Manish More

Architecting Customer Success

Manish More

Sr. Customer Success Manager Architect,

IBM

Customer success is an important cog in every successful organisation’s wheel. Today, more than ever, clients recognise the invaluable role of customer success managers, demanding their presence in critical discussions with various teams. What evolved through the journey of clarity, transitioning from ensuring foolproof deployments to becoming a trusted advisor, guiding clients on their visionary paths of success, continues to expand and bring exciting opportunities and heightened responsibilities.
At IBM in his role as a Senior Customer Success Manager Architect, Manish More is driving exceptional customer experiences. He is profoundly known for his passion, expertise, and unwavering commitment to his clients’ success. With over 16 years of experience in IT, Manish has mastered the art of architecting solutions that transcend industries, proving his mettle in telecommunication, logistics, hospitality, energy & utilities, the public sector, banking, financial services, retail and many more.
Manish’s core strengths revolve around the vast array of technologies he has mastered. From hybrid cloud architecture to RedHat OpenShift, from application modernisation to IBM Watson and IBM BPM, his portfolio boasts a diverse and comprehensive range of skills across brands and industries. He is also highly revered for his roles as a mentor and guide, fostering relationships with clients that go beyond traditional interactions. His exceptional ability to collaborate and present solutions to C-level executives showcases his vision and understanding of the clients’ needs. With an eye on the future, Manish identifies and embraces emerging trends, seeking to align customer business objectives with accelerated success.
As he navigates the ever-changing landscape of customer success, TradeFlock interviews Manish to understand how he has ensured to be an invaluable asset to all the organisations seeking to innovate & grow in the digital age. 

You've worked with clients across various industries. What are the biggest learnings you carry, and how are you implementing them today?

I had the opportunity to work on a variety of initiatives early in my career across a range of businesses, many of which shared a similar theme, like smarter planet, or sustainable growth. Working in several industries taught me how to accomplish comparable goals using various strategies. For instance, a sustainability solution in Energy & Utilities involved digitalising physical cassettes to reduce electricity & space consumption of the premises holding these cassettes. A virtual agent software replaced the use of key cards to check-in, raise room cleaning request and allow customers to request not to refurbish the room via the Virtual Agent with promotional offers helped reduce the energy & water consumption and optimize operational expense for the company.

Leadership can be a conundrum and overwhelming at times. How do you build a cohesive and motivated team to deliver exceptional results?

I do not believe people are born to be leaders. Leaders are developed over time based on their experiences. You may have to fall multiple times in the journey to work your way up and come to a stage where people look to you to lead or mentor. The same principle applies to the Customer Success team that I belong to. Typically, I would regard each of them as a leader and let them pursue their goals and desired paths. I’m here to help if they need direction. If they tend to get trapped, I attempt to start them thinking about how they might wish to escape without offering concrete solutions. If they are successful, I advise them to reflect on the factors that contributed to their achievement and the challenges they faced along the way. Simply put, it aids everyone in fostering the personality and leadership qualities that are unique to them.

Aligning customer priorities while sustaining the momentum of innovation is perhaps the biggest challenge for your role. What strategies do you keep in place to address this?

In my role, which is Customer Success Manager-Architect, predominantly the first two words sum it up. Customer Success is the outcome my role demands. To achieve that, I need to understand customer priorities in three aspects: their business objectives, operations, and constraints or inhibitions. As a Customer Success Manager, I act as a trusted advisor, by sharing industry trends, the latest happenings, changes in policies/ market environment, etc. with the customer and gauging if their organisation’s priorities will be impacted by changes occurring in the industry. I work with them to understand what they are deliberating as a vision for their enterprise about technology, digitisation, industry leadership, etc. and help their technology group align with this vision. This may involve working with different CXOs on countless hours of strategy and may not be accurate the first time, hence, it is very important to continuously communicate. In today’s age, the only constant is communication. If you are informed and keep your customer informed, it will help you build the most satisfying relationship. Even if things don’t go as planned, communicating, and working as one team with customers helps build long-term confidence.

How do you handle upselling or cross-selling opportunities while ensuring that the customer perceives value in the additional offerings?

In my role, selling is not the focus. Understanding customer problems allows me to envision solutions that address their needs. It’s about setting a clear vision and presenting a compelling story that resonates with the customer. This approach often leads to customers recognising the value of additional offerings and requesting pricing on those solutions. In the current landscape, where Cloud-Native and Journey2Cloud dominate discussions, competitors become partners. By understanding this shift and showing customers that I understand their needs, I can achieve both upselling and cross-selling success, ultimately driving Customer Success as the end objective.

As you continue to evolve in your career and life, what do you hope to be remembered for by those who have worked with and known you?

I want to be remembered as someone who offered valuable perspective to those, I spent time with, helping them in their journey. My positive attitude helps me overcome daily hurdles. Contentment in what I do, and continuous learning drives me. I believe in structured planning for a methodical approach to life. I may sometimes overshare with friends and colleagues, but my family, my parents keep me grounded and supports me always. My wife is my pillar of strength and inspires me with the way she handles both her personal and professional life with passion & dedication. Her support motivates me to aspire for more and keeps me going strong.