In this action step, Nils will explain the simple program he created as a Customer Success team lead. Over to Nils.

We built an internal training program called 'Set the Bar,' which reminded us that we controlled how we set our team standards. We had high expectations of each other, and we were all motivated to grow and learn. The intent of ongoing team development was to help us improve our relationships with customers, strengthen our identity and fortify our team brand.

'Set the Bar' was a program built by the CSMs for the CSMs. Every month, one team member would volunteer to prepare a lunchtime talk with hands-on experience in the form of role plays. We covered a particular topic, like building rapport, listening or asking powerful questions.

Other departments took notice of this program. A leader from the product team was amazed by the culture and camaraderie we'd built on the Customer Success team. When this leader ran their team meetings, they felt like the team members were disengaged and distracted. I explained that the reason why our meetings were so active was that we focused on developing ourselves, instead of going through the status quo of status updates and never-ending Powerpoint presentations.

So, how did we make this program work?

In week one, a team member would present a topic. In weeks 2, 3 and 4, we would apply the new concepts to our customer base and share the lessons learned in our regular team meetings. A team member would be prompted to share an example, then would the rest of the team would ask questions like:

• What happened?
• What was different?
• What are you going to do next time?

Over time, this formed a predictable cycle of learning, sharing and personal growth. Our company was around 130 people, but our small yet mighty group of 10 were by far the most efficient, engaged and energetic. We were the only team in the organization driving our development. Other teams begged for training budget or prayed for some downtime… which never actually happens in a startup.

Our team still faced the typical challenges that go along with growth. Our product failed, we missed expectations and got things wrong. But that didn't hold us back from learning, investing in ourselves and improving as a group.

If you would like to roll this out in your team, remember these three points:

• The content must be actionable. If it's abstract or conceptual, it will be impossible for your team to put it into practice.
• A single person needs to own a session. If you assign this responsibility to everyone, it is left to no-one.
• The team lead needs to help the CSM prepare their session, but not do the work for them.

You can also send your team to CSM Elite - our free five email course purpose-built for Customer Success Managers.