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?

Customer Success was born out of the subscription model – the reality that if customers don’t see ongoing value, they won’t renew. But today, it’s about far more than protecting renewals. It’s about proactively helping customers maximize their investment and prove impact across the business.

In Episode 10 of Contracts & Coffee , our SVP of Customer Success Mark Oshry, and Customer Success Manager (CSM) Max Bentley discuss how the role has evolved, from reactive support to a strategic, commercially accountable function – and we spoke to the wider CS team to find out what Customer Success looks like in practice at Summize.

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 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

Mark adds: “If you help customers truly maximize their investment, everyone wins. They achieve their outcomes, and over time they grow with us.”

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

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.

Under the leadership of Mark Oshry, our SVP of Customer Success, we see the function as proactive and commercially-minded. Mark details that it’s about bringing a strong point of view, challenging customers where needed and helping them maximize the value of their investment. Our approach to Customer Success focuses on three key areas:

• Proactive value creation. Customer Success isn't reactive support. It's about engaging customers before issues arise, bringing a strong point of view and helping them think differently about how they use Summize.
• Commercial impact and accountability. CS teams today aren't just measured on satisfaction, but they're expected to demonstrate impact. That means aligning with customer outcomes, proving value and contributing to long-term growth.
• Strategic segmentation. Not every customer needs the same approach. A 10,000-employee enterprise requires a different strategy to a 300-person organization. Grouping customers thoughtfully allows us to deliver more relevant engagement. 

“Customer Success teams across the industry are going through a bit of an identity shift. There's more commercial pressure, more accountability and a bigger expectation to prove impact.”
Mark Oshry, SVP of Customer Success

Being proactive vs reactive

Being equipped with these skills and qualities, our CSMs can take a different approach to Customer Success, one that's proactive rather than reactive. The team isn’t waiting around goals to be achieved, and instead seek 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 team broke this down further.

Fran Bennett, Senior Customer Success Manager, 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.

“Originally, Customer Success was very defensive - protect renewals. Now it's about playing offense. It's about driving value and growth.”
Mark Oshry, SVP of Customer Success

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.