Interview Guide for

Customer Success Manager, SMB

This comprehensive interview guide is designed to help you effectively evaluate candidates for the Customer Success Manager, SMB role at your organization. It provides a structured approach to assessing candidates' skills, experience, and fit for the position through multiple interview stages, including a work sample exercise.

How to Use This Guide

To make the most of this interview guide and improve your hiring decisions:

Familiarize yourself with the job description and ideal candidate profile before conducting interviews. This will help you better assess candidate fit and potential for success in the SMB customer success role.
Customize the guide to align with your company's specific needs and product focus. You can edit questions or add new ones using Yardstick, ensuring the interview process remains relevant and effective for your SMB customer success environment.
Use the same questions and scorecards for each interview stage to ensure consistency across candidates. This standardized approach allows for more accurate comparisons and data-driven decision-making.
Take detailed notes during interviews to support your evaluations. Yardstick's AI-powered note-taking feature can help capture key insights without distracting you from the conversation, especially during the mock customer success call exercise.
Complete the scorecard immediately after each interview while your impressions are fresh. This helps maintain accuracy and facilitates easier comparisons between candidates, particularly when evaluating complex competencies like strategic thinking and proactive problem-solving skills.
Pay close attention to candidates' past performance metrics and their ability to articulate customer success strategies for SMB clients. The hiring manager interview section is particularly useful for diving deep into these areas.
Use the behavioral competency interview to assess adaptability and empathetic communication skills, which are crucial for success in dynamic SMB customer success environments.
Leverage the executive interview to evaluate candidates' ability to think strategically about customer success initiatives and drive value for SMB clients.
Conduct thorough reference checks to verify the candidate's claims about their customer success performance and relationship-building abilities with SMB clients.
Use Yardstick's analytics to track the effectiveness of each element of the interview guide over time, allowing you to refine and improve your hiring process for SMB customer success roles continuously.

Remember that this guide is a tool to support your decision-making process. Use your judgment and expertise to evaluate candidates holistically, considering both their qualifications and potential cultural fit within your organization's customer success team.

For more interview question ideas specific to this role, visit: Customer Success Manager, SMB Interview Questions.

Job Description

🌟 Customer Success Manager, SMB

🚀 About [Company]

[Company] is a leader in [Industry], providing innovative solutions to help businesses and individuals protect their digital lives. Our mission is to create a safer, simpler digital future for everyone, with a culture that values simplicity, honesty, and a human-centric approach to solving problems.

💼 The Role

As a Customer Success Manager for SMB at [Company], you'll play a crucial role in helping our small and medium-sized business customers maximize the value of our [Product/Service]. You'll be their trusted advisor, guiding them through best practices and ensuring they achieve their security and productivity goals.

🎯 Key Responsibilities

Proactively engage with customers to drive adoption and value realization
Guide customers through established best practices and their lifecycle with our product
Act as a customer champion, increasing awareness of customer needs and priorities
Support customer retention through strategic engagement and renewal processes
Collaborate closely with Onboarding and Account Management teams
Conduct strategic calls and engagements to help customers achieve their desired outcomes
Translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences
Manage customer data and activity in our CRM system
Contribute to team goals and metrics, including NPS, revenue, and performance metrics

🧠 What We're Looking For

Experience in a Customer Success role, preferably working with SMB customers
Strong communication skills across email, phone, and video calls
Ability to build relationships and engage effectively with diverse customers
Passion for helping businesses use software to improve productivity and efficiency
Proactive mindset with the ability to identify and act on opportunities
Experience with CRM systems and data management
Adaptability and eagerness to learn in a fast-paced environment

💫 Why Join [Company]?

Be part of a mission-driven team making a real impact on digital security
Remote-first culture with flexibility and work-life balance
Comprehensive benefits package including health coverage and retirement plans
Continuous learning and development opportunities
Collaborative and innovative work environment

Hiring Process

We've designed our hiring process to be thorough and give you multiple opportunities to showcase your skills and experience. Here's what you can expect:

Screening Interview
‍An initial conversation with our recruiting team to discuss your background and interest in the role.

Work Sample: Mock Customer Success Call
‍An opportunity to demonstrate your customer success skills through a simulated call with a client.

Hiring Manager Interview
‍An in-depth discussion about your experience and approach to customer success with the hiring manager.

Behavioral Competency Interview
‍A focused conversation about your past experiences and how they relate to key competencies for this role.

Executive Interview
‍A final interview with a senior leader to discuss your strategic thinking and potential impact on our company.

We aim to provide feedback promptly after each stage and encourage you to ask questions throughout the process. We're excited to get to know you and learn how you can contribute to our team's success!

[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Ideal Candidate Profile (Internal)

Role Overview

The Customer Success Manager for SMB will be responsible for driving customer satisfaction, retention, and growth within our small and medium-sized business segment. This role requires a blend of relationship management, technical understanding, and strategic thinking to help customers realize the full value of our solutions.

Essential Behavioral Competencies

Proactive Problem-Solving: Ability to anticipate customer needs and potential issues, taking initiative to address them before they escalate.
Empathetic Communication: Skill in actively listening to customers, understanding their concerns, and communicating solutions in a clear, empathetic manner.
Strategic Thinking: Capacity to understand customers' business objectives and align our solutions to help achieve those goals.
Adaptability: Flexibility to adjust approach and recommendations based on each customer's unique situation and needs.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Ability to use customer data and metrics to inform strategies and drive results.

Desired Outcomes

Example Goals for Role:

Achieve a customer retention rate of 90% or higher within assigned SMB portfolio.
Drive product adoption, aiming for an average of 80% feature utilization across the customer base.
Maintain an NPS score of 50 or higher through proactive engagement and value-added interactions.
Identify and facilitate at least 2 upsell or cross-sell opportunities per quarter within the existing customer base.
Contribute to the development of scalable customer success processes, creating or improving at least 2 resources or best practices per quarter.

Ideal Candidate Profile

2+ years of experience in customer success, account management, or similar customer-facing roles
Strong understanding of SaaS business models and customer lifecycle management
Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences
Experience with CRM systems and data analysis tools
Proven track record of meeting or exceeding customer retention and satisfaction targets
Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience
Self-motivated with strong organizational and time management skills
Passion for technology and its applications in business productivity and security
[Location]-based or comfortable working in a fully remote environment
Willingness to occasionally travel for customer meetings or team events (up to 10% of the time)

📞 Screening Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This initial screening interview is crucial for quickly assessing if a candidate should move forward in the Customer Success Manager (SMB) hiring process. Focus on past performance, relevant experience with SMB customers, and key competencies outlined in the job description. Getting detailed information on past customer success performance early is essential.

Ask all candidates the same questions to ensure fair comparisons. Take detailed notes during the interview to support your evaluations. Complete the scorecard immediately after the interview while your impressions are fresh.

Remember that this is just the first step in the process, so focus on gathering key information rather than making a final decision. The goal is to determine if the candidate has the potential to excel in this role and should continue to the next stage of the interview process.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"I'll be asking you some initial questions about your background and experience to determine fit for our Customer Success Manager (SMB) role. Please provide concise but thorough answers, focusing on specific examples and results where possible. Do you have any questions before we begin?"

Interview Questions

Tell me about your most successful year in a customer success role. What were your key achievements and how did you compare to your peers?

Areas to Cover:

Specific customer success metrics (retention rate, upsell/cross-sell, NPS)
Ranking or performance compared to team
Strategies or approaches that led to success
Types of customers and solutions managed

Possible Follow-up Questions:

What was your retention rate goal that year and by what percentage did you exceed it?
How did you achieve such strong results compared to your peers?
Can you provide an example of how you turned around a struggling account?

Describe your experience working specifically with SMB customers. What unique challenges did you face and how did you address them?

Areas to Cover:

Understanding of SMB customer needs and pain points
Strategies for managing a high volume of accounts
Examples of tailoring solutions for SMB budgets and resources
Approach to scaling customer success for SMB segment

Possible Follow-up Questions:

How did you prioritize your time across multiple SMB accounts?
Can you share an example of how you helped an SMB customer achieve ROI quickly?
How did you adapt your communication style for SMB decision-makers?

Walk me through a situation where you identified a strategic opportunity to drive additional value for a customer. What was your approach and what was the outcome?

Areas to Cover:

Process for identifying untapped value or growth opportunities
Strategic thinking and planning approach
Stakeholder engagement and buy-in
Implementation and results measurement

Possible Follow-up Questions:

How did you quantify the potential value of this opportunity?
What challenges did you encounter during implementation and how did you overcome them?
How did this experience inform your approach to future strategic initiatives?

How do you build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders throughout the customer lifecycle?

Areas to Cover:

Strategies for initial relationship building
Methods for ongoing engagement and trust-building
Approach to managing multiple stakeholders with different priorities
Examples of turning relationships into long-term partnerships

Possible Follow-up Questions:

Can you share a specific example of how you've navigated conflicting stakeholder priorities?
How do you tailor your communication style for different types of stakeholders?
What tools or techniques do you use to stay on top of multiple customer relationships?

Tell me about a time when you had to use data to inform a customer success strategy or decision. What data did you use and what was the outcome?

Areas to Cover:

Types of data analyzed (e.g., usage metrics, customer feedback, industry trends)
Data analysis process and tools used
How insights were translated into actionable strategies
Results achieved and lessons learned

Possible Follow-up Questions:

How did you validate the accuracy and relevance of the data you used?
What challenges did you face in implementing data-driven recommendations?
How has this experience shaped your approach to using data in customer success?

Describe a situation where you had to quickly adapt your approach due to unexpected changes with a customer or in their industry. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

Initial response to unexpected change
Process for gathering information and reassessing strategy
Communication with customer and internal teams
Flexibility in developing and implementing new approach
Outcome and lessons learned

Possible Follow-up Questions:

How did you balance the need for quick action with thorough analysis?
What resources or support did you leverage to adapt effectively?
How has this experience influenced your ability to handle future unexpected changes?

How do you approach translating technical concepts or product features for non-technical customers?

Areas to Cover:

Strategies for understanding customer's technical knowledge level
Methods for simplifying complex information
Use of analogies, visuals, or other tools to aid understanding
Approach to confirming customer comprehension

Possible Follow-up Questions:

Can you give an example of a particularly challenging technical concept you had to explain?
How do you stay updated on product features and technical developments?
How do you balance providing enough detail without overwhelming the customer?

Are you legally authorized to work in [Location] without sponsorship?

Areas to Cover:

Current work authorization status
Any restrictions or limitations on employment
Timeline of work eligibility if applicable

Possible Follow-up Questions:

When does your current work authorization expire?
Are there any travel restrictions we should be aware of?

Interview Scorecard

Relevant Customer Success Experience

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Less than 1 year of customer success experience
2: 1-2 years of customer success experience
3: 3-5 years of successful customer success experience
4: 5+ years of exceptional customer success experience, primarily with SMB customers

Performance History

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Consistently underperforms on key metrics
2: Occasionally meets key performance metrics
3: Consistently meets or exceeds key performance metrics
4: Consistently ranks in top 10% of customer success team

Strategic Thinking and Value Realization

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited evidence of strategic thinking or value creation
2: Basic strategic thinking, some success in driving customer value
3: Strong strategic thinking, consistent success in driving customer value
4: Exceptional strategic thinker, proven track record of maximizing customer value

Relationship Building and Communication

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggles to build or maintain customer relationships
2: Basic relationship building skills, adequate communication
3: Strong relationship builder, clear and effective communicator
4: Exceptional at building deep, lasting customer relationships across diverse stakeholders

Data-Driven Decision Making

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited use of data in decision making
2: Basic use of data, some success in data-driven strategies
3: Consistently uses data to inform strategies and decisions
4: Expert in leveraging data for high-impact customer success strategies

Adaptability

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggles to adapt to changing circumstances
2: Can adapt with guidance, handles some uncertainty
3: Adapts well to change, effectively manages uncertainty
4: Thrives in changing environments, turns challenges into opportunities

Technical Knowledge Translation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Difficulty explaining technical concepts to non-technical audiences
2: Can explain basic technical concepts with some clarity
3: Effectively translates complex technical concepts for diverse audiences
4: Expert at making technical information accessible and engaging for any audience

Work Authorization

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Requires sponsorship with significant restrictions
2: Requires sponsorship with minor restrictions
3: Authorized to work with time limitation
4: Fully authorized to work without restrictions

Goal: Achieve a customer retention rate of 90% or higher within assigned SMB portfolio.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to achieve 90% retention rate
2: May achieve retention rate between 80-89%
3: Likely to achieve 90% retention rate
4: Likely to exceed 90% retention rate

Goal: Drive product adoption, aiming for an average of 80% feature utilization across the customer base.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to drive 80% feature utilization
2: May achieve 60-79% feature utilization
3: Likely to achieve 80% feature utilization
4: Likely to exceed 80% feature utilization

Goal: Maintain an NPS score of 50 or higher through proactive engagement and value-added interactions.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to maintain NPS of 50 or higher
2: May achieve NPS between 30-49
3: Likely to maintain NPS of 50 or higher
4: Likely to achieve NPS significantly above 50

Goal: Identify and facilitate at least 2 upsell or cross-sell opportunities per quarter within the existing customer base.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to identify 2 opportunities per quarter
2: May identify 1-2 opportunities per quarter
3: Likely to identify 2 opportunities per quarter
4: Likely to identify more than 2 opportunities per quarter

Overall Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire
2: No Hire
3: Hire
4: Strong Hire

🎭 Work Sample: Mock Customer Success Call

Directions for the Interviewer

This work sample assesses the candidate's ability to conduct an effective customer success call with an SMB customer who is struggling to achieve value from our product/service. It evaluates their preparation, strategic thinking, communication skills, ability to translate technical concepts, and skill in developing action plans.

Best practices:

Provide the candidate with background materials 24 hours before the exercise
Limit the role-play to 20-25 minutes
Take detailed notes on specific behaviors and statements
Provide a brief opportunity for the candidate to self-reflect after the exercise
Offer both positive and constructive feedback on their execution
If time allows, re-enact a small portion of the call after providing feedback

Directions to Share with Candidate

"For this exercise, you'll conduct a mock customer success call with an SMB customer who is struggling to achieve value from our product/service. I'll play the role of the customer, [Customer Name], [Title] at [Company Name]. Your goal is to understand their challenges, demonstrate the value of our solution, and develop an action plan to improve their outcomes. The call will last about 20-25 minutes, followed by a brief discussion. You'll receive background information on the customer, their usage data, and our product 24 hours before the exercise. Do you have any questions?"

Provide the candidate with:

Brief overview of your product/service
Customer profile and background
Customer usage data and key metrics
Information on customer's goals and challenges
Renewal timeline
Recording of a well-executed customer success call (if available)

Interview Scorecard

Preparation and Research

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Minimal preparation, unfamiliar with customer data
2: Basic preparation, general understanding of customer situation
3: Well-prepared with relevant insights from customer data
4: Extensively prepared with deep analysis and tailored strategy

Strategic Thinking and Value Articulation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unable to identify or articulate strategic value
2: Identifies basic value propositions with limited strategy
3: Effectively articulates strategic value aligned with customer needs
4: Exceptionally links product value to customer's specific business objectives

Communication and Relationship Building

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Poor communication, struggles to build rapport
2: Adequate communication, basic rapport building
3: Clear communication, effectively builds relationship
4: Exceptional communication, quickly establishes trust and credibility

Technical Knowledge Translation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unable to explain technical concepts clearly
2: Explains basic concepts with some clarity
3: Effectively translates technical information for the customer
4: Expertly makes complex features accessible and relevant to the customer

Problem Solving and Action Planning

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Fails to address customer's challenges or create a plan
2: Provides generic solutions with a basic action plan
3: Develops targeted solutions and a clear action plan
4: Creates an innovative, comprehensive plan addressing both immediate and long-term needs

Adaptability and Handling Objections

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggles to adapt or address customer concerns
2: Provides basic responses to objections with some flexibility
3: Effectively handles objections and adapts approach as needed
4: Skillfully turns objections into opportunities, demonstrating exceptional adaptability

Goal: Achieve a customer retention rate of 90% or higher within assigned SMB portfolio.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Approach unlikely to improve retention
2: May marginally improve retention
3: Likely to contribute to 90% retention rate
4: Approach highly likely to exceed 90% retention rate

Goal: Drive product adoption, aiming for an average of 80% feature utilization across the customer base.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to increase feature utilization
2: May slightly increase feature utilization
3: Likely to drive feature utilization to 80%
4: Approach likely to exceed 80% feature utilization

Goal: Maintain an NPS score of 50 or higher through proactive engagement and value-added interactions.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Interaction unlikely to positively impact NPS
2: May maintain current NPS score
3: Likely to contribute to NPS of 50 or higher
4: Interaction likely to significantly boost NPS score

Goal: Identify and facilitate at least 2 upsell or cross-sell opportunities per quarter within the existing customer base.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: No upsell or cross-sell opportunities identified
2: One potential opportunity identified
3: Two relevant opportunities identified
4: More than two high-potential opportunities identified

Overall Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire
2: No Hire
3: Hire
4: Strong Hire

👔 Hiring Manager Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This interview focuses on the candidate's relevant work history and performance in Customer Success roles, particularly with SMB customers. Ask the following questions for each relevant previous role, adapting as needed for time and the number of relevant roles. Ask all questions on the most recent or most relevant role. Probe for specific examples and quantifiable results. Pay attention to the progression of responsibilities and achievements across roles, especially in relation to customer success, relationship building, and achieving performance metrics.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"I'd like to discuss your relevant work experience in Customer Success in more detail. We'll go through each of your previous roles, focusing on your responsibilities, achievements, and lessons learned. Please provide specific examples and metrics where possible, especially related to customer success strategies, SMB customers, and performance indicators."

Interview Questions

Of all the jobs you've held in Customer Success, which was your favorite and why?

Areas to Cover:

Motivations and preferences in customer success roles
Alignment with current Customer Success Manager, SMB role
Self-awareness and understanding of strengths

Possible Follow-up Questions:

What aspects of that role do you hope to find in this position?
How did that experience shape your approach to customer success?
What did you learn about yourself as a customer success professional in that role?

Tell me about your role at [company]. What attracted you to this customer success opportunity?

Areas to Cover:

Company background and product/service overview
Target SMB customer profile
Customer success process and methodology used
Onboarding and adoption strategies for SMB clients
Metrics used to measure customer success

Possible Follow-up Questions:

Who was your ideal SMB customer, and how did you identify them?
Walk me through your typical customer success process from onboarding to renewal.
How did you approach product adoption and feature utilization with SMB clients?
What was the typical customer lifecycle for different SMB segments?
How did your product/service differentiate from competitors in the SMB space?

Tell me about your performance metrics and territory when you started. How did that change over time?

Areas to Cover:

Customer success metrics (e.g., retention rate, NPS, product adoption)
SMB customer portfolio size and composition
Performance expectations for customer success
Team structure and support for SMB customer success
Evolution of responsibilities and metrics over time

Possible Follow-up Questions:

What were your key performance indicators for SMB customer success?
How was your SMB customer portfolio defined and allocated?
How did you prioritize accounts within your portfolio?
Walk me through your typical customer interaction cadence for SMB clients.
What resources did you have available to support your customer success efforts?

What were your key achievements in this customer success role?

Areas to Cover:

Customer retention and renewal rates for SMB clients
Net Promoter Score (NPS) or customer satisfaction metrics
Product adoption and feature utilization improvements
Upsell and cross-sell successes
Awards or recognition for customer success performance
Impact on scalable customer success processes

Possible Follow-up Questions:

What percentage improvement did you achieve in customer retention rates?
Can you break down the components of your most successful upsell or cross-sell?
How did you rank among your peers in [specific customer success metric]?
What was your average product adoption rate compared to the team average?
Can you describe a scalable process you developed that improved team performance?

What were the most significant challenges you faced in customer success and how did you handle them?

Areas to Cover:

Major obstacles overcome in SMB customer success
Strategies for improving low-adoption or at-risk accounts
Problem-solving approach for complex customer issues
Internal barriers to customer success and how they were addressed
Lessons learned from challenging customer situations

Possible Follow-up Questions:

What was the specific situation that created this challenge in your customer success role?
Walk me through your thought process in addressing it.
What resources or support did you leverage to overcome the challenge?
What was the quantifiable impact of your solution on the customer and your metrics?
What would you do differently if faced with the same situation in customer success today?

Describe your relationship with your leadership and cross-functional teams in your customer success role.

Areas to Cover:

Collaboration with onboarding and account management teams
Interaction with product and technical support teams
Management style preferences in customer success environment
Coaching received for handling complex customer situations
Team contributions in customer success
Performance review process for customer success roles

Possible Follow-up Questions:

What was the most valuable coaching you received for customer success?
How did you work with the product team to address customer needs or feature requests?
Tell me about a time you helped another customer success team member.
What aspects of the customer success culture drove your performance?
How was your performance evaluated beyond retention metrics in customer success?

Which job that you've had in the past does this Customer Success Manager, SMB role remind you of the most?

Areas to Cover:

Customer success process and SMB customer similarities
Team structure comparisons in customer success environments
Product complexity alignment
Required skills overlap for SMB customer success
Success metrics alignment for customer retention and growth

Possible Follow-up Questions:

What specific aspects of customer success feel similar to you?
What challenges from that customer success role might you anticipate here?
What skills from that experience would transfer well to this Customer Success Manager, SMB position?
What would you do differently in this role based on that customer success experience?
How would you adapt your approach given the similarities in SMB customer success?

Interview Scorecard

Relevant Customer Success Experience

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited customer success experience with SMB clients
2: Some customer success experience but gaps in key areas for SMB market
3: Strong customer success experience aligned with SMB role requirements
4: Extensive highly relevant customer success experience exceeding SMB role requirements

Customer Success Performance History

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Consistently underperformed against customer success targets for SMB clients
2: Occasionally met customer success targets with inconsistent performance in SMB market
3: Consistently met or exceeded customer success targets for SMB clients
4: Consistently top performer, significantly exceeding customer success targets in SMB segment

Product Adoption and Value Realization

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggles to drive product adoption and demonstrate value to SMB customers
2: Some success in improving product adoption but inconsistent value realization
3: Proven track record of driving product adoption and value realization for SMB clients
4: Exceptional ability to maximize product adoption and demonstrate clear ROI to SMB customers

Learning and Adaptability in Customer Success

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggles to adapt or learn from customer success experiences with SMB clients
2: Shows some ability to learn and adapt in SMB customer success environments
3: Demonstrates good self-awareness and applies lessons learned in SMB customer success
4: Highly self-aware with clear examples of continuous improvement and adaptation in SMB customer success

Goal: Achieve a customer retention rate of 90% or higher within assigned SMB portfolio.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Customer Retention Goal
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Customer Retention Goal
3: Likely to Achieve Customer Retention Goal
4: Likely to Exceed Customer Retention Goal

Goal: Drive product adoption, aiming for an average of 80% feature utilization across the customer base.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Product Adoption Goal
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Product Adoption Goal
3: Likely to Achieve Product Adoption Goal
4: Likely to Exceed Product Adoption Goal

Goal: Maintain an NPS score of 50 or higher through proactive engagement and value-added interactions.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve NPS Goal
2: Likely to Partially Achieve NPS Goal
3: Likely to Achieve NPS Goal
4: Likely to Exceed NPS Goal

Goal: Identify and facilitate at least 2 upsell or cross-sell opportunities per quarter within the existing customer base.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Upsell/Cross-sell Goal
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Upsell/Cross-sell Goal
3: Likely to Achieve Upsell/Cross-sell Goal
4: Likely to Exceed Upsell/Cross-sell Goal

Overall Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire
2: No Hire
3: Hire
4: Strong Hire

🧠 Behavioral Competency Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This interview assesses the candidate's behavioral competencies critical for success in the Customer Success Manager, SMB role. Ask all candidates the same questions, probing for specific examples and details about the situation, actions taken, results achieved, and lessons learned. Avoid hypothetical scenarios and focus on past experiences, particularly those related to customer success and SMB client management.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"I'll be asking you about specific experiences from your past that relate to key competencies for this Customer Success Manager, SMB role. Please provide detailed examples, including the situation, your actions, the outcomes, and what you learned. Take a moment to think before answering if needed."

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you had to proactively identify and address a potential issue with an SMB customer before it escalated. How did you approach this situation? (Proactive Problem-Solving, Strategic Thinking)

Areas to Cover:

Identification of early warning signs or potential issues
Analysis of the customer's business and needs
Development of proactive solution or intervention
Communication with the customer and internal stakeholders
Outcome and long-term impact on the customer relationship

Possible Follow-up Questions:

How did you identify the potential issue before it became critical?
What data or insights did you use to inform your proactive approach?
How did you balance addressing this issue with your other customer responsibilities?
What systems or processes did you implement to prevent similar issues in the future?

Describe a situation where you had to adapt your communication style and strategy to effectively engage with a challenging SMB stakeholder. What was your approach? (Empathetic Communication, Adaptability)

Areas to Cover:

Initial challenges in communicating with the stakeholder
Analysis of the stakeholder's communication preferences and needs
Adaptation of communication style and strategy
Outcome of the adapted approach
Lessons learned about effective communication in customer success

Possible Follow-up Questions:

How did you identify the need to adapt your communication style?
What specific changes did you make to your approach?
How did this experience influence your communication with other stakeholders?
Can you give an example of how you've applied these learnings to other customer interactions?

Give me an example of a time when you used data-driven insights to improve the success of an SMB customer or segment. What was your process? (Data-Driven Decision Making, Strategic Thinking)

Areas to Cover:

Identification of the opportunity for improvement
Data sources and analysis methods used
Development of data-driven strategy or intervention
Implementation and stakeholder management
Measurable outcomes and impact on customer success metrics

Possible Follow-up Questions:

How did you identify which data points were most relevant to analyze?
What challenges did you face in gathering or interpreting the data?
How did you present your findings and recommendations to the customer or internal team?
How has this experience shaped your approach to using data in customer success?

Interview Scorecard

Proactive Problem-Solving

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reactive approach to customer issues, often missing early warning signs
2: Sometimes identifies potential issues but struggles with proactive solutions
3: Consistently identifies and addresses potential issues before they escalate
4: Exceptional at anticipating customer needs and implementing preventative measures

Empathetic Communication

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Difficulty adapting communication style to different stakeholders
2: Shows basic ability to adjust communication but may miss nuances
3: Effectively adapts communication style to various stakeholders and situations
4: Masterfully tailors communication, building strong relationships across all levels

Strategic Thinking

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Focuses on day-to-day tasks without considering long-term customer success
2: Shows some ability to think strategically but may miss broader implications
3: Consistently applies strategic thinking to drive long-term customer success
4: Demonstrates exceptional strategic insight, driving innovative approaches to customer success

Adaptability

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggles to adjust approach when faced with new situations or challenges
2: Can adapt when given clear direction but may struggle with ambiguity
3: Demonstrates flexibility and adapts well to changing customer needs
4: Thrives in dynamic environments, quickly adjusting strategies to optimize customer success

Data-Driven Decision Making

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Relies primarily on intuition, rarely using data to inform decisions
2: Uses basic data but may struggle with complex analysis or application
3: Consistently leverages data to inform strategies and drive customer success
4: Exceptional at using advanced data analysis to uncover insights and drive results

Goal: Achieve a customer retention rate of 90% or higher within assigned SMB portfolio.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Customer Retention Goal
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Customer Retention Goal
3: Likely to Achieve Customer Retention Goal
4: Likely to Exceed Customer Retention Goal

Goal: Drive product adoption, aiming for an average of 80% feature utilization across the customer base.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Product Adoption Goal
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Product Adoption Goal
3: Likely to Achieve Product Adoption Goal
4: Likely to Exceed Product Adoption Goal

Goal: Maintain an NPS score of 50 or higher through proactive engagement and value-added interactions.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve NPS Goal
2: Likely to Partially Achieve NPS Goal
3: Likely to Achieve NPS Goal
4: Likely to Exceed NPS Goal

Goal: Identify and facilitate at least 2 upsell or cross-sell opportunities per quarter within the existing customer base.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Upsell/Cross-sell Goal
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Upsell/Cross-sell Goal
3: Likely to Achieve Upsell/Cross-sell Goal
4: Likely to Exceed Upsell/Cross-sell Goal

Overall Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire
2: No Hire
3: Hire
4: Strong Hire

👨‍💼 Executive Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This interview further assesses the candidate's behavioral competencies from an executive perspective, focusing on high-level strategic thinking and leadership in customer success for SMB clients. Ask all candidates the same questions, probing for specific examples and details about the situation, actions taken, results achieved, and lessons learned. Avoid hypothetical scenarios and focus on past experiences that demonstrate the candidate's ability to operate at a strategic level in complex customer success environments.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"I'll be asking you about specific experiences from your past that relate to key competencies for this Customer Success Manager, SMB role, with a focus on strategic thinking and leadership in customer success. Please provide detailed examples, including the situation, your actions, the outcomes, and what you learned. Take a moment to think before answering if needed."

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you identified a strategic opportunity to significantly improve the success of multiple SMB customers or an entire segment. How did you approach this initiative? (Strategic Thinking, Data-Driven Decision Making)

Areas to Cover:

Identification of the strategic opportunity
Data analysis and insights used to inform the strategy
Development and presentation of the strategic plan
Implementation and change management across multiple customers or segments
Measurable impact on customer success metrics and business outcomes

Possible Follow-up Questions:

How did you identify this strategic opportunity for SMB customers?
What data or insights were most crucial in developing your strategy?
How did you gain buy-in from leadership and customers for your proposed changes?
Can you quantify the impact of this initiative on customer success metrics and business growth?

Describe a situation where you had to balance the needs of multiple SMB customers with competing priorities. How did you manage this challenge? (Adaptability, Empathetic Communication)

Areas to Cover:

Scope and complexity of competing customer priorities
Strategies for prioritization and resource allocation
Communication with customers and internal stakeholders
Adaptation of approach based on individual customer needs
Outcomes achieved across multiple customers

Possible Follow-up Questions:

How did you determine which customer needs to prioritize?
What strategies did you use to manage customer expectations?
How did you adapt your approach for different types of SMB customers?
Can you give an example of a difficult trade-off you had to make and how you communicated it?

Give me an example of a time when you identified an opportunity to scale or automate a customer success process for SMB clients. What was your approach and what were the results? (Proactive Problem-Solving, Strategic Thinking)

Areas to Cover:

Identification of the scalability or automation opportunity
Analysis of current processes and pain points
Development of the scaled or automated solution
Implementation and change management
Measurable impact on efficiency and customer success metrics

Possible Follow-up Questions:

How did you identify this opportunity for process improvement?
What challenges did you encounter during implementation and how did you overcome them?
How did you ensure the scaled process still met individual customer needs?
Can you quantify the impact of this improvement on team efficiency and customer satisfaction?

Interview Scorecard

Strategic Thinking

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Focuses primarily on short-term, tactical execution in customer success
2: Demonstrates some longer-term planning for customer success initiatives
3: Develops comprehensive strategies aligned with business goals and customer needs
4: Creates innovative, market-leading strategic approaches for customer success at scale

Data-Driven Decision Making

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Rarely uses data to inform customer success strategies
2: Uses basic data analysis but struggles with complex insights
3: Consistently leverages data to drive strategic decisions in customer success
4: Demonstrates exceptional ability to use advanced analytics for predictive customer success

Adaptability

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggles to adjust approach when faced with changing customer needs
2: Can adapt when given clear direction but may struggle with ambiguity
3: Effectively adapts strategies to meet diverse SMB customer needs
4: Thrives in dynamic environments, innovating new approaches to customer success challenges

Empathetic Communication

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Difficulty communicating effectively with diverse SMB stakeholders
2: Shows basic ability to adjust communication but may miss nuances
3: Consistently communicates effectively across various SMB customer types
4: Masterfully tailors communication to build strong relationships and drive customer success

Proactive Problem-Solving

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reactive approach to customer success challenges
2: Sometimes identifies potential issues but struggles with proactive solutions
3: Consistently anticipates and addresses customer success challenges
4: Exceptional at identifying and implementing innovative solutions to complex customer success problems

Goal: Achieve a customer retention rate of 90% or higher within assigned SMB portfolio.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Customer Retention Goal
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Customer Retention Goal
3: Likely to Achieve Customer Retention Goal
4: Likely to Exceed Customer Retention Goal

Goal: Drive product adoption, aiming for an average of 80% feature utilization across the customer base.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Product Adoption Goal
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Product Adoption Goal
3: Likely to Achieve Product Adoption Goal
4: Likely to Exceed Product Adoption Goal

Goal: Maintain an NPS score of 50 or higher through proactive engagement and value-added interactions.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve NPS Goal
2: Likely to Partially Achieve NPS Goal
3: Likely to Achieve NPS Goal
4: Likely to Exceed NPS Goal

Goal: Identify and facilitate at least 2 upsell or cross-sell opportunities per quarter within the existing customer base.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Upsell/Cross-sell Goal
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Upsell/Cross-sell Goal
3: Likely to Achieve Upsell/Cross-sell Goal
4: Likely to Exceed Upsell/Cross-sell Goal

Overall Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire
2: No Hire
3: Hire
4: Strong Hire

Debrief Meeting

Directions for Conducting the Debrief Meeting

The Debrief Meeting is an open discussion for the hiring team members to share the information learned during the candidate interviews for the Customer Success Manager, SMB role. Use the questions below to guide the discussion.

Start the meeting by reviewing the requirements for the role and the key competencies and goals to succeed.

The meeting leader should strive to create an environment where it is okay to express opinions about the candidate that differ from the consensus or the leadership's opinions.

Scores and interview notes are important data points but should not be the sole factor in making the final decision.

Any hiring team member should feel free to change their recommendation as they learn new information and reflect on what they've learned.

Questions to Guide the Debrief Meeting

Does anyone have any questions for the other interviewers about the candidate?

Guidance: The meeting facilitator should initially present themselves as neutral and try not to sway the conversation before others have a chance to speak up.

Are there any additional comments about the Candidate?

Guidance: This is an opportunity for all the interviewers to share anything they learned that is important for the other interviewers to know.

Based on the candidate's past performance and interview responses, how likely are they to achieve the goal of driving product adoption to an average of 80% feature utilization across the SMB customer base?

Guidance: Discuss specific examples from the candidate's past performance that indicate their ability to drive product adoption. Consider their strategies for onboarding and ongoing customer education.

How well-equipped is the candidate to identify and facilitate at least 2 upsell or cross-sell opportunities per quarter within the existing SMB customer base?

Guidance: Consider the candidate's demonstrated skills in strategic thinking, relationship building, and their past success in identifying growth opportunities within existing accounts.

Is there anything further we need to investigate before making a decision?

Guidance: Based on this discussion, you may decide to probe further on certain issues with the candidate or explore specific issues in the reference calls.

Has anyone changed their hire/no-hire recommendation?

Guidance: This is an opportunity for the interviewers to change their recommendation from the new information they learned in this meeting.

If the consensus is no hire, should the candidate be considered for other roles? If so, what roles?

Guidance: Discuss whether engaging with the candidate about a different role would be worthwhile.

What are the next steps?

Guidance: If there is no consensus, follow the process for that situation (e.g., it is the hiring manager's decision). Further investigation may be needed before making the decision. If there is a consensus on hiring, reference checks could be the next step.

Reference Checks

Directions for Conducting Reference Checks

When conducting reference checks for the Customer Success Manager, SMB role, aim to speak with former managers and colleagues who have directly worked with the candidate in a customer success or account management capacity, preferably with SMB clients. Explain that their feedback will be kept confidential and used to help make a hiring decision. Ask the same core questions to each reference for consistency, but feel free to ask follow-up questions based on their responses.

Questions for Reference Checks

In what capacity did you work with [Candidate Name], and for how long? What was the nature of the SMB customers they managed?

Guidance:

Establish the context of the professional relationship
Understand the scope and complexity of SMB accounts managed

Possible Follow-up Questions:

How closely did you work together on customer success initiatives?
What was the typical size and industry of the SMB customers they managed?

Can you describe [Candidate Name]'s primary responsibilities in their customer success role, particularly related to SMB clients?

Guidance:

Verify the candidate's claims about their previous role
Understand the depth of their SMB customer success experience

Possible Follow-up Questions:

What was their typical customer portfolio size?
How involved were they in the onboarding and adoption processes?

How would you rate [Candidate Name]'s performance compared to their peers, particularly in terms of customer retention and satisfaction metrics?

Guidance:

Get specific metrics or rankings if possible
Understand their performance in key areas like retention, NPS, and product adoption

Possible Follow-up Questions:

What was their average customer retention rate?
How did they rank in terms of NPS or customer satisfaction scores?

Can you give an example of how [Candidate Name] successfully drove product adoption or feature utilization for an SMB client?

Guidance:

Assess the candidate's ability to increase product adoption
Understand their strategies for educating and engaging customers

Possible Follow-up Questions:

What specific strategies did they use to improve feature utilization?
How did they measure and track adoption improvements?

How would you describe [Candidate Name]'s approach to identifying and facilitating upsell or cross-sell opportunities within their SMB accounts?

Guidance:

Evaluate the candidate's ability to grow existing accounts
Understand their strategic approach to identifying expansion opportunities

Possible Follow-up Questions:

Can you provide an example of a successful upsell they facilitated?
How did they balance customer success goals with revenue growth objectives?

What initiatives or strategies did [Candidate Name] implement to improve customer success processes or outcomes for SMB clients?

Guidance:

Assess the candidate's ability to innovate and drive improvements
Understand their contribution to the overall customer success organization

Possible Follow-up Questions:

How did these initiatives impact the team's overall performance?
Were any of their strategies adopted by other team members or for larger accounts?

On a scale of 1-10, how likely would you be to hire [Candidate Name] again if you had an appropriate customer success role for SMB clients available? Why?

Guidance:

Get a clear, quantifiable measure of the reference's overall impression
Understand the reasoning behind their rating

Possible Follow-up Questions:

What would make you rate them higher?
In what type of customer success environment do you think they would thrive most?

Reference Check Scorecard

Verification of Role and Responsibilities

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Significant discrepancies with candidate's claims about SMB customer success role
2: Some minor discrepancies in described responsibilities
3: Mostly aligns with candidate's claims about SMB customer success experience
4: Fully verifies and expands on candidate's claims, highlighting exceptional SMB focus

Customer Success Performance

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Consistently underperformed on key metrics (retention, NPS, adoption)
2: Occasionally met targets for key customer success metrics
3: Consistently met or exceeded targets for retention, NPS, and adoption
4: Top performer, significantly exceeding all key customer success metrics

Product Adoption and Feature Utilization

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggled to drive product adoption and feature utilization
2: Achieved moderate improvements in adoption and utilization
3: Consistently drove strong product adoption and feature utilization
4: Exceptional at maximizing adoption and utilization, often exceeding 80% across accounts

SMB Relationship Building

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Difficulty building relationships with SMB clients
2: Maintained adequate relationships with some SMB clients
3: Consistently developed strong relationships across SMB portfolio
4: Masterful at cultivating deep, lasting partnerships with SMB clients

Strategic Thinking and Problem-Solving

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggled to think strategically or solve complex customer issues
2: Demonstrated basic strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
3: Effectively applied strategic thinking to drive customer outcomes
4: Exceptional strategic thinker, innovative in solving complex customer challenges

Upsell and Cross-sell Ability

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Rarely identified or closed upsell/cross-sell opportunities
2: Occasionally identified upsell/cross-sell opportunities
3: Consistently identified and closed 2+ upsell/cross-sell opportunities per quarter
4: Exceptionally skilled at growing accounts, regularly exceeding upsell/cross-sell targets

Process Improvement and Innovation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Rarely contributed to process improvements
2: Occasionally suggested minor improvements
3: Regularly implemented effective process improvements for SMB success
4: Consistently drove significant innovations in SMB customer success strategies

Adaptability and Learning

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggled to adapt to changes or learn new concepts
2: Adapted to changes with guidance and showed some willingness to learn
3: Demonstrated good adaptability and eagerness to learn in fast-paced environment
4: Thrived on change and continuously sought out learning opportunities

Overall Recommendation from Reference

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Would not rehire for SMB customer success role (1-3 on scale)
2: Might rehire for SMB customer success role (4-6 on scale)
3: Would likely rehire for SMB customer success role (7-8 on scale)
4: Would definitely rehire for SMB customer success role (9-10 on scale)

Goal: Achieve a customer retention rate of 90% or higher within assigned SMB portfolio.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal (consistently below 80% retention)
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal (80-89% retention)
3: Likely to Achieve Goal (90% retention)
4: Likely to Exceed Goal (consistently above 90% retention)

Goal: Drive product adoption, aiming for an average of 80% feature utilization across the customer base.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal (consistently below 60% utilization)
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal (60-79% utilization)
3: Likely to Achieve Goal (80% utilization)
4: Likely to Exceed Goal (consistently above 80% utilization)

Goal: Maintain an NPS score of 50 or higher through proactive engagement and value-added interactions.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal (NPS consistently below 30)
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal (NPS between 30-49)
3: Likely to Achieve Goal (NPS of 50)
4: Likely to Exceed Goal (NPS consistently above 50)

Goal: Identify and facilitate at least 2 upsell or cross-sell opportunities per quarter within the existing customer base.

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal (consistently below 1 opportunity per quarter)
2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal (1-2 opportunities per quarter)
3: Likely to Achieve Goal (2 opportunities per quarter)
4: Likely to Exceed Goal (consistently above 2 opportunities per quarter)

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I effectively assess a candidate's ability to manage multiple SMB accounts?

Look for candidates who can demonstrate strong organizational skills, prioritization abilities, and experience handling a high volume of accounts. Ask for specific examples of how they've managed their time and resources across multiple SMB customers. Our article on how to find sales candidates who can prepare, organize, and plan complex sales offers insights that can be applied to customer success roles.

What's the best way to evaluate a candidate's proactive problem-solving skills?

Ask for examples of how the candidate has anticipated and addressed potential issues before they escalated. Look for evidence of their ability to analyze customer data, identify trends, and take preemptive action. The article on finding and hiring for grit among sales candidates provides valuable insights on assessing problem-solving persistence.

How do I gauge a candidate's ability to drive product adoption in SMB accounts?

Focus on their strategies for onboarding, training, and ongoing customer education. Ask for specific examples of how they've improved feature utilization in past roles. The mock customer success call exercise can provide valuable insights into their ability to articulate product value and encourage adoption.

What strategies can I use to assess adaptability in customer success candidates?

Look for examples of how candidates have handled unexpected changes or challenges in their customer success roles. Ask about times they've had to pivot their approach or adapt to new product features or customer needs. Our article on interviewing sellers for adaptability offers valuable insights that can be applied to customer success roles.

How can I determine if a candidate can meet customer retention and satisfaction targets?

Review their past performance metrics carefully, asking for specific examples of how they've achieved or exceeded retention and NPS goals in previous roles. Look for evidence of their ability to build strong relationships and consistently deliver value to customers. The article on asking the right questions to understand the truth about a sales candidate's past performance can guide you in this assessment.

What's the most effective way to conduct the mock customer success call exercise?

Provide clear instructions and background information to the candidate in advance. During the exercise, pay attention to their questioning strategy, active listening skills, and ability to articulate value propositions. Use the scorecard to evaluate their performance objectively. Our guide on mastering role-playing interviews offers additional tips that can be adapted for customer success simulations.

How should I evaluate a candidate's data analysis and strategic thinking skills?

Ask about specific instances where they've used data to inform customer success strategies. Look for their ability to interpret customer usage metrics, identify trends, and develop data-driven action plans. Candidates should be able to discuss how they've translated data insights into tangible value for customers.

What red flags should I look out for during the interview process?

Be cautious of candidates who can't provide specific examples of past successes, struggle to articulate their customer success methodology, or show a lack of preparation for the interview. Also, watch for signs of inflexibility, poor listening skills, or an inability to handle constructive feedback during the mock customer success call.

How can I use this guide to compare candidates consistently?

Use the scorecards provided for each interview stage to evaluate all candidates against the same criteria. Take detailed notes and complete the scorecards immediately after each interview. During the debrief meeting, focus on comparing candidates' scores and specific examples rather than general impressions.

What should I do if a candidate doesn't have direct SMB customer success experience?

Focus on transferable skills such as relationship building, problem-solving, and adaptability. Look for evidence of success in customer-facing roles and the ability to learn quickly. Consider their potential for growth and how their unique background might bring fresh perspectives to SMB customer success.