Mastering CSM Role Home Assignment

Here is an example of what a CSM role home assignment looks like:

The scenario: 

BestBuy has been a strategic customer in your portfolio for the last year and a half. They sign a two-year contract and are supposed to renew it in six months. You were very close with the team, but a new decision-maker joined two months ago, and he used to work with your competitor. Recently, the decision maker gave a 4/10 on their latest NPS with the following open response – “Your tool is not providing me the needed value. I feel it requires extra effort to understand how to use it”.

You have booked an EBR (executive business review) with the decision maker and the champion- and you have a chance to turn things around. 

The assignment: 

Prepare a presentation of no more than 6-7 slides max for the EBR. 

• Not client-facing: (1 slide)
  • What are your meeting goals?
  • What preparation is needed for the meeting?
  • What information do you need to receive from the client in the meeting? 

• Presenting the actual deck: (Role playing, 5-6 slides)
  • Based on the scenario, structure your Executive Business Review deck, including everything you think should be part of such a meeting. 

Here are step-by-step guidelines on how to prepare such home assignments in a way that will demonstrate the needed skills:

Not client-facing: (1 slide)

1. Meeting goals: The primary goal of the EBR is to address the concerns raised by the decision-maker and understand their specific pain points. We also aim to showcase the value and potential of our tool to meet their business needs and come up with a clear plan and timeline to build trust with the decision-maker by demonstrating our ability to connect to their day-to-day workflows.
2. Preparation: Before the meeting, we need to review their current usage of our tool, understand the new decision-maker’s background, and gather information about their specific pain points from the champion. Also, map the stakeholders we would like to include in this meeting, for example, our VP of Product or any other executive, to show how much we care. (Generally, an executive presence is essential in an EBR with a strategic account. 
3. Information needed: We need to receive detailed feedback on their experience with our tool, specific pain points, and expectations for the future. Also, at the same time, it is important to share how important this meeting is to your company and that the main goal is to hear them and understand what you can do better. 

Presenting the actual deck: (5-6 slides)

1. Introduction: A quick round of intro (In the slide – The company team and the client team) and a slide with a  brief overview of the meeting goals and agenda.
2. Addressing Pain Points through open discussion: A detailed discussion of the specific pain points raised by the decision-maker and how we plan to address them. First, ask open questions and listen. Second, acknowledge the gaps and commit to making a change in a specific timeframe. Also, provide examples of how other customers in similar situations have used the tool to achieve their goals.
3. Goals Validation: A summary of their current usage and value out of the tool and their feedback vs. previous goals. Also, revalidate goals looking forward.  
4. Product Roadmap: Share new features and use cases that align with their business objectives and show how these can be implemented to deliver results.
5. Next Steps: A summary of the meeting’s action items and follow-up steps.

During the role-playing, it’s important to:

•  Engage your audience–  Start by breaking the ice through a few minutes of small talk and continue by asking relevant questions. 
• Meeting management – Moderate the meeting with assertiveness while maintaining eye contact (western cultures), smiling, and being vibrant and dynamic. 
• Self-awareness – Be mindful of your tone and body language, making sure you convey confidence and empathy while speaking.
• Demonstrate professionalism– Use data and metrics to show the value of the product and demonstrate how it can solve BestBuy’s problems.
• Be genuine – It is ok not to have the answer for everything. If you don’t know, say it and promise to get back to them shortly after the meeting since you want to be 100% sure they will get the most accurate information. 
• Be aware of the time – prepare a clear and concise presentation that covers all the important points in the allotted time.

Good Luck!