CSMs are more likely than average to be happy in their roles, although just 40% say their schedules and workloads are realistic, according to the 2024 CSM Confidential Report.
ChurnZero, the platform and partner for customer success, has released the 2024 CSM Confidential Report, a new industry study of customer success managers (CSMs) and their perspectives on their roles, goals, skills, teams, and managerial support. Created in partnership with SuccessCOACHING, the report reveals that CSMs have an above-average rate of job satisfaction and a deep appreciation for their teams and managers, despite often struggling with heavy workloads and gaps in their skills and team processes. The report also identifies several opportunities for customer success leaders to help their teams hit their goals with greater efficiency and less stress.
“The takeaway for SaaS leaders from the data is clear,” says You Mon Tsang, CEO and co-founder, ChurnZero. “Your CSMs are your company’s champions—now give them the resources, processes, and training they need to deliver the revenue you depend on. If your CSMs are struggling, take the opportunities outlined in the report to help them become better managers of their own success, and engines of sustained growth for your organization.”
The 2024 CSM Confidential Report’s key findings include:
High job satisfaction for CSMs: 68% of CSMs say they’re happy in their current role, making CSMs a happier group on average than the U.S. workforce as a whole.* 91% enjoy consulting with customers to solve their challenges, 81% say they enjoy thinking strategically to solve difficult problems, and 84% say they like and appreciate their team.
Struggles with goals and workload: Just 40% of CSMs say their workload and schedule is realistic, and only 41% say they can complete their work without working evenings or weekends. Only 45% say their manager is good at helping them prioritize their work.
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Potential gaps in critical skills: Asked to pick an area in which extra training would make them more effective, CSMs tended to pick business skills including analytics, forecasting, metrics, strategy, and negotiation—indicating a shortfall in these areas as customer success becomes a revenue-owning team.
Gaps in manager skillsets: While most CSMs say their managers perform well in the interpersonal aspects of leadership, less than half say their managers are good at keeping people accountable (47%), setting clear goals (47%), coaching and mentoring their team (43%), and supporting their team’s professional development (42%).
