SaaS simply means “Software as a Service.” It is a software distribution model in which third-party providers host applications and make them available to customers over the internet. SaaS is one of the main categories of cloud computing, along with PaaS (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). SaaS is also related to on-demand software delivery models and application service providers (ASP).


The application management model of SaaS is similar to that of ASP because the provider hosts its customers’ software and delivers it to approved users online. Customers get access to a single copy of the application intended for SaaS distribution. The source code is the same for all the users, and when the program gets updated, the new features are also rolled out for all the users.


The customer data might be stored locally or in the cloud. Companies can integrate their SaaS applications with other types of software using APIs. For example, organizations can develop their own software and use the provider’s API to integrate it with the SaaS product.


Why Does SaaS Have The Best Customer Success Teams?


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SaaS companies are known to have the best customer success teams globally. The use of Software as a Service is thriving because it has immediate access to open global markets, and it can grow the need to raise product delivery costs. As customer success becomes more and more important for business, in general, its importance also grows in the SaaS area.


Companies that are growing and expanding often focus on customer success. SaaS customer success is a subject that most companies from this niche cannot ignore. Even though it’s not always possible to draw conclusions from correlations, many companies agree that customer success is a factor that contributes to growth.


Customer experience is one of the most important things that can make you stand out from the competitors. Although investing in customer success can be very beneficial for a business, many companies have difficulties trying to adapt to this relatively new concept.


First, it’s important to determine what customer success is. Simply put, it’s a practice of helping your customers meet their objectives. It’s a long-term strategy that requires you to stick with a proactive approach. You have to not only provide your customers with a good product but also to offer support and consultative help.


Many businesses take customer success into account when planning their marketing strategies. However, SaaS companies are strongly associated with customer success because this business model depends on continued customer satisfaction. Some companies can simply sell a product, make a profit, and they don’t need to stay in touch with their customers unless the customers have any problems.


This isn’t the case with SaaS because SaaS companies don’t sell their product once. Instead, they sell a subscription to an app on a monthly basis. Therefore, they should stay in touch with customers, making sure that users get value consistently.


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However, when it comes to customer success, SaaS companies think not only about profit. SaaS companies also often monitor the usage of their products all the time. When you sell physical products, it’s hard to determine when your customers actually start to use them, or when they experience any problems.


SaaS companies can obtain countless actionable insights into how customers use their products and what issues they have to deal with. When selling SaaS products, you can better understand how your customers use them, what are your customers’ needs, and how you can help them achieve their goals. Therefore, evaluating customer success also enables you to continuously improve your software.


Quick Tips on SaaS Marketing


  • Know your target market

Effective SaaS marketing to a large extent depends on your ability to identify your target market. You have to segment different types of customers based on their needs, budgets, goals, problems, and decision-makers. First, you should determine your target market’s purchasing power. For instance, some types of software are intended for personal use. In this case, there is one decision-maker who also handles all the expenses.


However, other types of software, including project management software, require you to convince a group of people to make a sale. If a purchasing decision is made by a committee or team, the cost of every sale increases. Purchasing power also depends on how much your customers can spend to solму their problems. Companies generally have bigger budgets than individuals.


You should also take into account the purchasing desire. You should look for customers who are highly motivated to pay for a solution. For instance, your software might be a useful addition for one company and an essential tool for another. The purchasing desire also increases if your potential customers are dissatisfied with their current software.


  • Make use of emails using promising subject lines

When it comes to SaaS business, email marketing is very effective. However, the success of your email campaign depends on how many people will actually open your emails and click the CTA button. Your subject lines should make people want to open your emails. They should be clear, interesting, and compelling.


We recommend that you use a sense of urgency so that your recipients can understand that they must act now. You can also use their curiosity. Give your potential customers a hint on how your email can benefit them but don’t give them too much information in the subject line so that they will want to open the email and learn more.


You should also try to personalize your emails as much as possible. Modern marketers can learn a lot about the members of their audience, including their jobs, preferences, and interests. Personalized subject lines have higher open rates and help you build trust.


  • Keep your value demos short and simple

Your value demos should be clear and get straight to the point. We also recommend that you don’t forget that product demos are sales tools, not training tools. You have to explain why your product is better than your competitor’s product. Of course, your customers might need some training when they buy the product and start to use it, but they don’t need it now.


Your prospects should also see that you value their time and resources. Therefore, your demos must be short. If you’ve researched the market, you probably know what aspects are most important, so just focus on them and make your demo as short as possible. Don’t forget that your features shouldn’t be the main selling point. Instead, you should consider the value of your product and the way it can help your customers achieve their goals. These are the crucial aspects of the SaaS customer success model.


  • Discard discounts for now

Even though discounts are extremely common, we recommend that you consider not using them. Discounts always decrease revenue, but they are especially dangerous for SaaS businesses. The success of all SaaS companies directly depends on their monthly recurring revenue, and discounts can become a big problem. Besides, big discounts will limit your ability to provide high-quality customer service.


  • Follow-up on customers

The SaaS business model requires you to follow up on your customers because you can lose them if you’re not persistent enough. If you’ve had a meeting with potential customers, we recommend that you send them follow-up emails as soon as possible, when they’re most engaged. Thank them for their time, mention the key points of the conversation, and outline your and their next steps. Reinforce your value but don’t re-explain the features of your product because you don’t want your prospects to feel bored.


What SaaS Companies Have the Best Customer Success Teams


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Amazon Web Services, Google G Suite, Oracle, Cisco, and HubSpot are big companies that have made tremendous commitment and investment in customer success. Customer success is one of the reasons why these services remain extremely popular. However, there are also many other SaaS companies that prove that a proper customer success program can make a huge difference.

  • Lua

This is a messaging app that achieves customer success in an organic way. The company targets higher management and closely works with executives so that the hierarchy of the company can bring the app to its end-users. Lua produces customized help materials and even helps managers write emails for employees, explaining why they should subscribe. Lua also sends its customers surveys to evaluate their customer success on a regular basis.


  • Ambition

Ambition is a productivity monitoring system. There are many helpful materials on the company’s website, and the adoption of the company’s services is a continuous process. Ambition also increases engagement by recognizing the most productive employees that use the software.


  • Double Dutch

Given that this company sells event apps, it has to convince prospects to buy their apps as quickly as possible. The company decided to divide its client service department into two: the Customer Success and Implementation divisions. The Customer Success division communicates with customers and provides guidance and support, while the Implementation division takes care of the technical issues.


  • Insightly

This company is a CRM provider that emphasizes the importance of the onboarding process. Customer success specialists work with each client, answering their questions and providing instructional materials that can help customers achieve better results.


SaaS is advantageous for small businesses because it provides access to expensive, high-powered software that might be unobtainable through conventional purchasing methods.


Conclusion


SaaS has been seen to provide notable savings by eliminating the upfront cost of purchase or installation, as well as on-going costs like maintenance and upgrades. The SaaS business model is also associated with customer success because the growth of SaaS companies depends on their ability to satisfy the needs of their customers consistently.


About the Author

Gregory is a blogger and freelancer. He works on Online Writers Rating and Best Writers Online writing service review websites. Gregory writes about business, marketing and development.