Introduction

As a Customer Success Manager, you play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between customers' needs and the company's product offerings. There may come a time when you are presented with the exciting opportunity to advocate for a new feature or product that could significantly enhance the user experience. This guide is designed to help you navigate this process from start to finish, ensuring you can effectively present a well-researched and compelling business case that aligns with both user needs and company objectives.

It's important to highlight that it will be a rare occasion where you have to execute this entire process on your own. However, if you are working in a smaller team, you will likely find yourself in this situation.

My Experience in Presenting Business Cases

My passion for presenting business cases stems from my hands-on experience in the software development environment, specifically within the SaaS B2B sector. In this role, I collaborated with the developers to bring ideas to life. I was actively involved in developing a comprehensive library of educational experiences, building customized customer solutions for enterprise clients, and continually enhancing our Learning Management System (LMS) platform. This hands-on exposure has equipped me with the skills to identify key opportunities for improvement, develop strategic proposals, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to drive impactful product development.

Ideation Stage

Tips and Tricks

• Focus on the User: Center your research and solutions around the user. Demonstrating empathy and a deep understanding of user needs is crucial.
• Understand the Company: Gain a deep understanding of the company's mission, goals, and vision, as well as the specific department your initiatives will impact. Align your business case accordingly by envisioning yourself as part of this team and department. Consider what improvements you would dream of for this department and the overall business impact.
• Familiarise Yourself with Existing Products: Focus especially on the specific domain (department) relevant to your business case.
• Understand Your Role: Grasp the expectations and responsibilities of your role in this process. This might include driving user acquisition and stickiness, improving user experiences, or collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Frame the Situation

• Your Role
• The User Persona: Define common pains and advantages.