In the exhilarating realm of sales, various roles intertwine to acquire, retain, and build long-term relationships with customers. Two such roles, Customer Success Manager (CSM) and PreSales professional, might initially seem to have disparate responsibilities. However, upon closer inspection, a fascinating overlap in their tasks within the sales cycle becomes apparent.

Here are some thoughts showcasing how the duties of a CSM and a PreSales professional surprisingly align:

💡 Understanding Customers and Needs Analysis:
The PreSales professional delves into potential customers' needs to present tailored solutions.
A CSM conducts similar analyses to grasp existing customers' individual needs and support them with suitable solutions.

📊 Product Presentation and Solution Provision:
The PreSales professional showcases the product or service to potential customers, illustrating how it meets their requirements.
A CSM demonstrates the various applications of the product or service, aiding existing customers in deriving more value from it.

🌱 Customer Retention and Long-Term Success:
The PreSales professional lays the groundwork for a successful customer relationship by convincing potential customers that the product or service aligns with their needs and helps to solve the identified pain points.
A CSM nurtures long-term relationships with existing customers, ensuring they continuously benefit from the product or service and remain satisfied over the long haul.

🤝 Support and Troubleshooting:
Both the PreSales professional and a CSM provide support and aid in problem resolution. While one assists potential customers, the other ensures existing customers receive help with inquiries or difficulties. Though such a sharp separation (pre-/post- PO) is not carved in stone.
At the end, everybody acts as team member and enriches the work of the other.

🚀 Maximizing Customer Value:
A PreSales professional strives to show potential customers how they can derive maximum benefit from the product or service.
A CSM works towards ensuring that existing customers attain the full value and benefit from the solution they anticipate.

Overall, it becomes evident that while their primary tasks lie in different phases of the sales cycle, a Customer Success Manager and a PreSales professional share similar goals: assisting customers in achieving the best possible outcome from the product or service.

Collaboration between these roles can prove highly fruitful, enhancing the understanding of customer needs, facilitating a seamless transition from the lead phase to customer success, and ultimately creating a cohesive experience for customers.

So similar to the the tag team AE & PreSales, the CSM is a perfect member of this tag team, winning the "Royal Customer Tag Team Rumble" 😉

What do you think?