- 5 min read
3 Horizons Planning Framework: How to craft customer objectives with your customers
I originally came across this strategic planning framework at an invite-only Google Forum whilst working in the MarTech space. The Googlers took us through the 3 Horizons strategic plan to help us craft objectives we can take back to our teams to implement new MarTech features. I thought this would be an amazing framework to use in your client discussions to help outline customer objective key results spread across 3 time horizons.
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The Mckinsey 3 Horizons Framework focuses on three growth stages: Horizon 1 for immediate impact through current business operations, Horizon 2 for near-term investments in innovation, and Horizon 3 for long-term visionary growth.
By balancing short, mid, and long-term objectives, companies can drive sustainable innovation. For customer success managers, this framework helps align with customer goals by collaboratively mapping their objectives across these horizons, uncovering immediate opportunities while planning for future growth. It’s a fantastic way to show how you are invested in the direct success of your customers. Facilitating a session to plan objectives for your customers is probably one of the easiest ways to position yourself as a strategic partner whilst adding tremendous value.
More details on the framework for strategic success planning:
Horizon 1 (Immediate Needs - NOW):
Focus on supporting customers in achieving short-term, operational objectives and ensuring they quickly realise value with your product today. Identify quick wins and what value these quick wins will unlock for your customer.Horizon 2 (Near-term Innovation - NEW):
Collaborate with your customers to identify mid-term opportunities that will enhance their core business activities. As in, what opportunities will utilising your product unlock for the customer? Will achieving Horizon 1 objectives unlock opportunities to considerably improve their business? Identify these and not them down!Horizon 3 (Long-term Vision - NEXT):
Explore long-term growth strategies aligned with your customer’s future aspirations, helping them see the platform's potential in upcoming transformative changes. Don’t rely on just your customer’s knowledge, tap into your subject matter expertise and find those far reaching and ambitious opportunities that your customer’s can feel excited about achieving. This is where you help craft the direction your customer takes and embed your product in that future.
By working through these horizons collaboratively, you can align your customer success plans with the evolving needs of customers, driving stronger engagement and fostering deeper, long-term partnerships.
It’s an effective way to show your customers that you’re just as invested in their success as they are.
Once you’ve crafted the action plan, convert them into a success plan and don’t miss a beat in acting upon the plan you created together. This is important. Take the near-term customer objectives, put them in a customer success plan and break them down into key results with a realistic success criteria. This makes it real, tangible and achievable.
It’s up to you as the success manager to remain aligned with your customer. If you have multiple success plans active, it can be difficult to know which to focus on and spend your time on. This is why we recommend a tool like Retentional.net to help you stay on top of your customer success plans. Spend your time wisely nurturing the completion of your customer’s objectives.
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Looking to improve your customer success planning? Try Retentional.net today.