One of the key elements of success for customer retention is adoption and usage of the product or solution. By making sure the right customers are using the right functionalities, and seeing value, you will benefit from higher retention rates and customer satisfaction. If your customers paid for your products and are not adopting them well into their business processes, churn rates will increase.
Product adoption efforts are a mix of ongoing Success Programs as well as constant monitoring and applying SuccessPlays when meaningful events are identified.
Here's a typical customer Adoption SuccessBLOC. You can customize it for your own business, but it will give you a good starting point.
Good product adoption translates into high license utilization, usage frequency, use of the high-value features and more. Please keep in mind that different types of products may need only a few of these elements.
Ensure high license utilization
KPI Number of customers below 60% license utilization (for example, not more than 10 customers below 60% utilization)
KPI Average portfolio license utilization (for example, should be more than 70% license utilization)
KPI Number of customers that increase their license utilization in more than 10% in the last 30 days
Ensure high usage frequency of product
KPI DAU/MAU (Daily Active Users / Monthly Active Users)
KPI Number of customers that are using the product at least on a weekly basis
KPI Trend of # of customers that are using the product at least on a weekly basis
Ensure High-Value Feature Adoption
KPI Number of customers that are using [Feature A] “in the right way and frequency”
Ongoing value-driven communication with the customer
KPI Once a quarter business review with customers once onboarding completed
Customers, after onboarding, should be adopting your product
Customers that are no longer in the onboarding stage
Customers with a significant drop in their usage or frequency
Top customers: using your product the most
Low license utilization customers: Less than 60% license utilization
Increase utilization: customers with an increase of more than 10% utilization in the last 30 days
Help your team with company and industry best practices to shorten learning and training time and create consistency across your engagements.
Main feature user manual
“What’s in it for me” document - explain the value of the features that should be used
Q&A document about the main features
Document and automate consistent and structured engagement model for your team during customer adoption.
Low License Utilization
Task Conduct a review with the customer and create a plan to increase utilization
Task AE to be notified to evaluate commercial risk
Low adoption of main features
Task Conduct a training session for the customer team
A significant drop in utilization or frequency
Task Connect with the customer key contact
Task Identify the issues/reasons for the drop.
Task Address the issues discovered. If needed create a mitigation plan
Task Track whether the changes implemented lead to improve utilization
A significant drop in utilization or frequency
Task Reach out to the team to emphasize the value and explore more opportunities
Customers that are no longer in the onboarding stage and filled an NPS
Task Send NPS score
Task Reach out to customers that had negative feedback to address their concern
Re-establish after key user leaves the company
Task Reach out to the team in order to re-establish a connection
Task Identify a new champion
Task Reach out to the old contact to see if there is an opportunity for new sale
Low engagement after onboarding
Segment Adoption customers, 30 days after onboarding
Trigger Key user leaves the company
Task Reach out to the CSM to understand if the team see and get value
Task Identify if a training is missing or product awareness and if so schedule training
Low growth in usage
Task Analyze customer data
Task Engage with the customer for gathering more insights
Task Arrange training if needed
Automated communications on behalf of the company or the customer success manager.
New User Welcome Email
“Welcome [John] to [Company/product]. Here’s what you should be using”
Goal Orienting new users and guiding them to the right features they need to be using
Targeting New users of accounts after onboarding
Drive Feature Usage Email
“You’re missing out on [value]”
Goal Driving feature usage
Targeting Users that are not using a specific feature
Progress/Status Email
“This is what you’ve done/accomplished so far”
Goal Exposing champions to their company usage and value they are getting
Targeting Customer champions
Winback User Email
“We miss you”
Goal Identifying why users stopped using and driving them back to use your product
Targeting Users who were active in your product and recently stopped
Post-Feedback Follow Up Email
“Thank you for sharing your experience with us, we would love to hear more”
Goal Reach out and follow up with users once they share their feedback
Targeting Users who filled in an NPS
