The Customer Value Manager - Role Description
Amar Dhaliwal is a Director and Co-founder at Ibbaka. Connect on LinkedIn
In a recent blog post, "What's a Customer Value Manager and Why You Need One", I posited that the Customer Value Manager (CVM) is set to become a critical role in B2B SaaS companies.
As businesses continue to focus on delivering measurable outcomes and aligning value with pricing, the CVM will play a pivotal role in ensuring that customers not only understand the value they are receiving but also experience it throughout their entire journey. This role is designed to bridge the gap between customer success, product management, and pricing teams, ensuring that value is consistently delivered, communicated, and optimized.
As B2B SaaS companies evolve in an increasingly competitive landscape, investing in a CVM will be key to driving customer retention, satisfaction, and long-term growth.
In this follow up post, I share a role description for a Customer Value Manager including key responsibilities and experiences.
The Customer Value Manager (CVM)
Key Responsibilities
Value Discovery and Communication
Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to define and communicate the unique value propositions of the SaaS product.
Engage with customers early in their journey to understand their business goals and challenges, helping them see how the product can address these needs.
Develop tailored value propositions for different customer segments based on their specific pain points.
Value Realization
Work closely with Customer Success Managers (CSMs) to create and implement success plans that align with the customer’s desired outcomes.
Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) that track how well the product is delivering on its promised value.
Conduct regular business reviews with customers to demonstrate how the product is meeting or exceeding expectations.
Value Measurement and Reporting
Develop frameworks for measuring value at various stages of the customer lifecycle, from onboarding to renewal.
Use data analytics tools to track product usage, customer satisfaction, and ROI metrics.
Present clear reports on value realization to both internal stakeholders (e.g., product teams) and external customers.
Pricing Alignment
Collaborate with the pricing and packaging teams to ensure that the pricing structure reflects the value delivered by the product.
Provide feedback on how different pricing models (e.g., tiered pricing or usage-based pricing) impact perceived customer value.
Help refine pricing strategies based on customer feedback and competitive market analysis.
Cross-functional Collaboration
Act as a liaison between sales, marketing, product management, and customer success teams to ensure a unified approach to delivering customer value.
Advocate for customers internally by ensuring their feedback is incorporated into product development and feature prioritization.
Account Expansion and Upselling
Identify opportunities for account expansion by understanding additional needs that can be met through upselling or cross-selling.
Work with sales teams to present these opportunities in a way that emphasizes added value rather than just additional cost.
Customer Retention & Churn Reduction
Proactively engage with at-risk accounts by focusing on areas where value delivery may be falling short.
Implement strategies to reduce churn by reinforcing the ongoing benefits of using the SaaS solution.
Ideal Experience
The ideal candidate for a Customer Value Manager role should have:
Experience in Customer Success or Account Management: A strong background in managing customer relationships within a SaaS environment is essential. Candidates should have experience working directly with customers to help them achieve business outcomes through technology solutions.
Strong Analytical Skills: The ability to measure and report on customer value using data-driven insights is crucial. Experience with CRM systems, data analysis tools, and reporting platforms is highly desirable.
Cross-functional Collaboration: The CVM must work across multiple departments, so experience collaborating with teams such as sales, marketing, product management, and finance is important.
Understanding of SaaS Pricing Models: Familiarity with various SaaS pricing strategies (e.g., subscription-based, usage-based) is necessary for aligning pricing with delivered value.
Excellent Communication Skills: The ability to clearly articulate complex ideas about value propositions both internally (to stakeholders) and externally (to customers) is key.
Problem-solving Abilities: A proactive approach to identifying potential issues related to value delivery and developing solutions before they escalate is essential for success in this role.
Customer-Centric Mindset: A deep understanding of what drives customer success in a B2B context and a passion for helping customers realize tangible business outcomes from their investment in your product.
In summary
In summary, While the Customer Success Manager (CSM) and Account Manager roles are well-established in B2B SaaS companies, the Customer Value Manager brings a unique focus on value realization and value measurement.
Unlike CSMs, who primarily focus on helping customers achieve their goals with the product, CVMs take a more strategic approach by ensuring that the value delivered aligns with pricing and is communicated effectively throughout the customer lifecycle.
Similarly, while Account Managers often focus on relationship management and sales, CVMs are responsible for quantifying and demonstrating the ROI of a product, ensuring that customers see tangible business outcomes from their investment. This makes the CVM role distinct in its emphasis on both delivering and communicating value in a measurable way.
Good luck in building out a CVM function in your business. Let me know how it goes.
