Fostering Customer Success Ownership of Product Feature Requests
Designed for Mid-level Customer Success Managers at SaaS companies who regularly liaise with product teams and handle high-value enterprise accounts to spark real collaboration and high-energy learning.
A 75-minute virtual workshop for customer success teams. Participants feel their requests are often lost in translation or deprioritized by product, leading to frustration and eroding trust with key accounts. The session aims to equip managers with tools and strategies to transform feature requests into co-owned opportunities.
Mystery Feature Request Reveal
Kick off with a poll showing two anonymized, real feature requests received by your team. Ask: 'Which one was adopted by the product team—and why?' After voting, reveal the outcome and reasoning behind the product team's decision.
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Why this works
Curiosity primes the brain for learning and motivates deep processing. This real example hooks attention and sets up the workshop’s practical purpose.
Myth-Busting: ‘Just Forward It’
Present a bold statement: 'Forwarding customer requests is enough to drive product change.' Invite participants to use the chat or raise hands if they believe this is true. Then, share data showing how many requests are ignored when lacking business context.
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Why this works
Confronting misconceptions encourages cognitive dissonance, preparing learners to replace unhelpful beliefs with evidence-based practices.
Silent Sticky Notes Share
Ask everyone to write (or type in a shared doc) one feature request they handled recently, without names or details. Collect and display these anonymously. Invite participants to spot requests that lack business context or specificity, encouraging low-pressure commentary.
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Why this works
Anonymous, low-stakes participation lowers barriers, allowing all voices to contribute safely—ideal for surfacing patterns and shared challenges.
Lightning Advocacy Pitch-Off
Divide the group into pairs. Each member has 90 seconds to pitch their feature request to their partner as if the partner were a skeptical product manager. Partners give rapid feedback—1 thing that was clear, 1 thing that wasn’t.
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Why this works
Fast-paced activities boost energy and force focus. Practicing advocacy under time pressure sharpens clarity and persuasive skills.
Stakeholder Tug-of-War Scenario
Share a dilemma: a customer’s feature request conflicts with a strategic product roadmap. Invite small groups to roleplay—one side as customer advocates, the other as product owners. They must negotiate a path forward, balancing both sides.
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Why this works
Real-world dilemmas create relevance and force strategic thinking. Roleplay builds empathy and understanding for both perspectives.
Personal Ownership Map
Ask participants to draw (or use a digital template) a simple ‘ownership map’ for a feature request they want to champion: Who needs to be involved, what steps they can take, and where they add value. Invite volunteers to share theirs and reflect on their readiness.
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Why this works
Active reflection and visualization deepen commitment and reveal personal opportunities for growth. Sharing maps increases accountability.
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