skills/assess-ma-crm-ltv/references/role-and-readiness.md

# MA, CRM, and CS Roles and Readiness

## Contents

1. Responsibility model
2. Readiness gates
3. Customer-state diagnosis
4. Automation versus human intervention
5. Common failure patterns

## 1. Responsibility model

```text
Strategic CRM designs relationship and value timing
  → MA scales known contact and routing
  → CS enables deep value realization and success
  → Operational CRM restores recall and reduces leakage or friction
```

| Function | Primary responsibility | Does not create by itself |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic CRM | Customer states, relationship meaning, value timing, contact logic, LTV structure | Base demand or product value |
| Operational CRM | Leakage prevention, return, recall, timing, friction reduction | A new reason to choose |
| MA | Repeatable contact, routing, timing, reminders, known friction | ICP, demand, value, advantage |
| CS | Activation, adoption, success, recovery, continued value | A scalable market alone |

## 2. Readiness gates

### Major blockers

- Relevant demand does not exist or recur.
- ICP or target customer state is undefined.
- Customers do not reach or experience promised value.

Any major blocker can justify holding additional automation.

### Supporting conditions

- A repeatable decision or need exists.
- A reason to choose is already credible.
- Timing or friction affects the outcome.
- Signals can be observed and acted upon.
- Contact permission and channel fit exist.
- Human escalation and operating ownership exist.

Do not turn supporting conditions into a mechanical majority vote.

## 3. Customer-state diagnosis

| Symptom | Structural question | Do not substitute |
|---|---|---|
| Low activation | Fit, onboarding, implementation, first value | More reminder sequences |
| Early churn | Expectation gap, value realization, wrong ICP | Discount retention |
| Customers forget | Need recurrence, recall trigger, timing | High-frequency generic contact |
| Low repeat purchase | Re-need, availability, re-selection, experience | Email volume alone |
| Renewal stalls | Value evidence, budget, stakeholders, switching risk | Last-minute pressure |
| High opens, flat revenue | KPI validity, message utility, customer state | Defending engagement metrics |
| Many automations, low adoption | Operating ownership and actionability | More complex scoring |

## 4. Automation versus human intervention

Automate when the state is sufficiently known, action is repeatable, customer benefit is clear, risk is low, and failure can be suppressed or reversed.

Use people when context is ambiguous, value is not reached, dissatisfaction is sensitive, tradeoffs are complex, relationship risk is high, or a consequential commitment is required.

Every automated path needs:

- Entry and exit condition
- Legitimate customer benefit
- Timing and channel
- Suppression and escalation
- Owner and review cadence
- Desired and adverse signals

## 5. Common failure patterns

- Buying a platform before defining the customer-state model.
- Scoring behavior without verifying that it predicts a meaningful state.
- Calling repeated contact “nurturing” when demand is absent.
- Using CRM to compensate for weak product or onboarding.
- Treating CS as a reactive support desk.
- Optimizing opens while complaints, fatigue, or churn rise.
- Overpersonalizing with weak inference or without permission.