Sales Recruiting
Case Study:

Type: exclusive contingency search
Title: Customer Success Manager
Role: strategic client relationship/customer support
Location: Minneapolis MN
Client: privately-owned Software Development firm
Collaboration: Owners, Venture Capital Partners
Completed by: Deare, Minneapolis sales recruiters

Company Profile
Our client is a highly specialized software development and technology advisory firm with highly scalable SOW-based project services capabilities. With a stellar reputation built on unrivaled technology expertise and project delivery excellence, the company has become one of the fastest growing businesses in the Minneapolis / St. Paul MN marketplace, and a niche-dominant player on a national level.

Privately-owned, the company has recently taken on a significant mid-stage infusion of venture capital to support broad growth initiatives. Already in hyper-growth mode, the next-level plan involves expanding technology practices, deepening existing client relationships and penetrating new markets.

Key Selection Criteria
– 7+ years of successful sales and/or account management experience in a software development or IT solutions firm
– Strong technology acumen and deep knowledge around the full software development lifecycle
– Client relationship management expertise at executive and decision-maker levels
– Skilled in customer success / customer experience strategy development, planning and execution
– Proven success establishing trusted advisor status
– Excellent verbal and written communication skills
– Bachelor’s Degree required

Challenge
Converging business events triggered sector-specific name recognition, resulting in a “viral velocity” increase in demand for services. A record-setting number of projects was already underway. The opportunity pipeline had quadrupled. As part of an adaptive hiring strategy, the first of three Customer Success Managers needed to be be hired immediately to relieve pressure on the Sales/Account Management and Project Engagement/Delivery teams and to ensure customer experience excellence. Two new salespeople will also be added. The engagement team will be augmented by two SMEs already on the consulting team. Our client determined that the uniquely broad skills requirements for the CSM role, and the multiple hires needed, would represent a significant challenge.

Solution
One of the venture capitalists contacted Rick Deare and set up an immediate conference with the owners and VC partners. In support or the initial hiring plan, and the long-term strategy attached to growth, Deare accepted the offer of exclusivity, and offered in return a fully contingent search engagement. Collaborating closely with the owners, Deare also offered full participation in the definition of the newly configured CSM roles. Given the relationship that developed between the principal team and Deare, the search was in progress before the Job Description made it to final edit. We all understood “who” we were looking for.

Result
The person hired as the first of several CSM additions had been contacted shortly after the search launched. She was, of course, deeply embedded with her current employer and not looking to make a move.

The opportunity to join this remarkable company proved to be highly compelling and converted this top-performing industry sales / client relationship professional into an eager candidate. Our client was equally compelled by an extraordinary combination of experience and skill.

Our client made a brilliant hire.