In the pro AV and digital signage industry, there’s a common misconception that “client success” is just a post-sale support function. How boring! And not at all the mindset you want to have if you want lifelong clients.
Often, the client success professional is the one seen asking the overly used questions and sending the cyclical emails. To wit: “Can you provide us with a referral?”; “Is your signage working?”; “It’s time for renewal.”
It’s so much more than that, though. Client success should be a core business strategy — an integrated mindset that shapes how integrators design, deliver and maintain technology solutions. Because, at the end of the day, you are only successful if your client is successful.
Why Client Success Matters More Than Ever
With greater integration, growing complexity and rising customer expectations, integrators must do more than simply install hardware and walk away. Today’s clients are looking for partners who will take the time to understand their goals, proactively solve problems and guide them toward long-term value.
Client success ensures that every touchpoint — from kickoff to post-deployment — is aligned with measurable outcomes. It fosters trust, loyalty and, ultimately, growth.
Shifting the Focus from Delivery to Value
Too often, success is measured by whether a project was delivered on time and on budget. Although those metrics are important to the sales, operations and fulfillment teams, they don’t tell the whole story. What happens after going live? Day two is when mission critical truly presents itself.
Are the displays on and being used effectively? Is the messaging reaching its audience? Has the technology improved workflows or customer experiences? Is the content relevant? Has the ROI been defined, and is it being met? Is everything working as it should?
A client success strategy asks these questions continuously (or at least quarterly), ensuring that the technology is not just installed but, in fact, integrated into the client’s daily operations and strategic goals.
From One-Time Deals to Lifelong Partnerships
A strategic approach to client success turns transactional relationships into partnerships. It means staying engaged through regular check-ins, account reviews and content updates.
It means educating clients on how to maximize their investment and showing them new ways to use the tools they already have. It is ensuring that the client knows the features and benefits of their CMS, understands the ins and outs of deployment, and isn’t afraid to think outside of the “slideshow” box.
Quarterly reach-outs become the connecting bridge between one-time sales and an ongoing relationship with the client. That’s the difference between a high churn rate and long-term customers.
This approach doesn’t just lead to higher satisfaction, either. It also leads to renewals, upselling and referrals. In short, it creates a sustainable growth model.
Enabling Internal Teams to Champion Success
Client success is not the job of one team. Instead, it’s a company-wide philosophy. Sales, project management, operations, support — all of these play a role in delivering value.
When each team understands how their work contributes to the client’s outcomes, collaboration improves. Moreover, the overall client experience is elevated.
Investing in client success training and aligning KPIs within our own team around client outcomes helps embed this philosophy across the organization.
The Role of Technology in Client Success
Digital signage is not a “set it and forget it” type of technology. It requires thoughtful planning, relevant content and performance evaluation. Platforms that offer analytics, remote management, point-of-sale integrations and scalable content solutions empower integrators to deliver ongoing value throughout the course of the relationship.
Client success teams should leverage these tools to provide actionable insights and proactively address issues before they become problems.
Empowering Women in AV Through Client Success
As a board member of Women in AV/IT (WAVIT), I’ve seen the transformative power of inclusive leadership in driving client success strategies. Women bring diverse perspectives and collaborative strengths that align naturally with a success-driven mindset.
WAVIT advocates for elevating these voices in leadership roles — helping to shift the industry from transactional thinking to approaches rooted in relationship-based value.
Organizations that support women in tech roles often enjoy stronger communication, empathy-led project management and greater client satisfaction. Client success isn’t just strategic; it is, in fact, a catalyst for inclusivity and innovation.
Conclusion: Strategy First, Service Always
Client success isn’t a box to check after installation; rather, it’s a strategic lens that should influence every stage of the customer journey. In the digital signage world — a world in which deployments are often visible and high impact — ensuring that clients succeed isn’t just good service: It’s smart business.
It’s also the only way to stand out in such a saturated industry.
By embedding client success into our culture and strategy, and by empowering diverse leadership through organizations like WAVIT, we don’t just deliver technology: We also, in fact, deliver white-glove service, empowering our customers and driving growth for all.
Nikki Ault is vice president of client services for Coffman Media.
