How can you grow a global customer advocacy program that highlights your facilitates customer growth, word of mouth marketing and brand development?
Join Lauren Olerich, International Marketing, Gainsight and Laura O’Neill, Customer Marketing Associate, Gainsight on September 8, 7:00am - 8:00am PT as they deep dive on issues such as utilizing one-to-many campaigns to enable advocacy across segments, creating a customer reward program that works, and more.
3. Todays Agenda
Why Advocacy is Important to Customer Success
Gainsight’s Global Advocacy Program
Foundations of a Global Customer Advocacy Program
1
2
3
4. Why is Advocacy Important
to Customer Success?
Customer Marketing Associate
Laura O’Neill
6. Why is Advocacy important?
Advocacy is important to retain customers and
increase customer lifetime value.
Advocacy is a very powerful component of the sales
cycle.
Advocacy creates strong business partnerships and
broadens personal business connections.
7. Logo Approval Customer Content Sales References
Referrals Speaking Engagements
Customer Advisory
Boards
Product Reviews
Social Sharing
Types of Customer Advocacy
10. Foundations of A Global
Customer Advocacy Program
Director of International Marketing
Lauren Olerich
11.
12.
13. • No Slogan
• Product is not unique
• 40+ year old company
Their Challenge:
Make buying coffee a
unique experience to set
them apart from the
competition.
14. • Ranked one of the
most valuable global
brands
• More than just a
“coffee shop”
• Focus on community
• Digital experience
15. • Strong loyalty program
• Brand authenticity
• True to heritage
• Global recognition
• Social conscience
• Locally designed
stores
• Innovative products
16. They stay longer, buy more, and
continually increase awareness and
interest through word of mouth.
Advocates are Stronger Customers
17. They stay longer, buy more, and
continually increase awareness and
interest through word of mouth.
• Tell internal colleagues and people
outside of work
• Participate in co-marketing
• Leave positive reviews
• Speak at events
Advocates are Stronger Customers
18. Setting Goals for your Advocacy Program
• New revenue influenced by advocates
• Additional revenue from expansion
• Growth in customer health
Fundamental Goals:
21. • Be meticulous. Look at traits of previous advocates and detractors
• Be quick. Identify advocate candidates early on with NPS
• Be vigilant. Keep tabs on advocate movement to new roles
• Be organized. Add a status to each record to indicate advocacy health
• Be diverse. Look for advocates that satisfy a variety of criteria
• Be selective. Not all successful customers should be approached
• Be personal. Get to know your customers’ motivations at a person-level
Operationalizing the Advocacy Process
Decide which customers will be advocates
22. Aligning Advocacy to Customer Lifecycle
Join the
Customer
Community
Go Live
User
Adoption
Continuous
Improvement
Industry
Thought Leader
• Align against lifecycle
• Introduce softly
• Build at each step
Begin
Implementation
24. Aligning Advocacy to Customer Lifecycle
Join the
Customer
Community
Begin
Implementation
Go Live
User
Adoption
Continuous
Improvement
Industry
Thought Leader
• Align against lifecycle
• Introduce softly
• Build at each step
• Visually show advocacy is
evidence of a partnership
– and not a favor they
provide
• Revisit at Lifecycle
Milestones
Logo
Use
Case
Study
Video
Testimonial Go Live
Announcement
Sales
Reference
Speaking
Engagements
Online
Review
26. Measuring Outcomes and ROI of Advocacy
• Second order revenue from repeat
buyers
• Referrals from customers
• % of customers that are advocates
• Deals and dollar value influenced by
reference calls
• Leads generated through customer
content
• Leads from the CS team
What You NeedMetrics to Measure
27. Measuring Outcomes and ROI of Advocacy
• Second order revenue from repeat
buyers
• Referrals from customers
• % of customers that are advocates
• Deals and dollar value influenced by
reference calls
• Leads generated through customer
content
• Leads from the CS team
• Process and system in place to tie
advocates to sales opportunities
• Recording and tracking customer
influences (i.e. references)
• Ability to track sponsors and
advocates as they move between
companies
• Customer facing portal to submit
referrals
What You NeedMetrics to Measure
28. • Customers are inundated with offers to BUY!
• Market for loyalty
• Reuse campaigns, but tailor them to the advocate journey
• Build your brand and reputation
• Make the advocacy process fun
• Reward and recognize advocates for their actions
Things to keep in mind:
Considerations for Advocacy Programs
30. Customer Advocacy at Gainsight
300+ Public
Reviews of
Gainsight 500+ Members
in Online
Community
500+ Advocates
in Customer
Success HQ
31. Path to Advocacy Success
2015 2016 and Beyond
Pulse Conference peaks over
1k attendees
Reference process
implemented within
Gainsight
Purchased Influitive
Customer base grows and
advocates are developed
2013-14
32. Path to Advocacy Success
2015 2016 and Beyond
Pulse Conference peaks over
1k attendees
Reference process
implemented within
Gainsight
Purchased Influitive
Customer base grows and
advocates are developed
2K attendees at Pulse
Conference
Customer testimonials at Pulse
Gamification feature added to
Community
First customer case studies
and videos on website
Dedicated customer marketer
2013-14
33. Path to Advocacy Success
2015 2016 and Beyond
Pulse Conference peaks over
1k attendees
Reference process
implemented within
Gainsight
Purchased Influitive
Customer base grows and
advocates are developed
2K attendees at Pulse
Conference
Customer testimonials at Pulse
Gamification feature added to
Community
First customer case studies
and videos on website
Dedicated customer marketer
Improved reference process
CSM and marketing alignment
Showcasing customer stories
at Pulse and on Website
Aligning advocacy to the
customer lifecycle
Measuring the outcomes and
ROI of Advocacy
2013-14
34. Path to Advocacy Success
2015 2016 and Beyond
Pulse Conference peaks over
1k attendees
Reference process
implemented within
Gainsight
Purchased Influitive
Customer base grows and
advocates are developed
2K attendees at Pulse
Conference
Customer testimonials at Pulse
Gamification feature added to
Community
First customer case studies
and videos on website
Dedicated customer marketer
Improve reference process
CSM and marketing alignment
Showcasing customer stories
at Pulse and on Website
Aligning advocacy to the
customer lifecycle
Measuring the outcomes and
ROI of Advocacy
2013-14
37. Our Reference Process
Prospect asks for
reference
AE notes important
criteria for
reference
Customer
Marketing receives
reference request
Customer
Marketing
introduces chosen
customer to AE
AR introduces
customer to
prospect
AE follows up with
Prospect to make
sure it was
completed
AE closes the loop
with Customer
Marketing
Customer
Marketing thanks
Customer for time
& send them a gift!
38. Key Takeaways
• Customer advocacy is a cross-functional initiative where customer
success and marketing teams should be aligned
• Have the right people and technology in place to be effective
• Create scalable processes to enable and measure advocacy
• Have a two-way partnership with advocates
• Monitor and track advocacy to improve on processes and measure ROI
Telling the prospect that we value our customers and we want to see this meeting til the end
Identifying the most important thing they want to get from the meeting
AE using Gainsight to provide suggestions
To kick things off, I’d like everyone on the webinar to think of some of their favorite consumer brands
Here are some examples to get the ideas flowing
As a consumer we have an overwhelming amount of choices when we decide to buy clothes, furniture, apparel, caffeinated drinks…
To stand out in all that noise, companies need to build AND maintain a strong brand
We see it all the time in the consumer world
Companies create
Something that’s unique
Something that brings in new customers
Something that fosters loyalty among existing customers
As an example, I’d like to focus on one brand in particular…
Starbucks!
Think about Starbucks for a second
Their main product – coffee – is not unique
There are plenty of other competitors in their space
Caffé Nero, Peet’s, Costa Coffee, Dunkin, McCafe
You also have Brew-at-home coffee as an option
And of course, Independent coffee shops
Starbucks doesn’t have a catchy slogan
They’ve been in business since the early 70s
Their very real challenge is how to make buying COFFEE a memorable experience that the buyer will choose to repeat
And yet, Starbucks has found a way to continually top the lists honoring the “best global brands”
…They’ve become more than just a coffee shop
Starbucks provides a unique, authentic experience for the buyer
Each store has a warmth to it
Comfy lounge chairs that people occupy for hours
You don’t just run out the door with your hot beverage
You are a part of their community
Starbucks has also innovated to stay more connected to the digital buyer
You can order or pay for your drink from your mobile phone
You get a free weekly song download via iTunes
And everyone’s favorite… free internet
Not to mention that the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program is one of the most celebrated programs out there
It’s among these reasons, and a handful of others, that Starbucks retains customers so efficiently
AND, those retained customers become strong advocates.
Loyal customers default to the recognizable Starbucks brand when traveling…
Loyal customers visit Starbucks 160% more often
Loyal customers introduce their friends to the rewards program
In the B2B world:
Those increased visits are tied to the concepts of adoption, renewals, and upsells
Now, as Laura mentioned earlier, advocacy programs can be very powerful.
In addition to being a crucial piece of the sales cycle for referrals and to build strong partnerships….
Advocates become STRONGER customers
They buy more from you over time
They stay longer
And through word of mouth, they attract potential customers to your solution or product
You can empower your customers to spread the word about your product or service in a variety of ways – many of which Laura mentioned earlier
From asking for a public review to building co-marketing content, there are proactive steps you can take to increase advocacy
It’s important to outline the goals of your global advocacy program early on
You’ll want to monitor these quarter to quarter to ensure that your campaigns are effective
You should track these three things:
Revenue from new customers with an advocacy “touch” (such as a reference call)
Expansion revenue from existing customers
Growth in customer health
For each account, it’s critical to also know the density of advocates.
Is there one power user who is the go-to for reference requests and speaking engagements?
OR -- Are there countless advocates who participate regularly in your rewards challenges?
OR -- Are there accounts without any advocates?
There is a level of secondary goals that you MIGHT want to keep track of as well
Here are a few examples…
Take, for instance, Social Proof
Think about a big technology purchase your team has made in the past.
How did you start the evaluation process?
Was it… Emailing their sales team directly?
Researching the space on Google?
Looking for an opinion from one of your peers on a review site like AppExchange or G2 Crowd?
How did you ultimately make the decision to move forward with a particular vendor?
How much weight would you give to the vendor that has the best online reputation?
…
Increasing the amount of social proof AND encouraging your customers to talk about your product or service – is critical.
As you look to your customer base to find advocates, it’s important not to make assumptions about who should or should NOT be participating in a formal advocacy program
On this slide you’ll see some tips to consider when you’re implementing an advocacy program.
I’d like to highlight a few ---
First – Be meticulous.
It’s important to take inventory of who your advocates and detractors are NOW
Who speaks at your events
Who is on your customer advisory board?
Who is always happy to take a reference call?
Who’s given you logo approval?
Now consider..… What sets them apart from the people who maybe gave you a negative online review? Or expressed frustration to your CEO?
When you better understand the traits of your advocates, you’ll find it easy to spot the “advocates in hiding”
Second – Be quick.
You can easily find potential advocates when you dig through NPS results
Have you conducted a NPS survey recently?
When a promoter comes through, they should be one of your first targets to participate in advocacy activities
Also, if you don’t have it in place already, it’s a great idea to set up a NPS survey after implementation to catch people who are set up for success
Third – Be Vigilant.
Its guaranteed that over time, some of your advocates are going to get promoted or change jobs
If you set up an executive sponsor program to keep tabs on your advocates as they move into new roles… they could be your next referral waiting to happen
You also want to stay organized when building a centralized list of advocates
How can you do that?
Try adding an advocacy status to each record or accont
Use it to keep track if they have been, are willing to be, won’t be, or can’t be an advocate at some point.
One other thing I’d like to highlight – which is especially important for global advocacy programs is the need to attract a diverse advocate base
That can materialize in the form of a variety of geographies, industries, company sizes, product use cases…
Remember that some industries are less open to advocacy
And, different company sizes behave differently
Having a diverse set of advocates will better prepare you for any situation that arises
Once you’ve set up the process for identifying advocates, you need to consider WHEN there will be moments for advocacy within the Customer Lifecycle
Let’s think back to the Starbucks Rewards program…
I’ve been a gold member cardholder since 2011
For the past 5 years, I’ve purposefully chosen Starbucks over other chains when I’m in need of a caffeine fix
However, the first time I purchased something from Starbucks was WELL BEFORE 2011
Why didn’t I join the rewards program earlier?
It’s because I was, essentially, ONBOARDING
I was gaining the necessary skills and knowledge to know how to order drinks the “right way”
I was trying out their different products… seeing what was the best fit for me
Once I had a good feel for what the Starbucks brand represents, it was a no brainer to join the loyalty program
In fact, if I remember correctly, it was a friend who told me about the free refills for gold members…
It was a combination of her positive review and the special perks for members that piqued my interest
As you think of how this applies to the B2B world, advocacy events will align with lifecycle milestones
When you get out of implementation, that may be the right time to ask for logo approval
However, for some companies, the logo approval conversation happens later… after the First Value Delivery moment
Later on in the lifecycle, when customers are fully adopting, that’s when it’s best to ask for an advocate to participate on a reference call
Every company is different…
Once an advocate hits a point in their lifecycle – a milestone, you’ll learn exactly what to do with them to match their loyalty level.
For example, if a customer’s about 9 months past implementation, that’s when you can think about making the case study “ask”
Now let’s discuss which metrics to keep track of to better understand the ROI of an advocacy program…
As you look at this slide, think about the metrics that you’re currently tracking if you have an advocacy program in place…
Second order revenue – this tracks when an executive sponsor leaves and goes to another company
These are the people who will purchase your solution multiple times
Keeping track of the advocates who move companies and THEN enter a sales cycle will reveal the amount of 2nd order revenue
Here at Gainsight we’re rolling out a referral program, which will have a direct impact on lead gen
The referrals from our top advocates are very high quality leads
we hope that those leads end up having a higher close rate
I’ll call out one more bullet here – the deals and dollar value influenced by reference calls
In just a bit, Laura will walk us through our reference process
As long as you close the loop with Sales and Customer Success, it’ll be very easy to see the impact of the references you facilitate
You’ll likely find that the close/win rates are significantly higher when a reference is involved
Advocates and references are critical to Customer Success.
In addition to managing expectations from the beginning, you’ll need a variety of systems and processes in place to track everything from references to referrals to exec sponsor changes…
It’s important to start early --- don’t make advocacy an afterthought!
I’ll add in one final thought before I pass it back to Laura…
Customers are inundated with offers and the opportunity to buy… from YOU and your competitors.
But there’s something crucial to keep in mind
You WILL be successful if you market for loyalty
You should continually build your brand
You should educate customers.
You should run campaigns that don't sell anything except your company.
We’re talking… Thought leadership
…tips and tricks
…fun stuff about the product
Can you reuse campaigns from your marketing team? YES
Can you reuse training and support materials from your customer success team? YES
BUT —> Be sure to develop content and moments that are tailored for the advocate journey.
Be mindful that their journey differs from segment to segment, across geos, and as they change jobs
BUILDING your brand and your reputation is crucial
Have fun with it!
Sometimes your customers just need to be told that you love them