How to become a customer success manager
A customer success manager helps clients adopt a product or service and stay engaged long term. Here's what you need to know to start a career in customer success management.
Browse online customer success programs and courses
What is a customer success manager?
After a sale, customer success managers work directly with clients to onboard them and help integrate the product or service into their workflows, ensuring they get lasting value from day one. They nurture long-term relationships by monitoring satisfaction and guiding customers toward renewals by demonstrating return on investment.
You'll find customer success managers in industries like tech, publishing, healthcare, and finance — anywhere client retention and satisfaction are essential to business growth.
According to Lightcast's Job Postings Dashboard, in June 2025, there were 2,300 active job postings for customer success managers across the United States, a 29% increase from 2024.
| Industries | Number of postings (June 2025) |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 415 postings |
| Publishing | 298 postings |
| Computing infrastructure and information technology | 192 postings |
| Administrative and support services | 124 postings |
| Sporting goods, hobby, and misc. retailers | 119 postings |
Most common tasks
Customer success managers' tasks vary depending on the product or service and the company's size, but most roles focus on:
- Supporting clients in aligning their business objectives with the product or service
- Delivering ROI metrics
- Monitoring usage data and identifying engagement risks
- Helping customers understand how to use the product effectively and troubleshoot issues
- Supporting contract renewals
Key skills for customer success managers
Customer success managers often cultivate a mix of technical and soft skills for successful client relationship-building:
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software proficiency
- Data analysis
- Written and verbal communication skills
- Problem-solving and strategic thinking
- Negotiation skills
Steps to become a customer success manager
Step 1: Build foundational knowledge and gain proficiency in key tools.
Customer success managers rely on platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and analytics dashboards to manage client relationships and track success. Start by becoming proficient in CRM systems and understanding customer metrics.
If you're starting from scratch or changing careers, consider earning an online bachelor's degree in business, communications, or marketing. You can also boost your skills with customer relationship management courses and professional certificates on edX. With these courses, you will learn core customer relationship management topics, such as retention, centricity, lifetime value, and value management.
Step 1: Build foundational knowledge and gain proficiency in key tools.
Customer success managers rely on platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and analytics dashboards to manage client relationships and track success. Start by becoming proficient in CRM systems and understanding customer metrics.
If you're starting from scratch or changing careers, consider earning an online bachelor's degree in business, communications, or marketing. You can also boost your skills with customer relationship management courses and professional certificates on edX. With these courses, you will learn core customer relationship management topics, such as retention, centricity, lifetime value, and value management.
Get started on edX
Take the first step toward a career in customer success with a flexible online course, professional certificate, or executive education program from edX.
Frequently asked questions
Published June 20, 2025