12 SaaS Account Management Best Practices

It’s important to retain users and keep them engaged with your SaaS product. After all, data from HubSpot show acquiring customers is 5-25% costlier than retaining ones. 

But in the chaotic day-to-day realities of running a SaaS business, account management can slip through the cracks– leading to unhappy customers and even churn. That’s why having an established set of best practices for managing your clients’ accounts is critical.

Implementing these 12 tips for successful SaaS account management will help you ensure that each customer feels heard, valued, and understood so that you don’t risk losing their loyalty or trust.

What Is SaaS Account Management?

Account management is about building relationships with customers that are based on trust and mutual understanding. The goal is to ensure that SaaS customers receive the best possible service – from onboarding to ongoing support – so they are satisfied with their experience with your SaaS product. 

This includes proactively communicating with customers to address any issues before they become problems and uncovering opportunities to strengthen existing relationships by better understanding their needs and goals. To achieve this, a good SaaS account management plan should involve steps such as:

• gathering detailed customer information
• setting clear objectives and expectations
• tracking progress and usage regularly
• understanding the customer’s business processes
• facilitating training sessions to show customers how to make the most use out of the   software part of service
• providing prompt customer support
• consistently providing feedback on how customers are utilizing the software. 

The role of a SaaS account manager is to ensure that customers are getting the most out of their SaaS product. This includes:

•  understanding customer needs
•  providing technical support
• helping customers maximize the value they get from their SaaS product. 
• Identifying opportunities for upsells and cross-sells, as well as manage customer churn.

According to Gartner research, almost 88% of account managers assert that providing a service that exceeds customer expectations is the key to growth. This is why it’s important to have a well-thought-out plan for SaaS account management in place.

Benefits of SaaS Account Management

There are many benefits to effective account management in the SaaS industry. For starters, it helps:

• Increase customer retention: SaaS Customers are more likely to remain loyal when they have a positive experience with your product or service.
• Generate referrals: Happy customers can be powerful advocates for your SaaS business and you’ll be more likely to receive referrals from them.
• Boost revenue: When customers are satisfied, they’re more likely to upgrade their plan, purchase additional products and services, and become repeat customers.
• Reduce churn: When you proactively manage accounts, you can identify potential issues early and help reduce churn rates.
• Uncover opportunities with existing customers: You can create new revenue opportunities for your business by better understanding and addressing customer needs.

SaaS Account Management Best Practices

Managing multiple SaaS accounts can be particularly challenging. To make the process more efficient, it’s important to implement best practices. 

1. Get to know your user

Getting to know your user means cultivating a relationship that reflects their values and interests, and not simply treating them as just another customer. After all, if your users feel like they’re being listened to and understood, they’re more likely to stick with your software.

To get started:

• Consider sending surveys or questionnaires out to users so you gain an understanding of their needs. 
• As you form relationships with different customers, be sure to take note of what works for them and what doesn’t. This will help ensure you deliver the best possible service and product in the future. 

2. Keep your data organized

No matter your business size or the goal you are trying to achieve, keeping your data organized makes a big difference in SaaS account management. Below are a few tips:

• Break down big projects into small and manageable tasks.
• Have all account information in one place so you can access it quickly.
• Track your progress throughout the process by creating useful lists and reports that summarize relevant points such as user engagement and customer service demands.
• Integrate with other systems. This is key for maintaining an organization since it allows for seamless data exchange between different environments. 
• Take advantage of available tools for keeping your data organized.

3. Set up user groups

Creating user groups can help you take full advantage of all of your services, while also streamlining application usage, making it easy to grant access and manage rights. Moreove, setting up user groups will give administrators better control over who has permission to utilize which applications within the system – thereby saving time and increasing oversight.

Nevertheless, it’s important to use user groupings wisely to maximize its benefits. Consider the following best practices: 

• Group users by their roles rather than individual users, so that configuration changes aren’t tedious or time-consuming.
• Assign restricted permissions at a higher level. This prevents unanticipated overspending from different departments in the organization.

4. Implement a seamless onboarding process

The process of onboarding new customers provides an opportunity to connect with them, show them the value of joining your service, and get them set up to use it right away. A seamless onboarding process can mean the difference between a happy customer and a frustrated one who churns before they’ve even had a chance to experience your service.

To create a successful onboarding process:

• Address any questions or concerns that crop up during the setup process
• Provide users thorough training in order to familiarize them with your SaaS tool’s features
• Develop checklists so new customers know exactly what steps they need to take in order to successfully use your tool.
• Deliver timely support throughout your customer journey.

Check out How to Create a Successful SaaS Onboarding Strategy—The Ultimate Guide for more tips.

5. Become familiar with all the players in the account

 It is imperative to be familiar with everyone that contributes to or uses the account, such as employees, clients, vendors, and even third-party developers. Doing so can reduce stress and make communication more efficiently. 

To achieve such success:

• Start small by reviewing all usernames associated with the account and learning who manages various aspects. 
• Make sure that all stakeholders, both internal and external, have access to all pertinent information and remain informed. 
• Establish a clear communication strategy. This can include having regular meetings with key members and being sure everyone is connected via appropriate channels such as Slack or email. 
• Create thorough documentation of each phase to help set expectations for each stakeholder and make sure that everyone understands their role
• Be transparent at all times. Transparency when it comes to reporting progress or addressing issues will go a long way in helping create productive relationships between all parties involved.

6. Optimize product stickiness

Optimizing product stickiness involves encouraging users to keep using your SaaS tool and getting the most out of it. Building user engagement and providing personalized experiences are key steps in accomplishing this. Here are some tips:

• Reach out with emails that share useful insights
• Offer easy access to customer support
• Create onboarding initiatives
• Set up automated conversations

7. Make your knowledge unmissable

It’s important to make sure your users have access to the information they need in order to effectively use your tool. To achieve this:

• Keep relevant knowledge accessible and up-to-date with an easily searchable knowledge base. This should include helpful FAQs, user guides, and product updates.
• Provide comprehensive and up-to-date information on features and services, as well as tips and tricks. This will make managing a service more efficient and enjoyable. 
• Use visuals such as infographics, videos and images to enrich the material you present – they’ll also help to keep users engaged with what you have to say! 
• Break down larger data points into smaller bite-sized pieces of information to ensure that vital details are easier to remember.

8. Offer outstanding support and guidance

Offering outstanding support and guidance when managing a SaaS account requires dedication and forethought. 

As a manager, you should:

• Establish clear channels of communication between the customer and themselves or their team. 
• Have knowledgeable staff in place to answer customer questions and set expectations on turnaround times for responses. 
• Remain available when customers have special requests or unforeseen problem
• Utilize consistent methods to document interactions. This will provide detailed support solutions efficiently and effectively so that customers are easily able to understand the answers they receive. 
• Strive to deliver the highest standard of support and guidance possible for an overall positive customer experience.

9. Follow user data and listen to feedback

Data can be the key to understanding customer engagement and satisfaction. Monitoring usage data helps you identify areas of improvement as well as plan for future SaaS initiatives. You should also listen to customer feedback and use it to inform your plans and decisions. 

To gain valuable insights from users:

• Create surveys that ask questions about the product, using analytics to track user responses. 
• Set up automated conversations with customers and invite them to leave feedback on their experience.
• Analyze usage data to get a better understanding of customer needs and preferences.
• Talk directly with customers to gain an in-depth understanding of their experience. 
• Act on user feedback by making changes or improvements to the product as necessary. 
• Keep track of customer feedback so you can identify any potential problems or areas for improvement.

10. Proactively reach out to customers

Proactively reaching out to customers involves regular contact with customers to keep them engaged and ensure that their needs are being met. This helps foster a positive relationship between the customer and your company, leading to long-term loyalty. 

To proactively reach out:

• Create automated emails or newsletters tailored to customer interests. 
• Send timely reminders or notifications when necessary. 
• Encourage customers to connect with your team on social media and join your mailing list. 
• Invite customers to participate in product feedback surveys or focus groups. 
• Run promotions, discounts or loyalty programs that reward customers for their continued support. 
• Provide a personalized customer service experience by addressing customers by name. 
• Keep customers informed about upcoming product updates or new features. 

11. Keep your promises

Keeping your promises helps you to foster trust with customers and build a sustainable relationship. People rely on the promises that are made, so it’s important to ensure they are realistic, timely, and relevant.

To do this right, you should:

• Set clear expectations for what customers can expect from the product and your service. 
• Keep track of customer requests, commitments and promises made – don’t forget them! 
• Deliver on time and stay within agreed-upon budgets or timelines. 
• Act with integrity by following through when you make a promise. Even if something is difficult or challenging, always strive to meet expectations. 
• Provide timely updates and feedback on progress and let customers know when things don’t go according to plan. 
• Take ownership of any errors that occur and work with customers to find a solution quickly. 

12. Set up comprehensive offboarding 

Churn prevention should be one of the highest priorities for any SaaS account management. Not only can it help you retain customers, but it’s also an important opportunity to learn how to optimize your product and customer experience.

One of the best ways to do this is through comprehensive offboarding, which enables you to better understand why a customer decided not to renew their contract or switch from one offer to another.

To make the most of churn:

• Keep track of customer feedback throughout their journey and use it to inform decisions. 
• Discuss exactly why a customer canceled or chose not to renew their contract. 
• Identify patterns or trends in customer data that could indicate potential areas for improvement. 
• Gather feedback from customers who have left your product in order to identify opportunities for future success. 
• Set up an automated process that collects customer data before they leave your product or service. 
• Analyze the data collected and use it to inform potential improvements and changes in the future. 
• Incorporate customer feedback into product development initiatives, so they know their opinion matters. 
• Offer customers incentives to come back and try your product or service again in the future. 

Final Thoughts

Keeping your SaaS customers engaged and satisfied is one of the biggest challenges you face as a business.

As the competition continues to grow, managing SaaS accounts becomes more important than ever. Implementing best practices can help ensure that you don’t lose your customers.

While there are many options out there, some of the top suggestions include being proactive with customer onboarding, personalizing strategies for every customer, actively managing feedback, and providing detailed and timely follow-ups.

By addressing these elements and expanding on them with other strategies tailored to your business, you can ensure that your customers will stick around!

If you find the process of account management overwhelming, hiring a SaaS account manager could be the best move for your company.

Not only can they handle making sure all of your subscriptions are up to date, but they can also help you prioritize which services you really need in order to keep costs down, as well as ensure that users are managing their accounts properly.

Having an experienced SaaS account manager on board frees up valuable time and resources, allowing you to focus on other more pressing matters within your organization.

Check out our blog for more tips on boosting SaaS growth.