This is an example of what Chelsea mentioned earlier—getting customers to see the bigger picture. Customers might have spent three months trying to solve a micro-problem without realizing there was an easier, more effective solution. But shifting that focus takes skill and patience. The key challenge is that some CS teams aren’t equipped to pivot from the tactical to the strategic, and that’s where internal discussions need to happen. We need to figure out how to have bigger conversations with our customers—not just fix their immediate technical issues.
Related: 9Lenses helps technology companies systemize their selling
Vendor vs. Trusted Advisor: The Need for Evolution
Tom: What I’m hearing from both of you is that, in the end, customers often see us as just a vendor. Vendors are replaceable. We’re there to solve problems, and once the problem is solved, the relationship may fade until the next issue arises. That’s where the risk of churn comes in, and it limits the opportunity for growth.
To truly evolve into trusted advisors, we need to step beyond technical support. If we don’t, we lose the ability to expand our relationships with customers.
So, the question is: What do our customers actually need from us? We’re solving technical issues, but what do they truly require in order to trust us as strategic partners?
Chelsea, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Chelsea: I love working with startups, as they’re often at the forefront of challenges and growth. What I’ve learned from my experience is that I always try to approach customer interactions with curiosity. I ask a lot of questions, as understanding their needs is essential.
At the end of the day, it’s not just about product functionality; it’s about solving their business problems. If they can see value in our solutions and understand the ROI, they will continue to partner with us. But it’s not just about answering their technical queries—it’s about elevating the conversation to strategic levels. Helping customers understand how our solution impacts their business goals is key to creating long-term value.
What I’ve found from all my conversations with customers, particularly in our business at SalesIntel, is that we support a broad spectrum of clients—from SMBs to large enterprises. A significant portion of our focus is on early-stage companies, including angel-funded startups and Series A and B companies. A lot of these individuals are wearing multiple hats they’ve never had to before. They’re exploring every avenue to make their business work. Their goal is clear: failure is not an option.
As a result, they have tons of questions but often don’t know who to ask, how to ask, or where to get help. I think that’s true for all of our customers—they’re looking for guidance. You’re the subject matter expert, Darshan, and customers need you to help them navigate the quickest and most efficient way to solve their challenges—like how to get instructions from their customers into their system. They may have spent hours or even months trying to figure it out, but all they really need is someone who can say, “I’ve got you.”
Darshan: What they’re craving is not just technical help—they want business guidance. They want recommendations, a clear path forward, or introductions that can help. They need to feel supported, that you’re giving them your time, energy, knowledge, and expertise. This is where true relationships are built. You’re actively listening, asking the right questions, and using their feedback to help them grow. It almost feels like a therapy session at times, but it’s incredibly valuable.
I’ve had so many customers tell me, “I really enjoyed our conversation.” And I feel the same way!
Tom:
Chelsea, I think what’s unique about what you’ve done is that your team has taken an advisory approach. It’s not just about discussing technical features—your team knows that they can handle the technical details. Instead, you’ve elevated the conversation to business strategy—helping customers with go-to-market plans, sales playbooks, or even how to build a CS team. You’ve provided startup coaching to help businesses thrive, not just solved their immediate product issues.
I remember you mentioned jumping on one-on-one calls with customers to provide this type of support. You weren’t just answering technical questions—you were helping them think through their business challenges. That’s a level of support that goes beyond traditional customer success.
Darshan:
I can relate to that, Tom. One of the key things I’ve learned in my career is the importance of understanding the language of your customer. You have to speak their language—whether they’re a startup or a global enterprise. For example, when working with startups, Chelsea, you know what pain points they’re going through. You’ve been in their shoes and understand what’s coming next—Series A, B, C funding, and beyond. You know how to anticipate their needs and challenges, and that makes you an incredibly valuable resource.
In our case, at digital labor and automation, we often work with large enterprises. We talk about improving customer experiences, enhancing the employee journey, or creating efficiencies. But to truly be effective, you have to understand the specific challenges your customer is facing, whether that’s in supply chain, logistics, healthcare, or finance. You need to know about the industry they’re in. If you only focus on your product, you become a one-dimensional vendor. That’s when customers stop seeing you as a trusted partner and only ask for help with specific features.
The more you know about their business and their industry, the more you can contribute to the conversation. For example, I might learn that Walmart has a dismal Q2 forecast for retail. When I have a call with Amazon, which operates in a similar space, I can draw insights from Walmart’s performance to make the conversation more relevant and valuable. Knowing the business context is key.
The second point I’d emphasize is about relationship-building. It’s not just about exchanging information. Customers want to work with people they like and respect. It’s simple, but it’s often overlooked. You need to be open, honest, and transparent with them. As customer success professionals, we don’t have all the answers, but we can find solutions and get back to them.
I’ve had customers say, “I really appreciate your efforts to get back to me by the end of the day.” That’s how you build trust—by being reliable and following through. Over time, that builds a strong relationship, and that’s how you move from being a vendor to a trusted advisor. You’re showing them that you have their best interests at heart.
Chelsea, you mentioned vulnerability earlier, and I think it’s crucial for building relationships. We can’t know everything, but if we admit that and show we’re willing to learn, customers will appreciate that honesty. It’s a foundational piece of any strong relationship.
Earning the Trusted Advisor Role
Tom:
To wrap up, we know that customers need technical support, but at some point, they also need business guidance. They may come to us with problems that are tangential to the product we provide—such as scaling their sales teams or addressing churn—and that’s where the value of being a trusted advisor shines. They may not even know that we can help them in these areas, but once we start these strategic conversations, we can uncover ways to make a bigger impact.
As you both mentioned, being a trusted advisor requires not just answering questions but also helping customers think through bigger business challenges. And this is where the true value of customer success lies—guiding customers to success, not just through product features but also through strategic business insights.
The third step in the framework is the solution. After you’ve assessed the situation and advised the customer on the next steps, the next critical phase is providing them with the right solution—whether that’s through your software, services, or even connecting them with someone else who can help. So, to recap, the three key parts of the framework are: assess, advise, and solution.
Now, as I mentioned earlier, our platform at 9Lenses powers this process. We’ve built what we call a customer advisory platform to help you assess your customers more effectively. The goal is to use technology to streamline the assessment process. I remember when we were onboarding you, Chelsea, and you said, “I need to put all my expertise into software so my team can assess our customers, rather than calling me every single time.” You’ve been through it. You know the questions to ask and the advice to share, so why not put it into a platform to help scale the process?
With that in mind, Chelsea, I’d love for you to share more about the assessment tool that you built to help your team assess customers consistently and effectively.
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Building Scalable Customer Assessments
Chelsea:
Absolutely, Tom. To your point, I was getting involved in a lot of conversations with customers, and I noticed the same questions coming up repeatedly. I realized there was a clear gap in resources. There was no tool or resource out there to help companies assess where they were in terms of scalability, especially in areas like sales, marketing, and customer success.
So, it was a bit of an epiphany moment—we needed to build something ourselves. We created an assessment focused on five key areas of sales and marketing, covering the entire sales cycle. It goes from human capital to systems, to top of funnel, bottom of funnel, and even post-acquisition.
We designed a series of questions around common pain points customers often bring up, like:
- “I’m underperforming here.”
- “Can you help me with growth?”
- “I’m having problems in marketing, but my sales are fine.”
Once customers go through this assessment, it helps identify the areas where they need the most help. Based on their responses, we connect them with self-help resources for the specific challenges they’re facing. This is really important because many people want to try solving problems on their own before reaching out for outside help.
Then, as a next step, we want to put these customers into cohorts—to make introductions to non-competitive businesses that are successful in areas where they may be struggling. For example, if a company is doing well with marketing but struggling with sales, we could connect them with another business that excels in sales but could use some help with marketing. This way, both companies can help each other grow.
In essence, our assessment is about determining where a company stands on the spectrum of scalability and identifying where they can improve. The added value here, Tom, is that we provide a list of follow-up questions for our customer success managers (CSMs) and account managers to ask during these conversations. These questions aren’t just random—they’re designed to guide the conversation deeper, helping them better understand the client’s needs. This process trains the CSMs to ask the right questions and gives them the resources to respond confidently. It’s about empowering them to become experts in their own right.
When our team has these conversations, it’s not just, “Let me talk to Chelsea.” It’s now, “I’m confident in having this conversation myself because I’ve been equipped with the tools and knowledge I need.”
This process has been a labor of love, and we’re excited about launching it. So far, the feedback from our beta launch has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’re looking forward to seeing it scale.
Creating Scalable Assessments
Tom:
Darshan, you had a similar approach, right? You recognized that a simple spreadsheet just doesn’t scale, and you wanted to create a more robust experience around it.
Darshan: Before we dive into the assessment, Chelsea, you mentioned earlier that your assessment covers the entire go-to-market cycle. From my perspective, Tom, before you can even create an effective assessment, you need to be an authority. You have to know your business, your product line, and your industry. I call it a framework—a structure to guide your thinking.
In our case, we’ve built a robotic operating model, which is foundational to our approach. We believe that for digital technology to be successful, you must have elements of this model embedded in your company. Our company has spent decades refining this model. It’s not the product alone that makes you successful, but the elements of the robotic operating model. Our product, in essence, is the implementation of that model.
So, having this framework in place is crucial. Once you have the framework, you can assess where your customers stand. Chelsea, in your case, you empowered your sales team to ask the right questions. What we did, Tom, was a little different. We went directly to the customer with a more hands-on approach.
We said, “Hey, it’ll take about 15-20 minutes, and it’s not too onerous, but it’s pretty straightforward. Here’s a link. Go complete this assessment.” This assessment covers seven key topics, each with multiple questions—some topics have two questions, others may have five. In total, there are about 25-30 questions. Once the assessment is completed, the customer gets a report.
But here’s where it gets interesting. We realized we didn’t know who was answering these questions. Was it the technical guy, the department head, or the CIO? Chelsea, I’m sure you’ve found this too—depending on who you talk to, the answers can vary. So, we decided to take a group approach.
Instead of relying on just one set of answers, we asked for responses from multiple people on the team. We wanted a composite view that represented different perspectives.
Once we gathered enough responses, we would have a composite score. We’d then go back to the customer and say, “Here’s your score.” It wasn’t just about giving them a number. It was about contextualizing that score. For example, a score of 3.2 might be lower than the median of 3.5. But instead of simply saying, “You scored a 3.2, that’s bad,” we’d say, “Here’s where you stand in comparison to other customers. Best practices would put you at a 4.5. Now, let’s talk about why that is and how you can improve.”
The goal wasn’t just to give feedback; it was to spark a conversation. We’d ask questions like, “How does this score reflect your expectations?” and, “Is this where you think you should be?” We’d use those insights to guide the discussion, sometimes leading to deeper dives into specific areas. And if the conversation got too deep, we’d schedule a follow-up meeting. This wasn’t just about checking boxes; it was about having a meaningful dialogue.
This process helped us move away from the vendor relationship. Instead of just providing tech solutions, we were discussing big-picture topics like corporate governance and customer experience—topics that are important to businesses at a strategic level. The discussions were rich and focused on what really mattered, not just what the product could do.
Empowering Teams and Building Trust Through Assessment
Tom:
What’s fascinating here is that once the assessment is in software, it becomes scalable. It’s no longer about having the expert—whether it’s you, Chelsea, or you, Darshan—being the sole engine behind the assessment and the recommendations. Now, anyone on your team can deliver the assessment. They can invite customers into the experience, get them to take the assessment, and then have a data-driven conversation with them.
The beauty of the framework is that it levels up the entire team. Whether it’s a customer success manager or an account manager, everyone is equipped to start these conversations. And once the customer takes the assessment, you have immediate insights to discuss. It’s not just, “Hey, let’s chat.” Now, it’s about, “Let’s discuss your results and how we can help you improve.”
So, Part One of the framework is the assessment itself. Part Two is the conversation. The assessment provides structured insights that open the door for a deeper discussion with your customers. It creates the space to talk about their business challenges in ways that wouldn’t have been possible through a typical 30-minute Zoom call. The key here is that the assessment allows the customer to open up about things they might not have shared otherwise. It sets the stage for a more meaningful exchange.
And that’s where the real growth happens. After that conversation, you walk away with prioritized problems that your customer wants to solve, with or without your technology. Whether it’s customer experience, data governance, or something else, you now have clarity on what their real needs are. And that’s the true value of this framework. When you get the customer’s permission to engage in this way, that’s when the magic happens. The assessment provides the permission to dive deeper. It gives you the credibility and trust to talk about things that truly matter to their business.
Navigating the Discovery and Advisory Process
Tom:
And again, sometimes it’s a matter of, “Is this your pain? Is this your pain?” They’re a little cagey at times, and no one wants to admit, “I don’t know.” Even if they’re a big logo, they might be unsure about certain things. But once they’ve completed the assessment, and we assure them that it’s always confidential—so we don’t know exactly who said what, just the composite view—now it’s like, “Oh, I see where I stand.”
Now, they’re seeing themselves and thinking, “I’m ahead of my peers!” It opens up a whole new conversation. And that’s the beauty of it. Chelsea, for your customers, when some are doing better than others, you want to know what makes them successful, so you can sprinkle a little bit of that “pixie dust” onto the others, or at least connect them in ways that work.
That’s the essence of it, right? You assess, and then you advise. The advisory phase is about having that discovery dialogue, respecting where the customer is in their journey, and where they want to go next. One thing I always remind customers is that there are no wrong answers. Even if you score a 2 on a 5-point scale, that’s perfectly okay. It’s just a snapshot of where you are in your journey. The important thing is: What’s your ambition? Do you want to get to a 3? Or do you want to skip ahead to a 5?
Once we know their goals, we can engage all of our resources and help them create a plan that meets their timeline and goals, and then work together to put that plan into practice.
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Darshan:
I love that. It’s a similar strategy to what we’ve applied as well. One thing we noticed when evaluating the assessments from our customers is that it wasn’t that they were failing in all areas. In fact, there were some strong areas where they were excelling that we could champion for them. We could cheerlead for them, saying, “Look, you’re doing well here. You know your stuff.”
That positive reinforcement makes them feel good, right? It boosts their confidence.
Tom:
Absolutely. When something’s broken, you don’t focus on the broken parts alone. You focus on what’s working, and then you build on that. It’s all about keeping the momentum high. You identify the successes and build from there. That’s how you sustain progress.
Chelsea:
Exactly. And the focus should always be on what’s working, not just on what’s broken. You want to keep that momentum moving forward. And then, when you look at where you’re successful, you ask yourself, “Why is this area successful? Are we holding ourselves more accountable in this space? Do we have stronger leadership or subject-matter experts in these areas?”
If you understand why things are working well, you can replicate that success in other areas where you’re struggling. It’s about identifying the successes and learning from them to drive improvement in the challenges. This kind of investigation helps you grow.
Tom:
Exactly. It’s not just about identifying what’s wrong. It’s about recognizing what’s going well, and then driving more of that success. That’s what this process enables—the ability to learn and grow from what’s already working.
From Discovery to Solution: Moving the Needle
Tom:
And that’s really the beauty of the process, right? You’re both taking your customers through the same journey, and the value is in the conversation. The discussion is elevated and becomes more business-oriented, and you’re speaking directly to the problems they’re trying to solve.
The problems may not always be about a robot issue, or a specific data problem, but they’re about go-to-market strategies, customer experiences, or other business challenges. It’s relevant to them, it’s in their language, and it’s solving their problems at their level.
And, as you mentioned before, Darshan, the reach you gain is another key benefit. It’s hard to be relevant to your customer’s senior leadership, but this approach brings them into the dialogue because you’re discussing the things they care about in a language they understand. You’re speaking their language.
The final step of the framework is solutioning. After the assessment and the advisory conversation, the goal is to start offering solutions—whether it’s selling more products, making introductions, or providing advice and resources. Each of you has a different perspective on the solution, but it all comes together in the same place, right? This is where the real growth happens.
Darshan:
That’s right, Tom. For us, the solutioning part varies. Sometimes, it’s as simple as training a customer’s team on how to use our software, or helping them identify their ideal customer profiles. Other times, it’s making an introduction to someone in our network who can help them solve a problem we might not be the best expert on. Or, maybe we provide a list of resources that have helped us over the years.
The key takeaway is that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Every customer’s journey is unique, and their challenges are specific to their company. But the framework guides them through it, helping them move forward in a meaningful way.
Chelsea:
Exactly. No two customers have the exact same solution. It’s not a cookie-cutter approach. Everyone’s situation is different, and the solutions must be tailored to their unique needs and context.
Tom:
And that’s the beauty of it. The personalization is what sets this approach apart. It’s about identifying what’s working and building on that, not following a rigid, predefined solution. You’re not pushing them to hit every milestone at the exact same time. You’re guiding them based on their unique journey.
Connecting the Dots with Cohorts
Darshan:
Another interesting aspect of this is the cohort model. You can group your customers into specific cohorts based on shared challenges or successes. These customers can talk amongst each other, share ideas, and learn from each other. Whether it’s success loves company, or misery loves company, customers can learn from others who are experiencing the same problems or successes.
Chelsea:
That’s right. By putting customers into cohorts, you make the learning process more collaborative. When customers see others struggling with similar challenges or excelling in certain areas, it fosters a sense of community and collaboration. They feel like they’re not alone in their journey.
Tom:
Absolutely. And it’s also about connecting the dots. Sometimes, customers need to hear from others who’ve faced similar challenges, and they need a safe space to discuss it openly. That’s where the cohort model is really powerful.
Darshan:
Yes, and I completely agree. Every customer’s corporate culture is different, so no two solutions are the same. But by following a structured approach—assessing, advising, and solutioning—we’re able to tailor the conversation and help our customers grow in meaningful ways.
Final Steps: Turning the Process into Action
Chelsea:
In the next monthly cadence call as a follow-up, we’ll present this Gantt chart with a high-level view to see if it was governance, infrastructure, customer experience—whatever the big topic may be. Then we’ll have specific actions that either they need to take, with us playing the role of holding them accountable like good partners do, or we’ll say, “Hey, that’s on us. We’ll bring in the right experts to work with your technical team, customer success team, etc.”
Those actions will have timelines—this thing is going to take two weeks, a month, whatever it is. And we’ll present it to them, saying, “Here’s what we’ve come up with. What do you think?” Sometimes, Darshan, we get feedback like, “I like these three actions, but I want to move this around,” and that makes the session very interactive. It’s a collaborative effort to build this Gantt chart together.
Then, we’ll define milestones: What does success look like? We’ll report on progress, and then it’s something they can take back to their boss and to the boss’s boss.
So, we’ve gone from a simple question like, “Do you want to buy more bots?” to walking through this entire process, and now we’re talking about the next six months of their journey—helping solve the problems they face to accelerate their success.
Darshan:
I love how you framed it. It’s about building on their success, figuring out what’s working and leveraging that to move forward. When necessary, connecting them to peers who can help.
We’ve now completely turned the conversation around. Customers are saying, “Wow, this is the first time we’ve talked beyond just features and functionality.” That’s feedback we’ve received from customers who have been working with Blue Prism for years. This whole approach has completely changed the conversation, and it’s incredibly valuable.
It’s about building a framework, showing your authority, capturing everything in a platform that’s automated (because you can’t be everywhere), and having a process to turn that around and execute against the action plans. And that, to me, is gold. You can’t get anything better than that.
Tom:
You did a fantastic job of summarizing why this works. Both of you have gone down this journey, slightly different variations—working with different sets of customers at different stages. But I think anyone considering how to improve their customer success program should look at this and ask: How can we be more strategic? How can we be more advisory-oriented? How can we consult our clients, not just talk to them about the platform, technology, or service we’re providing?
This framework works whether you’re using our technology or someone else’s. It’s scalable, which I think is the beauty of it. A lot of good ideas fail because they can’t scale. But this framework is scalable and helps move the needle in a way that grows the business.
Before we wrap up, are there any last lessons you’d like to share with those considering implementing this kind of approach?
Lessons Learned: Starting Earlier and Iterating
Darshan:
If I had to do it all again, Tom, I’d start earlier. Instead of doing things in pieces, I’d try to implement it all at once and get out to the pilot customers way quicker. But you know what? I’m thrilled with the success we’ve had so far. I couldn’t have imagined all of this from the beginning.
At the start, you do a little bit, then you realize there’s more to do, then you get feedback from customers, and you tweak things. It’s been a learning journey, but I’d say, start earlier.
Take a look at other examples in your industry, find something that might work as inspiration, and then look inward to identify the expertise that you bring—whether you’re a product company or a services company, you need something special about your proposition.
Then, code that expertise into a framework of some kind and make that an assessment. The rest falls into place from there, like Chelsea and I just mentioned. Lesson learned: Start earlier.
Chelsea:
I completely agree. I was going to say the same thing—start earlier. As soon as you feel like something is working, don’t wait—start rolling it out.
The process is iterative. No one’s done this before, right? It’s unique to what we do, and there’s no playbook for building this kind of advisory capability into your customer success program. Some companies try to patch things together with Excel or other tools, but rolling it out at an organizational level involves a lot—change management, expertise, and customer feedback.
We’ve been down this journey several times now, and we still learn every single time. But the moment you get the first beta customers, that’s when the light bulbs go off, and those big smiles from customers—the ones giving you great feedback—that’s when you know you’re on the right track.
