By Nikki Ault, VP of Client Services for Coffman Media

This article can be found in Commercial Integrator in August 2025.

In the ProAV 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 life-long clients!

Often, client success is the one seen asking the overly used questions and sending the cyclical emails, “Can you provide us with a referral?” “Is your signage working?” “It’s time for renewal.”

It’s so much more than that. 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 take the time to understand their goals, proactively solve problems, and guide them toward long-term value. Finding the why behind the why behind the why is essential to any digital signage project.

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. While important to the Sales, Operations and Fulfillment Teams, those metrics don’t tell the whole story. What happens after go-live? Day 2 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 the technology is not just installed, but 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 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.

Those quarterly reach outs mentioned above become the connecting bridge between one-time sales and an ongoing relationship with the client. The difference equating to long term customers vs. a high churn rate. 

This approach doesn’t just lead to higher satisfaction—it leads to renewals, upsells, 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—it's a company-wide philosophy. Sales, project management, operations, support—everyone plays a role in delivering value. When each team understands how their work contributes to the client's outcomes, collaboration improves, and the overall client experience is elevated.

Investing in client success training and aligning KPIs within our own team, but 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" 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 WAVIT (Women in AV/IT), 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 relationship-based value.

Organizations that support women in tech roles often see stronger communication, empathy-led project management, and greater client satisfaction. Client success isn’t just strategic—it’s also a catalyst for inclusivity and innovation.

Conclusion: Strategy First, Service Always

Client success isn't a box to check after installation—it's a strategic lens that should influence every stage of the customer journey. In the digital signage world, where 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 stick 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 deliver white glove service, empowering our customers and driving growth for all.