How often have you felt like your customer doesn’t really have time for you? They are busy, after all, and we don’t want to be perceived as the “annoying Customer Success person”.

But what if your customer is TOO enthusiastic about your product?

I love it when my customers get HYPED about my solutions. When they really want to fix a specific problem. They are great to work with, they get back to us on time, and they have plenty of constructive feedback.

Sledgehammer Customers

A sledgehammer customer is someone who is hyper-focused on their goal – so hyper-focused indeed, that they completely lose track of their colleagues.

And that is a problem if your tool needs a broad buy-in in an organization. Sledgehammers are great to work with, but they don’t consider the change the organization needs, and as soon as they change focus or lose the organization, you lose the account.

Sledgehammers can be especially deceiving because they look like great partners. So how do we identify them before it’s too late?

How to Spot a sledgehammer customer

Usage: They are overly optimistic, but the actual usage data of your product doesn’t support their claims. Next to them, the usage just doesn’t pick up among other users.

Negative feedback via-via: When you talk to other users, you mostly get negative feedback.

Support tickets: After the initial implementation, there are a lot more support requests than usual.

The Solution

Change management: “how do we roll the solution out in your organization” needs to be a key part of all your success plays.

Good things take time. If things go too quickly, address this proactively, and ask questions.

Listen to the “work floor”. Try to get as much feedback as possible from other users than your direct contact, and form your opinion based on the overall picture.

Are you aware of your sledgehammer customers?

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