Beyond Support: Why Customer Success Is the Way Forward

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Tired of going in circles just to get product support? So are we. Legal teams have enough on their plates without being put on hold and forced to endure dreadful elevator music.

That’s where Summize's approach to customer success comes in, but what does “Customer Success” actually mean, and what makes our approach unique in the CLM market? We sat down with our Customer Success Managers (CSMs) to find out more.
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Customer success: The B2B Swiss army knife

At Summize, we see Customer Success as the B2B Swiss army knife - a key tool that combines the knowledge, skills, and problem-solving mindset to help Summize customers hit their goals and get the most value from their Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) solution. But what does that look like through the eyes of a CSM?

The foundation of any effective Customer Success function is great customer service. But this isn’t something you can’t learn in a lecture theatre; it’s built through real-world experience where you develop strong communication skills and a genuine desire to help people solve their problems.

Our Summize CSMs build on that foundation by taking a strategic approach and becoming valued trusted advisors for our customers. The team always has our customers’ best interests in mind, and they take time to listen to understand the pain points businesses are aiming to solve through CLM implementation.

From there, our CSMs craft a strategy best suited to a business’ needs, with a set of realistic but achievable goals.

“For us, it’s not about chasing renewals or upsells. It’s about putting the customer first. We proactively look for ways Summize can help legal teams, and the wider business, achieve their goals.”
Claire Robinson, Customer Success Manager.

While a Swiss army knife might come with 14 tools, our CSMs need just 2, a powerful combination of strategic insight and hands-on support that allows them to adapt to each customer’s needs and drive meaningful progress.
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The CSM Blueprint

So, what does it really take to be an effective Customer Success Manager? Beyond customer service skills and a strategic mindset, it comes down to a specific blend of qualities that turn customer goals into real outcomes.

Summize’s VP of Customer Success, Ell Powles, believes Customer Success at Summize relies on three pillars:

• Value means ensuring customers are using Summize to their full potential to solve real problems and improve their day-to-day.  
• Experience goes beyond polite follow-ups; it's about being genuinely easy to work with, solving issues quickly and building relationships that make customers want to pick up the phone.
• Outcomes are how we measure success. Whether it’s speeding up contract reviews, improving contract visibility, or freeing up time for legal teams, we aim to help customers reach their goals.  

“It's a multi-faceted role that brings together all different areas of the business to ensure customers are getting value from the solution and reducing churn in the business.”
Fran Bennett, Customer Success Manager.

Being proactive vs reactive

Being equipped with these skills and qualities, our CSMs can take a different approach to customer success, one that is proactive and not reactive. The team isn’t waiting around goals to be achieved, instead the team seeks out success through creating strategies and providing clear roadmaps that give your company a clear vision of what success looks like and how to get there.

The Customer Success team broke this down further.

Claire explained, “Unlike traditional customer support, it's more of a proactive approach than a reactive approach.” This means helping customers get the most out of the product from day one and not waiting for when a customer needs you.

Max Bentley, saw that evolution firsthand. “When I first joined Summize, the team was more focused on customer support, waiting to help customers as and when they were needed so it was pure reaction really.” But Summize has crafted traditional support into a forward-thinking function.

“Now, it’s about being strategic, really analyzing a situation, seeing what the best routes and options forward are, and then putting them into action”.

The goal is simple: make every interaction count.

“Everything we do has a purpose, we’re not just doing it for the sake of it and forcing customers to read another deck. We analyze their usage data, assess the data alongside their goals and we work with our customers to understand the data and what it all means.”
Eden Cunningham, Customer Success Manager.

Being proactive is what turns a standard support function into a strategic partnership. It’s not about waiting for problems, it’s about helping our customers stay ahead.
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Customer Success is the future

Customer success has evolved far beyond traditional support into a function focused on customer experience and driving real value for businesses. It requires a strong strategy and empathy to be effective, and this shift isn’t something that happens overnight. But with the right approach and the right people it becomes a powerful way to build meaningful, long-lasting connections with your customers.

If you’re looking for a contract solution that comes with a trusted partnership, where your goals are prioritized and your business is valued, book a demo today with one of our contract specialists to find out more.