Doing More with Less

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It feels like every customer team is being asked to do more with less - more revenue retention, more expansion revenue, and more customers serviced with less spending on tools and people.

Doing more with less requires focus and operational discipline. There is no end to the amount of work postsales teams can do for customers, so it’s important to orient the team to the work that matters the most. The focus should be on keeping and growing customers, and the most important work will support these goals. In postsales, you should streamline or eliminate any work that doesn’t support retention and expansion.

Renewal Operations

Once you’ve established focus on the right work, you should look to personalize and automate any work that your team must do for every customer.

We call this work Renewal Operations, which simply means the steps in your customer journey you and your customers must complete to keep the relationship going and growing.

By breaking down your customer journey into achievable milestones and providing your customer team objectives for each phase, you create a map for success for every customer. You can reference where the customer is on this map to assess risk, and your team and use these milestones to guide the customer to the outcomes that matter most.

With the right customer map, you will be able to create a renewal experience that is delightful, predictable, and automatic.

What Renewal Operations Should be Automated?

The specific renewal operations that should be automated can vary based on the nature of the business, but here are some common areas where automation can be beneficial in the context of B2B renewals:

  • Contract Renewal Notifications:
    Automate the generation and sending of renewal notifications to customers as their contract expiration dates approach.

  • Quote Generation:
    Automatically generate renewal quotes based on the terms of the existing contract, ensuring accuracy and consistency.

  • Billing and Invoicing:
    Automate the billing process, generating invoices for renewed contracts and ensuring timely and accurate invoicing.

  • Payment Processing:
    Implement automated payment processing systems to facilitate seamless and timely payments from customers upon contract renewal.

  • Customer Communication:
    Set up automated communication workflows to keep customers informed about the renewal process, including reminders, updates, and any necessary actions required on their part.

  • Data Validation and Updates:
    Automate the validation of customer data to ensure accuracy and update relevant information in your CRM or other systems.

  • Contract Review and Approval:
    Streamline the contract review and approval process through automated workflows, ensuring that the necessary stakeholders are involved and that the process is efficient.

  • Usage and Performance Monitoring:
    Implement automated systems to monitor usage metrics and performance indicators related to the product or service being renewed. This data can be valuable in negotiations, and in understanding customer needs.

  • Customer Feedback
    Automate the collection of customer feedback to gain insights into their experience during the renewal process and identify areas for improvement.

  • Integration with CRM
    Ensure seamless integration between your renewal processes and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems (like Salesforce and Hubspot) to maintain a unified view of customer interactions.

  • Compliance Checks:
    Automate compliance checks to ensure that renewed contracts adhere to regulatory requirements and company policies.

  • Escalation Procedures:
    Establish automated escalation procedures for cases where renewal negotiations may require additional attention or approval from higher management.

  • Analytics and Reporting:
    Utilize automation to generate reports on renewal performance, customer retention rates, and other relevant metrics to inform strategic decision-making.

Before implementing automation, it’s essential to assess your specific business needs, customer expectations, and internal processes to determine which renewal operations are most suitable for automation. Regularly review and update your automated processes to adapt to changing business requirements and technologies.

Benefits of Automated Renewal Operations

Automating renewal processes in a B2B company can offer several significant benefits, contributing to increased efficiency, improved customer satisfaction, and enhanced overall business performance. Here are some key advantages:

  • Time and Resource Savings:
    Automation reduces the need for manual intervention in repetitive tasks, saving time and allowing employees to focus on more strategic and value-added activities.

  • Consistency and Accuracy:
    Automated processes ensure consistency in renewal operations, reducing the likelihood of errors associated with manual data entry, calculations, and communications.

  • Improved Customer Experience:
    Streamlined renewal processes contribute to a smoother customer experience. Automated notifications, easy-to-understand quotes, and efficient communication enhance customer satisfaction.

  • Faster Renewal Cycles:
    Automation accelerates the renewal process by generating quotes, processing invoices, and handling other tasks more quickly. This can lead to shorter renewal cycles and increased revenue realization.

  • Enhanced Data Management:
    Automation improves data accuracy and integrity by minimizing the risk of human errors. This ensures that customer information is up-to-date and reliable, contributing to better decision-making.

  • Increased Renewal Rates:
    By providing timely and automated reminders, quotes, and communications, companies can increase the likelihood of customers renewing their contracts, leading to higher renewal rates and improved customer retention.

  • Strategic Insights and Analytics:
    Automated systems can collect and analyze data related to renewal performance, customer behavior, and market trends. This valuable information enables companies to make informed decisions and implement data-driven strategies.

  • Efficient Contract Management:
    Automation simplifies contract management by organizing and updating contract data, ensuring compliance, and facilitating a more streamlined approach to handling contract renewals.

  • Scalability:
    Automated renewal processes can easily scale to accommodate a growing customer base. As the business expands, automation helps maintain efficiency without a proportional increase in manual workload.

  • Cost Reduction:
    By reducing the need for manual labor in repetitive tasks, automation can lead to cost savings in terms of staffing, training, and operational expenses.

  • Mitigation of Compliance Risks:
    Automated renewal processes can include checks for regulatory compliance, reducing the risk of non-compliance issues and associated penalties.

  • Cross-Sell and Upsell Opportunities:
    Automated systems can be configured to identify cross-sell and upsell opportunities during the renewal process, contributing to increased revenue through additional product or service offerings.

  • Agility and Adaptability:
    Automated systems can be easily adapted to changing business needs and market dynamics, allowing companies to stay agile and respond quickly to evolving circumstances.

How Retain Can Help

Strong renewal operations are integral to the long-term success of a company. They not only contribute to revenue stability and customer retention but also provide valuable data and insights that can drive strategic decision-making and help your company stay competitive.

Retain delivers strong renewal operations out-of the box. We automate renewal operations and partner with you on renewal and expansion strategy, and our platform provides your team with the insights and tools they need to deliver a delightful renewal experience and more revenue from your customers.