Our industry is transforming. We’re in the midst of a huge shift in enterprise software, moving from a hunting to a farming model. It’s increasingly common to see multi-million dollar deals on large, multi-year contracts, yet the sales pipeline for new business might be small.

This is a big change from 15 years ago, when every sales rep I knew had a Porsche 911 because quarterly deals were that easy to close. Today, sales reps are often transient: they succeed in closing one large deal, but then the account is "sold out," and they leave. Or, they fail to close a deal and they leave anyway.

This means Customer Success Managers (CSMs) must provide long-term continuity. The business is looking to us to fill the gaps created by sales compensation plans that reward short-term thinking. Our job is to protect that annual recurring revenue (ARR) and think about what’s best for the client over the long term.

Relationships are the most valuable part of any business, and the more you can be seen to own those relationships, the more value your company will assign to you, both now and in your career.

In this article, I’ll share my proven framework, the 30-60-90-day plan, for building unshakeable client relationships, plus tactical advice on strategic outreach, event planning, and the essential mindset shifts you need to succeed.

Why relationships are the most valuable skill

I ran a survey asking peers and industry leaders what skills are most valuable for executives managing multi-million dollar accounts, and relationship building blew the rest away.

Strategic thinking followed, and technical expertise and business acumen were a distant third and fourth. This surprised some, but relationship building has been a core tenet of account management for over a hundred years. It’s what makes us valuable and unique. You need to double down on relationship building in the years ahead.

The new reality of account ownership

I currently carry about $50 million of ARR in my portfolio, managing my company’s largest clients. As a veteran, I can tell you that when a customer leans back in their chair and sees someone who looks like they've seen some stuff, they're more willing to take advice. That experience and gravitas matter.

Going forward, CSMs are seen as the owners of the long-term client relationships. It's your job to protect that ARR, and strategic relationship management is the only way to do it.

CTA Image

Ready for the full story?

Join Customer Success Collective as a Pro member for the full article, plus on-demand summit sessions, plug-and-play templates, and practical frameworks.

Sign up today

Your 30-60-90-day plan for relationship success

Every good relationship expert needs a plan. You might have a plan, but remember the Mike Tyson quote: "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Things will go sideways. You have to stay nimble and agile.

The 30-60-90-day framework is a great starting point for medium-sized accounts. Larger, Fortune 10 accounts might require a six, 12, or 18-month plan.