The Art of Customer Migration: Strategy, Execution, and Growth

In today’s evolving tech landscape, businesses often need to migrate customers from legacy systems to modern platforms. Whether driven by technological advancements, mergers and acquisitions, or product sunsetting, customer migration requires a strategic and well-executed approach to ensure a seamless transition. A successful migration program isn’t just about moving customers—it’s about delivering value, reducing friction, and unlocking future growth opportunities.

Laying the Foundation for Migration Success

Before launching a migration initiative, several critical factors need to be addressed:

• Product Strategy Alignment: Ensure that internal stakeholders align with the migration roadmap.

  • Example: A company phasing out an on-premise solution outlines a three-year sunset plan, giving their people and customers a clear timeline.

  • Action: Communicate migration milestones early and often to avoid customer surprises.

• Customer Messaging & Communication: Customers need compelling reasons (WIIFM) to transition and communicated consistently through marketing, sales, and customer success teams.

  • Example: A company highlights performance improvements and cost savings as key benefits.

  • Action: Develop a FAQ document addressing common migration concerns and host a series of webinars, videos and blogs to reach your customer base

• Commercial Considerations: Pricing structures, customer loyalty incentives, and flexible contract options help drive adoption and minimise churn risk.

  • Example: A company offers early migration discounts to drive initial adoption.

  • Action: Offer a limited-time discount for early movers to encourage proactive migration.

• Customer & Product Insights: Understanding customer risk profiles, contract details, and usage patterns helps tailor migration plans.

  • Example: A company identifies that enterprise clients need additional security certifications before migrating.

  • Action: Conduct a customer segmentation exercise to anticipate potential blockers.

Executing a Customer-Centric Migration Program

An effective migration program is built on structured phases prioritising ease of transition, risk mitigation, and long-term value creation. Key execution areas include:

• Migration Setup

  • Example: A company creates a migration checklist for customers.

  • Action: Develop easy-to-follow migration guides and templates.

• Migration Execution

  • Example: A company offers dedicated migration specialists to high-value customers.

  • Action: Assign dedicated customer success managers for VIP accounts.

• Customer Growth & Retention

  • Example: A company provides free training webinars post-migration to drive adoption.

  • Action: Implement a post-migration customer success program to reinforce value.

Customer Success in Migration: Finding the Right Approach

Customer success teams play a crucial role in driving smooth migrations and future expansion opportunities. Various execution models can be adopted based on customer complexity and resource availability:

• Hybrid Model: A mix of Customer Success Managers (CSMs) and Technical CSMs (TCSMs) working together to manage migrations and drive adoption.

  • Example: A company pairs CSMs with dedicated engineers for strategic accounts.

  • Action: Establish cross-functional migration teams with clear roles.

• Dedicated Technical Support: Higher investment in technical resources to provide more hands-on migration assistance.

  • Example: A company offers white-glove migration services for high-risk accounts.

  • Action: Create tiered migration support levels based on customer needs.

• Automation-First Approach: Leveraging AI and self-serve tools to reduce manual efforts while offering support where needed.

  • Example: A company uses AI-driven migration assessments to identify risks early.

  • Action: Invest in AI-driven migration tools to improve efficiency.

Overcoming Migration Challenges

Despite careful planning, migration programs often face roadblocks. Some key challenges and solutions include:

• Customer Resistance to Change: Addressed by framing the transition as an ‘upgrade’ rather than a forced migration.

  • Example: A company rebrands the migration as an “enhanced experience” with added features.

  • Action: Position the migration as an opportunity for customers to gain new benefits.

• Feature Parity & Product Gaps: Bridging functionality differences between old and new platforms.

  • Example: A company prioritises developing must-have features before forcing migration.

  • Action: Identify and address gaps in product capabilities before migration.

• Commercial Constraints: Providing flexible pricing models, multi-year contracts, and transition incentives.

  • Example: A company offers legacy customers a two-year pricing freeze to ease the transition.

  • Action: Provide financial incentives that minimise migration friction.

• Compliance & Security Concerns: Addressing regulatory requirements such as data sovereignty and security certifications.

  • Example: A company ensures compliance with HIPAA/FredRamp/GDPR/SOC II before transitioning customers.

  • Action: Engage compliance teams early to avoid last-minute regulatory roadblocks.

Migration as a Growth Lever

A well-executed migration program isn’t just about moving customers—it’s a strategic opportunity to improve retention, accelerate expansion, and reinforce long-term customer relationships. By combining thoughtful planning, clear communication, and strong execution, businesses can turn a challenging transition into a catalyst for future growth.

Let's chat if you’re looking to deliver Customer Migration programs and where I could help—I’d love to help. 🚀