Support or Success – What Type of Post Sales Service Portfolio Do You Need?
It Is Time to Move Beyond Support Portfolios
Support and maintenance portfolios have been the foundation of many post-sales service offers, yet Support offers alone are no longer adequate to sustain and growth customer relationship value. Modernization of support portfolios and the evolution to success-focused programs and offers is the future of post-sales service portfolios.
Support Versus Success
If you are creating or modernizing a post-sales portfolio that offers customers more than reactive problem resolution assistance you are likely building a success portfolio.
Success portfolios differ from support portfolios because they offer services typically beyond the scope of technical support and often include services and resources from departments such as Training, Professional Services and Technical Support.
The focus and intent of post sales services programs help to define the type of portfolio you are building and suggests what entitlements to package and offer to customers. Use the table below to consider what the focus and intent of your post service offers should be.
Support |
Success |
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Note: Success Portfolios often include support services, but Support portfolios do not include services beyond traditional issue resolution entitlements.
Characteristics of Leading Post Sales Service Portfolios
Well-defined post-sales service portfolios with up-to-date and customer-driven service entitlements can significantly increase your ability to help customers use and apply products.
Market leading service portfolios are well structured to offer differentiated service rights, entitlements, and resources to deliver maximum customer benefit. World-class service portfolios offer:
- Access to skills, resources and expertise from across all service departments including Support, Professional Services, Education and Success.
- Flexible program structure and purchase options provide access to the services customers need when they need it even as their needs evolve.
- Expert assistance to drive tangible outcomes and achieve quantifiable benefits for the price paid.
Take Your Services to the Next Level
Is it time to update your Support portfolio or add Customer Success programs extensions and add-ons? Give us a call. We can help you define, price, and launch successful new service offers.
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Customer Success Marketing and Portfolio Management
Technology service programs are evolving to offer new value and benefits such as use and adoption assistance and resources to help attain successful outcomes. As technology service programs change service marketing must evolve beyond selling the initial service engagement and focus on sustaining and growing relationship value.
Treat Your Service Portfolio as a Product Line
Service and Success programs are a significant source of revenue. To assure that they yield their maximum revenue potential, treat service portfolios as strategic offerings in the corporate portfolio by assigning dedicated program management resources.
Support Pricing Benchmarks
Setting the correct price for your support programs begins with a baseline understanding of what your market will bear but ultimately the price must be based on the type and level and entitlements offered. The average prices for support programs range from 15.6 percent for a basic level of support to more than 26 percent for a high-end premium offer.