Overview

The Customer Success Manager (CSM) Certification is designed to help CSMs realize the full potential of the role. The certification proves the skillset necessary to be successful in the role.

After completing the Certification CSMs can continue their learning in areas specific to their focus in terms of industry and product knowledge.

By enrolling in this certification, you agree to the terms outlined in the GE Digital Certification Agreement.

Role Description

The Certified CSM exam is intended for an individual who is currently in a CSM Role and wants to prove out their skillsets. This certification proves the skillsets that are required to be successful in this role. People who complete this certification show their commitment and knowledge in this field.

The candidate for this certification should have at least 6 months experience in the role of a Customer Success Manager.

The CSM Certification is meant for someone currently practicing the role of a CSM and serves as an entry level certification, having end users demonstrate the basic competencies to be successful in the CSM Role.

The candidate should be able to:

• Show competency in Technical Expertise
• Demonstrate knowledge of business acumen
• Demonstrate leadership skills important to the role
• Demonstrate skills related to CSM Fundamentals

Exam Topics & Objectives

Technical Expertise

Weighting 10%

• Explain Enterprise software architecture concepts around: - Principles, Development, Terminology, Best Practices
• Analyze customer business process and identify process improvements through digital transformation execution
• Demonstrate basic awareness of enterprise software including
  • software development vernacular
  • license models (perpetual SaaS etc.)
  • software lifecycle
• Apply customer requirements to actionable work products and recommendations
• Outline current processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency
• Identify and isolate moderately complex scenarios down to actual scenarios in designated job function
• Demonstrate product knowledge including features, limitations and road map and apply to customer
  • Recognize primary competitor offerings in specific product area
  • Recognize product go-to market strategy and positioning
  • Recognize key industry vertical and common business challenges

Business Acumen

Weighting 25%

• Define and articulate customer success criteria
• Conduct people, process and technology gap analysis and outline remediation recommendations
• Demonstrate the ability to establish and manage customer governance
• Generate adoption and outcome enablement strategy and execution plans
• Practice proactive escalation management to deliver customer satisfaction
• Proactive Account Health Monitoring and management to hold mutual accountability
• Demonstrate ability to manage difficult internal/external customer related conversations
• Demonstrate the ability to guide customers during the execution of digital transformation strategies
• Demonstrate proactive Account Health Monitoring and management to maintain mutual accountability for overall account health
• Demonstrate the ability to hold executive-level conversations
• Summarize and conduct VOC feedback sessions to enable actionable follow-up and resolution
• Define and articulate customer success criteria
• Conduct people, process and technology gap analysis and outline remediation recommendations
• Generate adoption and outcome enablement strategy and execution plans
• Define and articulate customer success criteria
• Conduct people, process and technology gap analysis and outline remediation recommendations
• Generate adoption and outcome enablement strategy and execution plans
• Demonstrate the ability to guide customers during the execution of digital transformation strategies
• Identify Upsell/Cross Sell Opportunities and engage commercial team to close identified opportunities

Leadership

Weighting 25%

• Distinguish strategic/high level discussions vs. key action points
• Recognize the audience and ensure conversations are tailored to meet audience type and size
• Demonstrate strong say-do-ratio and conflict resolution w/o overcommitment
• Demonstrate effective and efficient escalation management (proactive and reactive)
• Demonstrate the creation of an open, trusting and collaborative environment when working cross-functionally and with customers
• Identify proper escalation process and contacts for customer issues
• Differentiate between complaint and necessary escalation
• Demonstrate ability to de-escalate a situation
• Practice proactive obstacle identification and management
• Recognize an appropriate accountability goal for a given set of priorities and objectives
• Recognize examples of SMART goals
• Identify appropriate contacts for each scenario
• Collect information on key outcomes and map to final resolution
• Assess new technologies to ensure the most efficient tool is being used
• Interpret feedback and build into overall program
• Demonstrate success in implementing a change management program
• Define and outline core change program components and translate to clear plan

Personal Attributes

Weighting 10%

• Apply active listening skills in a professional setting
• Explain business problem to gain alignment
• Use time during problem definition sharing to ensure everyone is listened to
• Define objectives, problem statements and ambiguities before generating and evaluating solutions
• Identify and formally describe ambiguities and assumptions with key stakeholders
• Construct logically sound arguments based upon facts and metrics
• Outline the value of a disciplined, rigorous and transparent approach to problem solving in a collaborative and matrixed environment
• Demonstrate integrity and trustworthiness
• Describe and communicate how customer groups are thinking and feeling
• Support and contribute to an environment where teams are encouraged to reach beyond themselves and connect across constituent groups
• Relate to the customer and remain at ease in escalation situations
• Demonstrate enthusiasm and perseverance on completion of endeavors
• Generate team spirit and candor to drive results
• Demonstrate passion for helping the customer achieve success
• Outline and articulate critical success factors for the customer
• Identify SMEs to build out realistic steps to achieve critical success
• Outline roadmap to success while aligning expectations
• Recognize how to analyze the audience for a presentation
• Identify the value of knowing the audience for a presentation
• Assess whether the steps in organizing ideas for a presentation have been carried out appropriately in a given scenario
• Match common types of presentations with descriptions

CSM Fundamentals

Weighting 30%

• Apply active listening skills in a professional setting
• Support faster realization of customer outcomes by defining, tracking and supporting in partnership with the customer a business value realization plan
• Explain the foundational skills to be an effective Customer Success Manager:
  • Account Health Monitoring and Management
  • Outcomes and Adoption enablement
  • Maximizing customer time to value
  • Minimizing customer churn
  • Building customer loyalty through reference and up/cross sell opportunities
• Identify common industry terminology
• Define and manage customer journey/lifecycle and experience in partnership with cross functional teams
• Apply the foundational skills required to work efficiently in Gainsight and SFDC including:
  • customize Gainsight and SFDC to work for you
  • memorize basic SFDC and Gainsight terminology, modules and navigation paths
• Recognize how SFDC and Gainsight work together to make CSM work tasks manageable and efficient

About the Exam

• 60 Minutes
• Proctored Exam
• New Registration: USD $200
• Retake Fee: USD $100
• 60 Multiple Choice Questions