There is an ever-growing number of firms, and now some universities are entering the field as well, who are offering training courses specifically designed for Customer Success professionals. Some are offering certifications for completion of their courses. There is no question about the value to be gained from appropriate training and education in Customer Success knowledge, skills, and best practices. To assist individual CSMs and CS Executive team leaders in making informed choices about the quality of the various courses on offer, The Customer Success Association has created the CSA Accredited Training program.
A Foundation for Certainty
The foundation for the CSA Accredited Training program is the CSM Competency Standard. This is an open document, readily available to anyone worldwide, that lists the things that an individual Customer Success Manager should know, use, and be able to comfortably explain at need to any audience. The CSM Competency Standard was drafted, thoroughly discussed, and validated by a large and diverse international group of well-known Customer Success professionals consisting of senior practitioners, executives, consultants, trainers, and recruiters.
Those courses and associated materials that are based on the CSM Competency Standard and that properly cover all of the points in it during the process of the training may be accredited by The Customer Success Association as fully meeting the CSM Competency Standard. Prospective students and/or their employers may therefore know with confidence exactly what outcome the accredited training is designed to achieve. If an accredited vendor offers a certification for completion of the course, then anyone may easily see what that certification stands for by reviewing the Standard.
The Customer Success Training Registry
The Customer Success Association maintains a list of all known/established training vendors and a general catalogue of available course categories here on the site. On the Vendors List, companies offering Accredited courses are indicated by ++ signs. Vendors participating in the Accreditation program also display the badge on their websites.
Recommended Reading
The CSM Competency Standard (pdf download)
The CSM Competency Standard (Viewable page)
The Customer Success Training Registry
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To Apply for Accreditation
Interested Customer Success training vendors are invited to apply for accreditation for their courses and programs. Please contact the CSA for more information about the CSA Accredited Training program.