Keeping your customers happy, engaged, and informed is critical to your competitive advantage.

Once a sales agreement has been signed, it's time for customer success teams to step in and keep clients engaged and communication flowing.

One part of the so called "customer success" is sending regular and engaging emails.

Write more effective customer success emails

Effective customer success emails are essential in this process, helping to build your brand and boost your business. We can show you how to write effective customer success messages using best practices gathered from experts.

We bring it to life with 6 emails every customer success manager will need to send.

What Is customer success?

You may have heard the phrase customer success, but what does it mean?

The Customer Success Association describes it this way: "Customer Success is a long-term, scientifically engineered, and professionally directed business strategy for maximizing customer and company sustainable proven profitability."

Is that clear, or are you still a little confused? (We are).

A simple definition of customer success is a process or set of processes to increase customer satisfaction with your products and services.

Customer success teams step in to offer end-to-end support once a sale has been agreed upon. In the past, it was called aftersales support, but that doesn't capture quite how much the team does.

A Customer Success team stays in contact with customers throughout their experience with your business – from onboarding to support the user experience.

Why is this important? First, customer success is about keeping customers happy (so they buy more) and upselling new products and services. But that's the start...

Here are some of the key benefits for businesses adopting a customer success strategy:

• Improve customer satisfaction
• Build stronger relationships
• Raise the business profile
• Increase customer loyalty
• Identify service issues – and solve them as soon as possible
• Reduce churn (the number of customers who leave)
• Maximise customer value (earn the most from each customer)
• Opportunities to upsell and cross-sell
• Turn customers into advocates

Customer Success teams love data, dashboards, and metrics. They focus on measuring several data points, including product information, customer experience (and satisfaction), and lead generation.

Some of the key customer success metrics include:

• Net-promoter score (NPS)
• Customer churn rate
• Monthly-recurring-revenue
• Average revenue per-user
• Conversion rate
• Customer satisfaction

Each business will have its selection of essential metrics to measure. A SaaS company will want to focus on different things than a box-shifting online seller, for example.

Whatever figures you choose to focus on, your customer success metrics are clearly defined and supported by accessible data points.

Critical to the success of a customer success strategy is your team. The Customer Success team role will suit someone professional and personable, as they'll become the face of your business.

They'll also need to know how to write effective emails, so let's get started!

Why are customer success emails important?

1. Building Trust and Loyalty
   ‍Customer success emails are a direct channel to showcase your dedication to your customers' well-being. When you proactively reach out with personalized guidance, tips, and solutions, you demonstrate that your relationship goes beyond transactional interactions. By consistently providing value through these emails, you foster trust and show that you're invested in their success, ultimately building strong customer loyalty.‍
2. Preventing Customer Churn
   ‍Effective customer success emails act as a safety net against churn. By addressing potential issues before they escalate, you prevent customers from becoming frustrated and seeking alternatives. When you acknowledge their concerns, offer solutions, and ensure their satisfaction, you increase the chances of retaining their business.
   These emails reassure customers that their needs matter, encouraging them to stay engaged with your brand.‍
3. Transforming Customers into Advocates
   ‍Customer success emails can turn satisfied customers into enthusiastic advocates. When you consistently provide valuable insights, assistance, and support, you're nurturing a positive brand perception.
   Satisfied customers are more likely to share their positive experiences with friends, family, and colleagues. This word-of-mouth marketing can lead to new customers and an expanded network of loyal advocates, amplifying the impact of your customer success efforts.
   

In essence, customer success emails are a powerful tool that not only addresses immediate concerns but also lays the foundation for lasting relationships, reduced churn, and organic growth through customer advocacy.

How to write customer success emails

Here are 5 expert tips for creating the best customer success email communications:

1. Communicate frequently

Timing and frequency are crucial when it comes to customer success emails.

Why? You want to stay in contact and ensure your customers know who you are and what you offer.

But, you want to avoid spamming and annoying your customers. Your business may have a policy on how often to push out emails.

We recommended it's better to be confident (not overly cautious) and send regular messages. (Your customers can always ignore them! Keep an eye on your unsubscribe rate; if it's increasing, consider reducing email frequency.)

2. Make it as easy as possible to contact you or book a call.

Customer success emails are about creating a connection, so always include your contact details!

Provide all necessary contact details for you and your company in every email. Offer as many touchpoints as possible, including phone, email, IM, and (even in 2023) your snail mail address.

Every customer-focused email should contain a CTA, setting out the next steps in the process. This keeps things focused and fresh.

3. Be proactive about solving customer problems

The best customer success emails push pain points.

Customers want an easy life and (if they're anything like us) someone else to solve their issues or provide solutions to common problems.

To achieve this, you'll need an in-depth understanding of your customers (which you get through talking to them, which is why you email them). The better you know your customers, the more attractive your offer can be.

Service businesses can benefit from offering customers access to a knowledge base with frequently asked questions. You can link to these resources in your messages.

4. Keep your brand and value proposition visible

Identifying pain points can create interest and engagement. Now, it’s time to tell your customers again why they should trust you.

Part of that is repeating your value proposition. Identify the attributes that make your business unique and remind your customers of the reasons why they do business with you.

Of course, you'll need to back this up with some social proof, so link to your online channels, testimonials, and case studies to increase customer confidence. This is especially important at the start of the customer journey.

5. Personalize every message

Customers will only have a little time to read your message, so make every message clear and concise. Basically, get to the point quickly.

But remember to personalize each message. Remember, you're aiming to build a long-term relationship. Adding value at every stage is vital to achieving this.

By this point, you might be worried about writing customer success emails, but you don't need to be. Instead, focus on your customers, keep things clear, and provide solutions (without explicitly pushing products), and you'll be fine.

In the next section, we demonstrate how to achieve this with 6 email templates for customer success.

Sample situations and how to approach them:

Onboarding Emails

In onboarding emails, you aim to make new customers feel welcome and comfortable as they start using your product or service. Your email should provide them with clear instructions on how to begin and highlight the main features they'll need.

Example: "Welcome to [Your App Name]! We're excited to have you on board. To get started, follow these three simple steps: create your account, explore our dashboard, and watch our brief tutorial video to see how [Your App Name] can streamline your workflow."

Usage Tips and Best Practices

These emails provide added value to customers by offering insights on how to maximize their experience with your product. Share expert tips, lesser-known features, and best practices that they might not have discovered on their own.

Example: "Unlock [Your Software's Name]'s full potential with these pro tips: Did you know you can automate repetitive tasks using our 'Quick Actions' feature? Save time and boost efficiency by integrating it into your daily routine!"

Problem Resolution Emails

When customers encounter issues, it's important to address their concerns promptly. Acknowledge the problem, provide a clear solution, and assure them that you're working to resolve the issue.

Example: "We apologize for the recent glitch you experienced while using [Your Service]. Our technical team has identified the cause and is actively working on a fix. In the meantime, here's a temporary workaround to ensure your tasks are completed smoothly."

Upselling and Cross-Selling

These emails present opportunities to introduce customers to additional products or upgrades that align with their needs. Tailor your recommendations based on their usage history and preferences.

Example: "Upgrade your subscription to [Premium Plan] and enjoy advanced features like priority support, enhanced collaboration tools, and exclusive access to new templates. Take your experience with [Your App] to the next level!"

Renewal and Feedback Requests

As a customer's renewal date approaches, express gratitude for their continued partnership and remind them of the value they've gained. Additionally, kindly request feedback to enhance your services.

Example: "We're delighted to have been part of your journey over the past year. Your loyalty means the world to us. As we prepare for your subscription renewal, we'd love to hear your thoughts on how we can make your experience even better!"

Remember, personalization is key. Use your customer's name, reference their past interactions, and tailor your content to their unique needs and preferences.

6 customer success email templates

Before we dive into the examples, let's explain how we're writing effective emails.

Core to excellent customer success emails is their relevance and personalization. These may come from an organization, but always remember you're writing to a real person.

Always bear in mind that these templates are designed for customization (and follow our top tips and best practices outlined above!).

1. Customer Success introduction email template

This customer success manager introduction email is used at the start of your relationship. This email aims to say hi and offer to help your customer with anything they need.

Specifically, we provide an overview of the customer success program that outlines the next steps in your relationship. For example, if you don't know when to start with your message program, you can use this template when introducing yourself to a new client or customer.

2. Sales to Customer Success handoff email template

Once you've enrolled a customer onto your pathway, you'll need to introduce them to your customer success team. This email template is suitable for introducing clients to their Customer Success or Account Manager.

This person is responsible for their onboarding and ongoing customer support once the deal has been done. We provide a short explanation of the customer journey, an explanation of the handoff process, and the next steps in the process. Let's get started.

3. Customer Success welcome email template

Here is an example of a welcome email sent to a new customer or client after receiving a handoff from your sales team.

We start by expressing gratitude for choosing the company and an overview of the customer success program. Then, we explain the resources available to the customer to add value to the interaction.

4. Customer Success check-in email template

Has it been a while since you've been in contact with a customer or a client? Then it's time to check in!

You don't want to bother your customers, but you should aim to stay in regular contact with them. Customers may be experiencing issues or frustrations or simply wish to offer feedback, so ask them!

Sending a friendly and short check-in email offering assistance, sharing resources, or highlighting best practices keeps you in contact with your customers. So if it's time to check in, here's a sample email you can use.

5. Customer Success follow-up email template

You may want to follow up on a previous conversation, ask for an update on a customer's progress, ask for feedback, or offer additional resources.

Whatever you're focusing on, you can achieve it all with this customer success follow-up email template.

6. Connecting with an unresponsive customer email template

Sometimes, communication with a customer can go cold. However, it's still worth contacting unresponsive customers to understand their experience. You can also provide an offer of assistance and an explanation of the importance of communication in helping them to get the best from your business.

You can include a request for a response, but this may be a bit pushy – so focus on establishing a line of communication first.

Customer Success email templates with MailMaestro

Once your customer base grows you may run into a (very positive) problem. You simply have too many customers to tend to and not enough time to send and respond to all emails.

We can help alleviate some of your stress.

MailMaestro is an AI email assistant that can write some of those emails for you. We use artificial intelligence to speed up your email replies, like this.

Final words

Before we recap the key points, it's worth reflecting on the importance of customer success.

In a world where competition for sales and services is more challenging than ever, customer success can make a difference. Get it right, and you'll keep your customers happy and your business profitable.

A core part of customer success is clear communication and effective emails.

Follow our customer success email tips and use our templates to keep customers informed, engaged, and inspired to stay with you.