“Retention is everyone’s job,” declared a (now former) CEO from a $150mm SaaS brand when the CMO made a play to “own” customer marketing. This story doesn’t end well. Churn rates rose. Revenue per customer stayed flat. Even net new sales faltered. Mild rant to follow.

If Everyone Owns the Customer, Does Anyone Really Own It?

The spirit of this idea is wonderful. Organizations that focus on their customers, that constantly address their pain points, that remove friction from the buying process and the ongoing relationship outperform those that don’t. Customer-centricity is a beautiful thing. That’s not the problem. The problem is structural.

Who Should “Own” Retention?

Someone in the c-suite. Someone with a budget and a mandate to stay close to the customer. Someone whose bonus depends (at least partially) on decreasing churn rates, increasing revenue per customer, and increasing advocacy. Someone with great listening skills and communication skills. Someone whose neck can be metaphorically choked by the CEO if things go poorly. If it’s a multi-billion dollar company, then a Chief Customer Officer or Chief Experience Officer role probably makes sense.

What If the Company Is Under a Billion?

With undeniable bias, I nominate the CMO. They are the best equipped and have the most to gain (or lose) by “owning” (or not owning) retention. The closer CMOs are to customers, the better the marketing output. The better the marketing, the more likely it will attract and retain customers and flywheel-driving advocates. It’s a virtuous circle. And most CMOs have the leadership and communication skills to do the job.

Why Is This So Complicated?

Currently, most B2B companies split customer engagement into multiple departments or at least functional areas. These include onboarding, training (if needed), technical support, customer success (typically a quota-carrying sales role to get the customer to renew and buy more), customer comms, communities, recognition programs, and customer advisory boards. Importantly, all of these areas require unique expertise, which is why they are often split across departments.

What’s Essential Here for the CMO?

Whether they own all of retention or not, CMOs need a direct line to the customer to do their best work. Customer input should inform strategy, messaging, content, media selection, and recognition programs. Stronger customer relationships beget advocacy, including online reviews, testimonials, and case histories. At a minimum, CMOs should be responsible for customer marketing, customer advisory boards, customer advocacy, and communities.

Written by Drew Neisser