Creating Templates

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What Are Templates?

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Why Templates Matter

• ✅ Consistency - Every customer follows proven best practices
• ✅ Scalability - Onboard 10x customers without 10x headcount
• ✅ Knowledge capture - Institutional knowledge lives in templates, not CSM heads
• ✅ Continuous improvement - Update templates based on learnings, improve all future customers
• ✅ Predictability - Set realistic expectations with data-backed timelines

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Creating Your First Template

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Step 1: Access Template Editor

1. Navigate to Templates in the main menu
2. Click “Create New Template”
3. You’ll see the template configuration screen

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Step 2: Configure Template Metadata

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Step 3: Add Milestones

1. Click “Add Milestone” in the template editor
2. Enter milestone name (e.g., “Kickoff”)
3. Set sequence number (1, 2, 3…)
4. Set estimated duration in days
5. Add dual descriptions:
   • “What we’re doing” - Internal team tasks
   • “What you’re doing” - Customer responsibilities

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Step 4: Add Actions to Milestones

1. Click “Add Action” within a milestone
2. Select action type (Send Email, Request Docs, Collect Info, etc.)
3. Configure trigger rules (when does it execute?)
4. Set action content (email body, form fields, etc.)
5. Configure portal visibility (what customers see)

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Action Configuration Fields

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Step 5: Use Variables for Personalization

Subject: Welcome to {{company_name}}, {{primary_contact_name}}!

Hi {{primary_contact_name}},

I'm {{csm_name}}, your Customer Success Manager at our company.
I'm excited to partner with {{company_name}} on your {{arr}} implementation.

We closed your deal on {{close_date}}, so let's get started!

Looking forward to working together,
{{csm_name}}
{{csm_email}}

• {{company_name}} - Customer company
• {{account_name}} - Account display name
• {{primary_contact_name}} - Main point of contact
• {{primary_contact_email}} - Contact email
• {{csm_name}} - Assigned CSM full name
• {{csm_email}} - CSM email
• {{arr}} - Annual recurring revenue
• {{close_date}} - Deal close date
• {{organization_name}} - Your company name

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Step 6: Save & Test Template

1. Click “Save Template”
2. Create a test account
3. Apply this template
4. Walk through the entire flow
5. Review AI-generated drafts
6. Check customer portal view
7. Iterate based on findings

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Template Design Principles

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1. Start Simple, Add Complexity

• 3-5 milestones
• 2-4 actions per milestone
• Mix of emails, forms, and documents
• Standard timing (no complex delays)

• 10+ milestones (too granular)
• Complex conditional logic
• Custom actions for rare scenarios
• Overly detailed instructions

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2. Think Dual Perspective

• Technical setup steps
• Internal preparation tasks
• Behind-the-scenes work
• Quality checks

• Information they need to provide
• Decisions they need to make
• Actions they take in portal
• Expected time commitment

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3. Use Delays Strategically

Day 0: Welcome email (immediate)
Day 2: Technical requirements form (48hr delay)
Day 4: Follow-up call scheduling (96hr delay)
Day 7: Training resources (1 week delay)

Day 0: Welcome email + requirements form + meeting invite + document requests
(Too much at once - customers feel overwhelmed)

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4. Make Actions Completable

• ✅ Email sent - Marked complete manually by CSM
• ✅ Form submitted - Auto-complete when customer submits
• ✅ Document uploaded - Auto-complete when files received
• ✅ Meeting held - Marked complete by CSM after call

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5. Balance Automation and Human Touch

• Welcome emails
• Status updates
• Reminder emails
• Progress notifications
• Standard form requests

• Kickoff calls
• Problem-solving discussions
• Executive business reviews
• Escalation handling
• Relationship building

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Common Template Patterns

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Welcome Sequence

Action 1: Welcome Email (immediate)
Action 2: Getting Started Guide (link to portal)
Action 3: Schedule Kickoff Call (24hr delay)
Action 4: Pre-Kickoff Questionnaire (before call)
Action 5: Kickoff Meeting (manual)
Action 6: Post-Kickoff Summary (after call)

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Technical Setup Phase

Action 1: Technical Requirements Form (immediate)
Action 2: Integration Credentials Request (after form submitted)
Action 3: Setup Instructions Email (48hr delay)
Action 4: Integration Testing Document (after setup complete)
Action 5: Setup Validation Meeting (manual)

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Training & Enablement

Action 1: Training Schedule Email (immediate)
Action 2: Pre-Training Materials (48hr delay)
Action 3: Training Session 1 (manual)
Action 4: Training Homework (after session 1)
Action 5: Training Session 2 (manual)
Action 6: Certification Assessment (after session 2)

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Launch Checklist

Action 1: Pre-Launch Checklist (immediate)
Action 2: Launch Readiness Review (manual)
Action 3: Go-Live Communication (before launch)
Action 4: Launch Day (manual)
Action 5: Post-Launch Check-in (24hr delay)
Action 6: 30-Day Success Review (30 days delay)

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Template Versioning

• When you apply a template to an account, the entire configuration is copied
• Changes to the template don’t affect existing accounts
• Each account keeps its original template version

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Next Steps