Top 10 Customer Success Skills Employers Want (and How To Use Them)

Customer success is more than just solving problems; it’s about building relationships, driving product value, and helping customers reach their goals. In fact, companies like Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoom, and Zendesk are all looking for customer success professionals with the right mix of skills to keep customers happy and engaged.

But what exactly are those skills, and how can you apply them in real-life situations?

After analyzing job descriptions from leading companies hiring for customer success roles, we’ve identified the top 10 skills employers want—and how you can use them to stand out and succeed in your role.

Let’s dive in!

1. KPI Tracking

What it means: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are metrics that show how well you're meeting your goals. Customer success professionals need to track KPIs like customer retention, product usage, and customer satisfaction scores.

In real life: Imagine you’re managing a customer account, and the customer hasn’t been using the product as much lately. By tracking their usage data (a KPI), you notice the decline early and reach out to offer additional training or support. This proactive approach can prevent them from churning (leaving) and keep them happy with your product.

2. Cross-Sell Strategies

What it means: Cross-selling is recommending additional products or services to your existing customers based on their needs. This skill involves knowing when and how to offer these extras without being pushy.

In real life: Let’s say your customer is using one of your software products, and you know they could benefit from a new feature that would save them time. You reach out and say, “Hey, I noticed you’ve been doing [X task]. Did you know our tool has [Y feature] that could help you do that faster?” You’re offering value while also generating more business for your company.

3. Account Management

What it means: Account management is about maintaining ongoing relationships with customers, making sure they get the most value out of the product, and ensuring they stick around long-term.

In real life: Think of yourself as a guide for your customer. You regularly check in to see how things are going, help them troubleshoot any issues, and give advice on how to use your product better. Your goal is to build trust and keep them as a satisfied customer.

4. Communication

What it means: Strong communication skills are key to success in any role, but especially in customer success. This includes everything from clearly explaining product features to listening to customer concerns.

In real life: Let’s say a customer is confused about how to use a new feature. You might hop on a quick call, walk them through the process step by step, and follow up with a simple email recap. By being clear and patient, you help the customer feel confident and supported.

5. Onboarding

What it means: Onboarding is the process of helping new customers get started with your product. It’s about making sure they know how to use it and feel comfortable from the start.

In real life: When a new customer signs up, you might schedule a personalized demo to walk them through the setup process. You could also send them a series of helpful emails over the first few weeks, each highlighting a different feature. The goal is to help them see value quickly, so they’re more likely to stay a long-term customer.

6. Driving Adoption

What it means: Driving adoption means encouraging customers to use your product more deeply, exploring new features and seeing the full value of what you offer.

In real life: You notice a customer is only using one core feature of your product. You reach out to show them how another feature could help them solve a different problem they’re facing. By helping them use more of the product, you make it harder for them to leave—and they get even more value.

7. Process Improvement

What it means: This skill involves constantly looking for ways to improve how your team or company supports customers. It could be about refining how you handle customer issues or speeding up onboarding.

In real life: Let’s say you notice that many customers have the same question during onboarding. Instead of answering it over and over, you create a quick-start guide that solves the issue right away. Now, onboarding is smoother, and customers are getting up to speed faster.

8. Listening

What it means: Listening isn’t just about hearing what customers say, it’s about understanding their pain points and identifying what they really need.

In real life: A customer might tell you, “The product’s fine, but it’s not working exactly how I expected.” By asking follow-up questions and listening carefully, you realize that what they really need is a specific feature they haven’t tried yet. You show them how to use it, and suddenly, they’re happy again.

9. Churn Management

What it means: Churn management is all about reducing the number of customers who stop using your product. This means identifying at-risk customers early and taking steps to keep them engaged.

In real life: If a customer hasn’t logged in for a few weeks, you reach out to check if they need help or have run into problems. Maybe they didn’t understand a feature, or they’re struggling to see the value. You offer personalized assistance or training, and they decide to stick around instead of leaving.

10. Strategic Thinking

What it means: Strategic thinking is about looking at the bigger picture and helping your customers achieve their long-term goals, not just solving short-term problems.

In real life: Instead of just fixing a customer’s issue when they come to you, you think ahead. Maybe you suggest additional training or a product update that aligns with their future plans. This proactive approach builds trust and positions you as a key partner in their success.

Whether you’re looking to break into customer success or grow in your current role, getting these top skills right is key to standing out in a competitive job market. Our bite-sized, actionable courses are designed to help you quickly build the expertise employers like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk are looking for.

Start learning today and become the go-to resource for your customers!