In this edition of “Success Made Simple,” we sit down with Guy Galon, VP of Customer Success at cybersecurity firm Obrela. Guy shares his journey into CS, the importance of a multifaceted approach to building teams, and his insights on leveraging human-first strategies in the ever-evolving landscape of customer success.
🪜 Growing into the role
Q: Can you share a bit about your journey into Customer Success and how you got to where you are today?
Guy Galon: My journey into customer success has been a long one, spanning almost 25 years. I started as a software engineer, which helped me become comfortable with technology early on.
After two years, I moved to London from Israel and began working as a technical consultant, where I learned to understand customer requirements before the cloud era. This role helped me see the intersection of technology and business, which I found fascinating.
Over the years, I’ve covered roles in support, sales (plus pre-sales and post-sales), project management and account management. This diverse experience helped me understand how different organizations operate. About seven or eight years ago, when the term “customer success” started gaining traction, I realized I had already been doing similar work for a decade. For me, a major part of customer success is about translating technology benefits into value for customers within their ecosystem.
🚀 Building the best team possible
Q: You mentioned developing a framework for nurturing talent in customer success. Could you elaborate on that?
Guy Galon: Absolutely. During the COVID-19 pandemic, and even before, there was a perceived shortage of CSMs, which made hiring challenging.
" I developed what I call the "multifaceted CSM" model. This model identifies different profiles or facets that a CSM might possess: project management, data analytics, domain expertise, and negotiation skills. Not every CSM will have all these facets, which is fine. The key is to identify what facets are missing and mentor team members to develop those skills. "
Recently, I’ve added an “AI co-pilot” profile to this model, given the increasing importance of AI in our field.
🎓 Challenges in mentoring
Q: Among the different facets of a CSM, which do you find most challenging to teach?
Guy Galon: Domain expertise, particularly in specialized fields like cybersecurity, is often the most challenging to teach. It’s crucial to have a deep understanding of the domain to provide real value to customers.
Negotiation skills can also be tough to develop since not everyone in customer success is naturally inclined towards sales or negotiating. However, these skills can be taught and mentored over time.
💞 Staying motivated
Q: How do you maintain motivation and engagement within your team, especially during challenging times?
Guy Galon: It’s vital to align the team with the company’s strategy and goals, ensuring everyone understands the broader picture.
I encourage open communication and the sharing of ideas within the team. It’s also important to broaden their perspective beyond just following a playbook—encouraging them to think creatively about how to help customers in ways that may not be immediately obvious.
Celebrating successes, fostering collaboration, and recognizing individual contributions are key to keeping the team motivated and engaged.
💪 Current obstacles
Q: What do you see as the biggest challenges currently faced by Customer Success leaders?
Guy Galon: One of the main challenges is capturing and maintaining customers’ attention in a world where our attention span is shrinking. It’s crucial to continuously assess and understand customer satisfaction and engagement, not just from metrics like usage or tickets but also by directly asking customers about their achievements and challenges.
Another challenge is managing and segmenting customers effectively to provide tailored support that aligns with their technical literacy and needs.
🙌 Prioritizing the human touch
Q: Do you have any unconventional practices or beliefs in Customer Success that others might find surprising?
Guy Galon: I place a strong emphasis on the human aspect of customer interactions. While automation, AI, and digital tools are essential, I believe in a human-first approach. This means ensuring that we maintain a balance between leveraging technology and nurturing human relationships.
Many might see this as old-fashioned, but as long as we’re still selling to people and not machines, the human touch remains invaluable.
📚 Never stop learning
Q: Any final advice for someone stepping into a new CS leadership role?
Guy Galon: Understand your company’s strategy and how your team fits into that. Make sure your efforts align with the broader organizational goals. Also, don’t try to be a hero; leverage the strong customer success community, share best practices, and learn from others. This industry is all about collaboration and continuous learning.
Guy’s extensive experience in customer success and his emphasis on human-centric strategies offer invaluable insights for anyone looking to excel in this field. Whether you’re just starting or are a seasoned CS leader, the principles of understanding customer needs, building multifaceted teams, and maintaining human connections are timeless.
