Things that are often hidden: Secret menu items at restaurants, messages in a long-lost group chat, and—most overlooked of all—the revenue sitting inside your Customer Success (CS) team.
The value of CS has quietly evolved—and the evidence is everywhere. From the technology that Customer Success Managers (CSMs) use to improve the customer experience to the ways companies are reorganizing post-sales efforts, it’s clear that CS is no longer just about keeping customers happy.
But Chief Revenue Officers (CROs), who are often newer to to the intricacies of CS, can still view the function through a narrow lens. And while retention still matters (and always will), to only use CS work to retain current customers means leaving money on the table.
Instead, CS teams should be used for what they’re in the best position to do: drive revenue from customers—from expansion to forecasting to advocacy-filled pipeline.
Here’s why (and how) forward-thinking CROs are bringing CS to the center of their revenue strategy—and what you might be missing if you don’t.
CS Accelerates Expansion Better Than Sales Alone
Customers who currently use your product are primed to expand—whether that’s by investing in new features, adding seats, or trying out new products you release. They will spend more than new customers because they understand your value, trust your expertise, and know how to get help if they run into an obstacle. For those same reasons, current customers make decisions to expand much faster than new customers decide to purchase your product.
By involving CS team members in renewal and expansion conversations, CROs can streamline deal cycles and create more efficient conversion funnels. CS teams know exactly what each account needs, where the value gaps are, and what to recommend next. This accelerates time-to-value (TTV), increases customer lifetime value (LTV), and ultimately makes expansion more efficient and predictable. In other words, everyone wins.
Customer Spotlight: Okta
Gainsight customer Okta achieved a 13% increase in renewals after establishing a well-defined Customer Success strategy, demonstrating how a proactive approach in CS can effectively enhance recurring revenue. By analyzing customer usage data, they pinpointed specific behaviors that suggested low product adoption. This insight allowed them to implement scalable, automated Customer Success initiatives that not only improved the overall health of these customers but also increased both adoption and retention rates.
CS Data Sharpens Forecasts
Customer Success (CS) teams are not just relationship managers—they are the custodians of a treasure trove of real-time signals and account-level data that significantly enhance revenue forecasting capabilities. By leveraging this data, CS provides invaluable insights that can guide Sales and RevOps to more accurate forecasting.
Health scores and usage trends often flag potential risks or signals of expansion intent well before the Sales team receives any notification from the account. These real-time signals are crucial for adjusting forecasts and making informed revenue predictions. Integrating such data into forecasting models ensures improved revenue predictability by highlighting patterns of customer engagement, potential risks, and opportunities for growth.
With comprehensive metrics on user data, daily product usage, engagement, and beyond, CROs are equipped to get a clearer picture of revenue risk and opportunity. This allows them to see what customers value most about your product, identify areas of difficulty, and discern what aspects are overlooked, leading to more strategic decisions and a more predictable revenue stream.
CS Powers Warm Pipeline Through Advocacy
An under-utilized force for driving revenue is the community that surrounds your product. A customer community provides proof of the value your Sales and Marketing teams promise. It provides helpful tips for navigating your various product features. And, it helps spread the word about which companies need your product and why.
Earned advocacy is invaluable in the sales process for customers and prospects alike. CS teams are the direct link between Sales and Community. CSMs can flag opportunities, helpful conversations, and accounts that would make great references for the larger Revenue team. Good CROs find ways for CSMs and Sales teams to collaborate, but the best CROs create a revenue multiplier by adding in a powerful customer community, too.
CS Teams Can Identify Winning GTM Strategies
Customer Success sits closest to real-time customer feedback. CSMs hear objections, challenges, and feature requests that buyers don’t always voice during the sales cycle.
By feeding these insights into Sales enablement and Product Marketing, CS teams can help these GTM teams refine positioning, identify competitive differentiators, and tailor messaging to real use cases. Being timely, proactive, and privy to what your customers need most is the best recipe for success.
Learn More From Gainsight
Learn more about the Customer Success and Customer Intelligence solutions that are driving revenue today.
