The goal of Cisco’s Black Belt Academy is to provide our partners with an efficient and effective role-based learning journey, which is presented in two or three sequential Stages. There is a strong correlation between partners’ revenue growth and the number of their employees who earn Stage 2 and 3 certifications, which require a deeper understanding of the subject matter, so progress requires validation.
However, we received feedback from partners that our validation criteria aren’t always appropriate for some roles. We listened. The result: more flexible validation criteria.
What’s changed – New flexible validation criteria for Presales and Deployment Roles
In the Black Belt Academy, as learners progress on their journeys from Stage 2 to Stage 3, new options are available depending on the role and the technology. We have provided alternatives other than the Deal ID submission for Stage 2 Learning Plan completion.
Alternative criteria include:
Completing a “Capture the Flag” mission
Creating a Perfect Pitch video of how you would present to a customer
Proof of concept document of a test environment setup for a customer
High-level design document of a customer solution
These details, which are built into the Learning Plans, will be available as the learner’s progress on their journeys.
Solution specialization tracks like SASE, FSO, Hybrid Cloud and Hybrid WFH will still require a Sales Order number from learners who are planning to apply for solution specialization at the partner (company) level. Partner admins should refer to program guidelines here.
Overall Impact
More learners are progressing to Stage 2, which increases the number of those eligible for Stage 3 and certification.
More options will make this validation process less complicated.
A more streamlined learning journey, including automated ‘Capture the Flag’ missions.
An overall improvement in user experience.
These changes represent our direction towards making the learning experience better for our partners. We are working on future improvements for you. Stay tuned!
In the fast-paced world of technology, companies constantly strive to deliver excellent products and services to their customers. The role of a Cisco Customer Success Manager Specialist has become increasingly crucial in ensuring customer satisfaction and retention. Cisco, a global technology leader, offers the 820-605 CSM certification, which equips professionals with the knowledge and skills to excel in this dynamic field. In this article, we will explore the winning strategies that top Cisco 820-605 Customer Success Managers use to stand out from the crowd and drive success for their clients.
In today's competitive business landscape, customer success has become critical to any organization's growth and sustainability. A Cisco 820-605 Customer Success Manager (CSM) ensures customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty. This article explores the winning strategies of top Cisco 820-605 CSM to stand out in their field and deliver exceptional results.
Essential Skills and Qualities of Top Cisco 820-605 Customer Success Manager
A Customer Success Manager ensures customers achieve their desired outcomes using a company's products or services. To excel in this role, top CSM understands the importance of building strong customer relationships.
Building Strong Customer Relationships
The foundation of successful customer management lies in building strong relationships. Top CSM prioritizes active listening and empathy, ensuring they understand their customers' needs and concerns. Proactive communication is another essential aspect of relationship-building, as it keeps the customers engaged and informed.
Adopting a Data-Driven Approach
Data is a powerful tool that can guide CSM to drive customer success. By utilizing customer analytics and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), top CSM gain valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. This data-driven approach allows them to identify growth opportunities and take proactive measures to prevent potential issues.
Providing Exceptional Onboarding and Training
The onboarding process is critical in setting the tone for a successful customer relationship. Top CSM tailor the onboarding experience to the customer's needs and requirements. Continuous training and skill enhancement further contribute to customer success, ensuring that customers are well-equipped to make the most of the product or service.
Nurturing Customer Advocacy and Loyalty
Customer advocates are valuable assets for any organization. Top CSM focuses on cultivating customer advocates by consistently delivering exceptional service and promptly addressing any concerns that may arise. They understand that nurturing customer loyalty is essential for long-term success.
Implementing Customer Success Technology
Technology plays a pivotal role in modern customer success efforts. Top CSM leverages customer success platforms and automation tools to streamline workflows and enhance customer experience. By adopting technology, they can effectively manage a more extensive customer base without compromising quality.
Leveraging Cross-Functional Collaboration
Customer success is a team effort that involves multiple departments within an organization. Top CSM collaborates closely with sales and marketing teams to ensure a smooth handoff from pre-sales to onboarding. They also work with product development teams to relay customer feedback and contribute to product enhancements.
Managing Churn and Customer Dissatisfaction
Churn and customer dissatisfaction are inevitable challenges for any business. Top CSM proactively identify red flags and take necessary actions to prevent churn. Moreover, they view customer dissatisfaction as an opportunity to turn the situation around and strengthen the relationship.
Embracing a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is vital for continuous improvement and success. Top CSM embraces learning opportunities from setbacks and actively seeks innovative solutions to enhance customer success. Fostering their professional development also allows them to stay ahead in their field.
Measuring and Demonstrating Customer Success
To showcase the value of their efforts, top CSM define clear success metrics and create impactful reports for stakeholders. By effectively demonstrating their contributions, they solidify their position as indispensable assets to the organization.
Handling Difficult Conversations
Sometimes, CSM encounters challenging situations where customers express dissatisfaction or complaints. Top CSM is skilled at addressing these conversations with empathy and professionalism, turning negative experiences into positive outcomes.
Customer Success in Complex Environments
Enterprise-level challenges and diverse industries require CSM to adapt their strategies accordingly. Top CSM tailor their approaches to suit various sectors' unique demands, ensuring customer success is achieved across the board.
Earning the Cisco 820-605 CSM certification demonstrates your commitment to customer success management, making you a valuable asset to any organization. It opens doors to various opportunities, including customer success manager, customer relationship manager, and client services roles.
Enhanced Skillset:
The certification process covers a wide range of topics, including customer engagement strategies, customer lifecycle management, and problem-solving techniques. These skills enhance your ability to provide exemplary customer support and ensure long-lasting client relationships.
Credibility and Recognition:
Cisco is a renowned networking and technology solutions leader. Holding a Cisco 820-605 CSM certification validates your expertise in customer success management and earns you recognition within the industry.
Competitive Edge:
A Cisco 820-605 CSM certification sets you apart from other candidates in a competitive job market. Employers seek certified professionals who can bring tangible value to customer success initiatives.
Cisco 820-605 CSM Certification Process
Candidates must pass the certification exam to obtain the Cisco 820-605 CSM certification. The exam tests candidates' understanding of customer success principles, customer engagement strategies, and how to drive business outcomes through customer relationships.
Cisco provides learning resources, including official study guides and training courses, to help candidates prepare effectively for the exam. Engaging in hands-on labs and real-world scenarios further strengthens practical knowledge and skills.
Proven Strategies for Customer Retention and Growth
Creating Tailored Success Plans
Successful CSM works closely with customers to create customized success plans aligning with their goals and objectives. These plans act as roadmaps for achieving success and promoting long-term loyalty.
Delivering Continuous Value
Top CSM consistently delivers customer value by providing ongoing support, conducting training sessions, and sharing industry best practices. By demonstrating the value of their products,CSM increases customer retention.
The Future of Customer Success
As technology continues to evolve, so does the role of a CSM. Top professionals in this field embrace technological advancements and adapt their strategies to meet evolving customer expectations. The growing importance of CSM in businesses ensures a promising future for this profession.
Career Path and Growth Opportunities
Achieving the Cisco 820-605 CSM certification opens up exciting career opportunities. Graduates can pursue Customer Success Managers, Account Managers, or Sales Professionals roles. With experience and continuous professional development, individuals can progress to senior management positions or specialize in specific industry domains.
Recertification and Continuous Learning
The technology landscape is ever-evolving, and staying up-to-date with the latest trends is crucial. Cisco certifications typically have a validity period, and professionals must recertify to maintain their status. Recertification ensures that certified individuals remain competent and relevant in their respective domains.
Conclusion
Customer Success Managers are the driving force behind successful customer relationships. The strategies employed by top Cisco 820-605 CSM allow them to stand out and create lasting value for their customers. By prioritizing strong relationships, data-driven decisions, and continuous improvement, these professionals continue to elevate the standards of customer success in the technology industry.
Cisco Secure Endpoint (formerly AMP for Endpoints) provides comprehensive, cloud-based security for endpoint detection and response (EDR). This unique solution contains several detection engines powered by Cisco Talos threat intelligence to prevent, detect, respond, and block cyber threats before your systems are compromised. The capabilities of Cisco Secure Endpoint include the following:
Next-gen antivirus protection
Continuous behaviour monitoring of endpoints (system-level)
Dynamic file analysis
Endpoint isolation
Orbital advanced search
Threat grid cloud
Threat hunting mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework
Secure Endpoint contains tools and features tailored to help Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) Partners extend endpoint security as a service, offering managed detection and response (MDR) services. The tool that helps providers more easily manage their customers is the Secure Endpoint MSSP console.
This console gives providers a single dashboard that lists all customers (child organizations) and their provision status. After successful login with a Cisco Security Cloud Sign-On account, the admin can log into the MSSP console or directly into a child organization. Each admin can also set a default organization.
The key benefits provided to partners by using the Secure Endpoint MSSP Console include:
◉ Quick onboarding of new customers with just a few clicks
◉ Easy ability to provision, monitor, and manage trial accounts and then convert trial accounts into subscriptions
◉ Comprehensive, high-level view of the entire customer base with brief states of provisioning, payment, and compromised
◉ Ability for MSSP Partners to automate customer onboarding and reporting using the service provider set of APIs
Figure 1 Customer page from the Secure Endpoint MSSP Console
Integration with other security technologies and automation
Secure Endpoint APIs enable automation and communication across any expanded set of security telemetry beyond endpoints. MSSP Partners can leverage these capabilities to respond to threats completely using a comprehensive architecture whose components work together. APIs help achieve integration with other security technologies and application to enhance response capabilities. Secure Endpoint has already been integrated with many Cisco ecosystem partners.
A unique subset of Secure Endpoint APIs exists to support MSSP use cases. MSSP Partners can use these APIs to do the following:
◉ Create customers
◉ Retrieve the status for all customers
◉ Disable customer APIs
◉ Fetch the total monthly usage of an MSSP Partner
◉ Gather detailed billing information
The MSSP Partner-specific APIs are under <api_endpoint>/v1/mssp.
Move from EDR to XDR for increased visibility and improved endpoint protection
Secure Endpoint provides a solid foundation for MSSP Partners to add on other detection and response services. Secure Endpoint can detect fileless malware, ransomware, polymorphic attacks, and more by continuously monitoring all the files and applications that enter a device. The information collected enhances the detection mechanism to perform threat hunting and carry out forensic activities.
MSSP Partners can seamlessly integrate other tools into the Secure Endpoint cloud to amplify security for their customers. The recently launched Cisco XDR uses the latest technologies to provide even higher visibility by collecting and correlating threat information while using analytics and automation to help detect both current and future cyberattacks.
Figure 2 Using Secure Endpoint MSSP Console with Cisco XDR
Figure 2 shows how MSSP Partners can progress their SecOps journey. Partners would use the console for day 1 provisioning of customers, setting up the management of all the customer endpoints, and then add other detection points such as:
◉ Network detection and response (NDR) with Cisco Secure Network Analytics
◉ Email threat monitoring with Cisco Secure Email Threat defence
◉ Internet access security with Cisco Umbrella
The telemetry gathered can be put into Cisco XDR, where it is correlated to provide intelligence-based actionable outcomes.
At Cisco, we believe in assisting our Partners 360 degrees during the entire sales lifecycle. Hence equal weight is provided to Cisco Black Belt trainings that enable our partners on Sell and Deploy, as well as post-Sales Support around our latest Cisco solutions.
Cisco Black Belt Academy offers role-based enablement to various Partner roles in a digital and scalable way without any cost. These trainings equip Cisco partners to deliver successful outcomes for our joint customers while improving customer satisfaction that leads to business stickiness.
Two years ago, the Greater China Partner Enablement team along with Greater China TAC collaborated with Black Belt Academy to up skill Greater China Partners. They were able to effectively troubleshoot customer issues themselves, resulting in reduced TAC volume along with SE post-sales efforts. The joint collaboration has created wonderful results along with many firsts in last two years that other regions can now replicate as a best practice.
During the period, Greater China TAC held a total of 13 troubleshooting sessions, welcomed more than 1100 participants, and the Black Belt team developed 12 Mandarin Learning Maps. These learning maps are designed to up skill partners’ technical expertise across Cisco Data Center, Enterprise Networking, Collaboration and Security products, as well as help the partners accelerate time to value and advance their competitive edge.
It was a true win win:
◉ Greater China Partners – Become self-dependent in troubleshooting low- to medium-complexity customer issues without opening a TAC SR every time, leading to lesser resolution time and higher customer satisfaction
◉ Greater China Partner Organization – Gets to leverage Black Belt engine to provide enablement on-demand and at scale to Greater China partners, free of cost
◉ Black Belt Academy – Gets ready-to-use Mandarin content to include in our Black Belt learning maps, which is the latest information and comes straight from the TAC SMEs
◉ Greater China TAC – Gets lesser low-complexity cases to handle from Partners with Partner Support Services (PSS) contracts, reducing unnecessary case volume
Black Belt Support tracks assist Cisco Partners in managing and troubleshooting the latest Cisco technologies. With the right training, partners can effectively help and support our customers in managing their Cisco Solutions.
No matter what century you research, you’ll find innovative people doing things to make everyday life easier. Think of the Roman Aqueducts built more than two thousand years ago to move fresh water into the more populated areas. Or, consider the Wright Brothers in 1905 inventing their first powered aircraft that could sustain both flight and navigation.
These examples made life easier for the people at the time and for those who came afterward. At Cisco, our renewed focus on supporting Small and Midsize Businesses has given us a drive to also make it easier for them to take full ownership of how they pay for their Cisco hardware, software, and services over time.
Cisco Capital
Cisco Capital, through Cisco, offers partners and customers flexible payment solutions in how they purchase the needed tech to achieve the business outcomes they want. We never want budget to hold you back from getting the Cisco technology to help your business thrive.
Cisco Capital solutions help you:
1. Bundle everything from hardware to services into a single payment
2. Spread payments over time with less cash up front required
3. Simplify your software license purchases
4. Lock in costs, including renewals, for multi-year service agreements
Flexible Payment Solutions
There are multiple choices for how customers can pay for their solutions. From lifecycle management, consumption models, to traditional leasing or loans, there’s a financing solution that will best suit your budget needs. For our Small and Midsize Businesses, there is one that I’d like to feature.
Cisco Easy Pay
Through Cisco Easy Pay, customers can spread their expenses for Cisco hardware, software, and services over time into a single, predictable payment. Cisco Easy Pay enables customers to:
◉ Spread payments over 3 to 5 years
◉ Enhance cash flow and save capital
◉ Access to below market rates
◉ Provide full ownership of the equipment at the end of the term
For partners, Cisco Easy Pay lets you provide customers with a competitive, low-rate payment solution. This allows you to streamline selling motions with an offer that is easy to understand and manage. Lack of capital or budget no longer needs to hold customers back from accessing the right hardware, software, and services they need. With no upfront costs, customers can invest in other business priorities, innovate sooner, and accelerate their IT projects.
One of the certifications offered by Cisco, known as the Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Security Automation and Programmability certification, is connected to the 300-735 exam. This exam is included in the Cisco Certified DevNet Professional qualifications. Opting for this test is wise because it assesses your expertise in creating advanced security solutions for networks. Successfully passing the 300-735 SAUTO exam will immediately grant you a specialist-level certification. Regarding professional-level qualifications, Cisco advises candidates to have three to five years of experience implementing security solutions or software development.
The 300-735 SAUTO exam, also known as the Automating and Programming Cisco Security Solutions exam, has a duration of 90 minutes and is linked to several certifications, including CCNP Security, Cisco Certified DevNet Professional, and Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Security Automation and Programmability. This exam evaluates a candidate’s understanding and ability to implement automated security solutions. It covers the following topics:
Network Programmability Foundation (10%)
Network Security (35%)
Advanced Threat & Endpoint Security (30%)
Cloud, Web, and Email Security (25%)
Reasons to Pass Cisco 300-735 SAUTO Exam
Cisco certifications are highly valued in the industry, and passing the 300-735 SAUTO exam can open up numerous opportunities for you. Let’s explore some benefits of passing this exam and how it can enhance your professional journey.
1. Unlock New Career Opportunities
One of the significant advantages of passing the Cisco 300-735 SAUTO exam is the potential to unlock new career opportunities. This certification demonstrates your expertise in implementing Cisco’s automation solutions. Many organizations across the globe rely on Cisco technologies, and having the skills to automate their networks can make you an invaluable asset to them. Passing this exam can lead to job roles such as network automation engineer, network architect, or automation consultant.
2. Stay Ahead in the Evolving Networking Landscape
Networking is continuously evolving, and automation is becoming an integral part of it. Passing the CCNP Security 300-735 SAUTO exam proves that you possess the knowledge and skills required to work with modern network automation technologies. This certification ensures that you stay updated with the latest trends in the networking industry and empowers you to implement automation solutions effectively. As businesses increasingly adopt automation to streamline their operations, your expertise will be in high demand.
3. Enhance Your Technical Skills
Preparing for the Cisco 300-735 SAUTO exam requires a deep understanding of network automation concepts, tools, and technologies. As you study for this exam, you will develop a strong foundation in automation frameworks, protocols, APIs, and scripting languages like Python. These technical skills are not only valuable for passing the exam but also for your professional growth. They equip you to tackle real-world networking challenges, automate repetitive tasks, and optimize network performance, making you a proficient networking professional.
4. Validate Your Expertise
Cisco certifications are widely recognized and respected in the industry. By passing the CCNP Security 300-735 SAUTO exam, you validate your expertise and proficiency in network automation. This certification proves your skills to potential employers and clients, giving you a competitive edge. It demonstrates your commitment to continuous learning and professional development, making you a trusted professional.
5. Join the Cisco Certified Community
Becoming certified in Cisco technologies opens the door to a vast community of networking professionals. By passing the CCNP Security 300-735 SAUTO exam, you become part of the Cisco-certified community, which offers various benefits. You gain access to exclusive resources, forums, and events where you can engage with experts and like-minded professionals. This community provides opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing, and career growth through interactions with industry leaders and peers.
6. Cisco 300-735 SAUTO Exam Increases Your Earning Potential
Passing the Cisco 300-735 SAUTO exam can significantly impact your earning potential. Cisco certifications are highly regarded, and employers often recognize the value of certified professionals. With this certification, you position yourself for better job prospects and higher-paying roles. According to industry reports, Cisco-certified professionals earn higher salaries than their non-certified counterparts. Investing in your skills and obtaining the 300-735 SAUTO certification can yield long-term financial rewards.
7. Gain Confidence in Your Abilities
Successfully passing the CCNP Security 300-735 SAUTO exam can boost your confidence in your networking abilities. As you conquer the exam challenges, you gain a sense of achievement and assurance in your skills. This confidence translates into your work as you take on complex networking projects, troubleshoot issues, and implement automation solutions. The knowledge and experience gained through the exam preparation process instill in you the belief that you can tackle any networking task with confidence and expertise.
8. Stay Relevant in a Competitive Industry
In the fast-paced world of networking, staying relevant is crucial. Passing the Cisco 300-735 SAUTO exam ensures you remain up-to-date with the latest advancements in network automation. It demonstrates your commitment to continuous learning and professional growth. As businesses increasingly embrace automation to enhance their efficiency and agility, professionals with the skills to implement and manage automated networks will continue to be in demand. By staying ahead of the curve, you position yourself as a valuable asset to your organization or clients.
9. Expand Your Knowledge Horizons
The process of preparing for the Cisco 300-735 SAUTO exam is an opportunity to expand your knowledge horizons. It allows you to delve deep into network automation concepts, explore different tools and frameworks, and gain insights into best practices. The knowledge gained during exam preparation goes beyond the exam and can be applied to real-world scenarios. It broadens your understanding of networking and equips you with the expertise to design, deploy, and manage automated networks effectively.
10. Cisco 300-735 SAUTO Exam Boost Your Professional Credibility
A Cisco certification carries significant weight and enhances your professional credibility. The CCNP Security 300-735 SAUTO exam is designed to assess your skills and knowledge in network automation. Passing this exam demonstrates your competence in implementing Cisco automation solutions. This certification serves as evidence of your capabilities and gives your professional profile a boost. It validates your expertise in the eyes of employers, clients, and peers and helps establish you as a trusted authority in network automation.
Cisco 300-735 SAUTO Exam: Preparation Options
Having a suitable structure and a comprehensive study schedule is crucial when getting ready for this certification test. Consequently, there are multiple ways to effectively prepare for it. Below are a few options you can consider:
Enroll for and complete the official training course
Learn from a Study guide
Join the online Cisco community
Take the practice test
Acquire hands-on experience
Conclusion
In conclusion, passing the Cisco 300-735 SAUTO exam can benefit your professional journey. From unlocking new career opportunities and staying ahead in the networking landscape to enhancing your technical skills and boosting your earning potential, this certification opens up a world of possibilities. It validates your expertise, connects you with a vibrant community, and keeps you relevant in an ever-changing industry. So, if you’re considering taking this exam, embrace the opportunity to supercharge your networking career. Good luck!
Recently I was looking for some research around IOT to assist our partners to understand the gravity of the market opportunity for the next decade. According to IOT Analytics the IOT device market is growing by 16% right now. This IOT growth data is inspiring as we think about the tools, tech, and innovations we can offer to our customers and for our partners to bring new solutions and build opportunities to keep up pace with the pace of growth expected over the next decade. All of this IOT device growth wouldn’t be possible without a great network, great wireless connectivity and great lifecycle planning from our partners, but there is more. There is a need to address three major concerns we are seeing:
1. Complexity: is high with OT/IT and management of various systems, vendors and devices are is difficult to scale and manage. A great opportunity for our partner community to assist in this area.
2. Cybersecurity: IT teams don’t have visibility into what assets are connected in OT environments or what are the security risks. Partners have the opportunity to work with Cisco to secure infrastructure and manage all of the various unmanaged and unsecured devices.
3. Lack of Skilled Resources: Limited IT teams covering OT environments where it is hard to securely and efficiently managed connected assets.
To help address those challenges, at Cisco Live Amsterdam in February we announced new cloud services for a new way for IT and OT to collaborate on managing and securing the network via our Catalyst Industrial Routers. With our cloud-delivered IoT Operations Dashboard, customers can use Cyber Vision to provide visibility into OT assets and their security posture, as well as leverage Secure Equipment Access for safe remote access to machines.
This past week at Cisco Live US we expanded our cloud services to our Cisco Industrial Ethernet switching portfolio in alignment with our Networking Cloud announcements. Now, customers can leverage their existing Catalyst Industrial Ethernet Switches and quickly realize the benefits of these cloud-driven software functionalities since there’s no additional hardware needed. This further enables our customers to use their network as a platform for IT to simplify, innovate, and deliver unified experiences to their customers. And it’s a key part of our Cisco Networking Cloud vision.
These OT services will be available on IE switches (Cisco IE3x00, Heavy-Duty Series Switches and Catalyst IE9300 Rugged Series Switches) independent of the network management platform used to manage the IE switches. This means that your customers can manage the industrial network through Cisco DNA center while benefiting from the simplicity and scalability of the cloud to meet the needs of OT.
What ‘s in it for you as the partner? The possibility to expand or unlock new industries such as roadways, manufacturing, and many others meaning … new industries, verticals, and businesses opportunities. For your customers, this allows different industries and industrial network architectures to leverage these OT services, bringing simplicity and scale to their organizations.
Lastly, we continue to expand our industrial networking portfolio to ensure your customer success for a variety of deployment scenarios and locations, including:
◉ Cisco Catalyst IE9300 Rugged series switches: 5 new models that enable more high-wattage and high-bandwidth devices to be connected in settings such as manufacturing, utilities, roadway intersections, transportation including train stations, seaports, and airports, and smart communities.
◉ Cisco Catalyst IW9167I Heavy Duty access point: a new Wi-Fi 6 access point with integrated antenna for outdoor and industrial deployments, so your customers can be ready for Wi-Fi 6E.
These announcements complement our comprehensive industrial networking portfolio giving you the opportunity to deliver an end-to-end solution to your customers with enterprise and industrial use cases.
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