When you’re paired with a great Customer Success Manager, you hold on tight and hope they never leave your side.
They’re your connection between the product you’ve bought and the outcomes you were promised—and they’re doing their darndest to deliver on them. They know your goals and business challenges. Your strengths and weaknesses. They’re there for the best of times, like when you hit that ROI goal, and the worst of times (we’ll leave those between you and your CSM). So, with the holidays upon us, how do you express to them how grateful you are that they have sacrificed sleep and health to make sure you’re getting the most out of your investment? We’ve compiled a list of gifts that are sure to put a smile on your favorite CSM’s face—and hopefully forgive that one time you called them at 3:00 a.m.
1. The Coffee Saver
Raise your hand if you’ve started your day with a warm cup of coffee and returned to your desk to find it ice cold. This usb-powered coffee warmer will give your CSM a steady supply of warm coffee so they can spend less time reheating their coffee and more time using that caffeine buzz to answer the paragraph of questions you just sent over.
2. You are Doing a Freaking Great Job Calendar
You know it, but do they? Now you can give the gift of laughter, motivation, and daily affirmations of your CSM’s awesomeness from afar with this one-a-day calendar.
3. “I Am Very Busy” Travel Mug
If your CSM’s calendar is a colorful collage of overlapping appointments, they need this thermal mug. Now, instead of telling people how busy they are, your CSM-on-the-go can flash this mug and everyone will get the picture.
4. Smart Notebook + Pens
If your CSM likes to take notes old-school, bring them into 2018 with this notebook and pen combo. The notebook is reusable—just pop it in the microwave (yes, the microwave!) to erase notes written with the special included pens. Not only is this notebook eco-friendly, it also bridges the gap between physical and digital. Using the associated app, their handwritten notes can be uploaded to popular cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and more.
5. Passion Planner
Your CSM keeps your business’ goals top of mind, so why not give them a way to apply that same focus to their own personal life! This planner is a popular way to keep daily tasks, appointments, long-term goals neatly organized. Think Gainsight for personal goals, in paper form.
6. Charging Station
Treat your CSM to a slick charging station and give them the gift of eternal battery life. Now they have no excuse if they miss your 3:00 a.m. calls!
7. Personal Development Books
One of the top-rated personal development books of the year, “High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way” reveals “the most effective habits for reaching long-term success.” If the gift you give makes your CSM more efficient… is it really just a gift to yourself?
8. The Customer Success Book
If your CSM hasn’t read “Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue,” they need this book ASAP. This book will give them insight into the “why” behind their day-to-day and provide a wealth of best practices they can apply to all their accounts.
9. A Thank You Card, But Better
Thank you cards are table stakes. Step it up with a personalized, handwritten card that you can order straight from your phone (with no added pressure on your own creative talents). This card is guaranteed to be placed front and center on your CSM’s desk.
10. Diffuser + Essential Oils
Your CSM may treat you like their only account, but they are undoubtedly busy juggling the outcomes of multiple clients. This portable diffuser brings the spa to the office so they can clear their mind of distractions and tune into whatever problems are at hand. Don’t forget the essential oils! We recommend lavender for relaxation and orange or eucalyptus to give them that post-lunch energy boost.
11. Sticky Notes 2.0
A well-organized CSM needs sticky notes to match. Sometimes online notes don’t cut it so this set of sticky notes will help your CSM keep their life straight and full of color!
12. Desk Toys
Did you know that fidgeting improves focus? Forget zen gardens and stress balls, help your CSM get through their many (many) daily calls with this 12 pack of Silly Putty or a fidget cube. Your CSM will thank you when they discover how well these desk accessories help them stay engaged during long calls or meetings.
13. A Spa Day
If you’re not your CSM’s most difficult client, there’s someone out there who can claim that title. Show how much you appreciate your external teammate with a Spafinder e-gift card they can use to treat themselves to a wide variety of spa treatments.
14. A Breath of Fresh Air
An air plant is the perfect gift for your CSM because it adds a delightful amount of zen and air purification to a workspace but requires very little maintenance so it won’t interfere with the time they need to spend preparing for their call with you that afternoon.
15. Gift Basket Classics
You can’t go wrong with a Henry & David gift basket. With a wide variety of options, you can treat your CSM (and their team, if they’re feeling generous) to a fun basket of delicious treats.
Remember, the best gift you can give your CSM is a raving review. If you have a few minutes, write to their superiors and let them know just how much you appreciate your CSM’s efforts. And while buying your CSM a ticket to Pulse 2018 might not be in your budget, make sure to add how valuable the event will be for their CSMs, their business, and you, the customer!
