How to turn renewals into a strategic growth lever

Most CS & Sales leaders know this frustration: We spend millions on customer success, yet still face blind spots in where to invest limited resources. The result? 68% of churn comes from “healthy” accounts (TSIA) Only 23% of leaders feel confident in resource allocation (Gainsight) $2.3M ARR at risk per $10M portfolio (TSIA) Meanwhile, CSMs spend 40% of their time on analysis instead of engagement. That’s why I’ve been ideating an AI-driven Growth Potential Index (GPI) — a scoring model to rank accounts from -5 to +5 and guide exactly where to double down, and where not to. Here’s how it may look in the application design: 1. Strategic Analysis How has strategy for the account been executed over the last 2–3 years? Did the initiatives align with the opportunity pipeline, and did the pipeline actually convert into adoption, usage, or revenue? 2. Pipeline Analysis Are the immediate or near future opportunities aligned with customer priorities, or just reactive bets? Do they point toward big, strategic initiatives or incremental activities? 3. Relationship Analysis How stable are stakeholder engagements? Is leadership churn weakening sponsorship — or are new champions emerging that strengthen alignment? Are the engaged stakeholders mapped to near term strategic opportunities and needs. 4. Technological Health Is the customer operating on legacy systems or modern infrastructure? Are they weighed down by technical debt, or building innovation capacity? And critically, does leadership treat technology as “keeping the lights on” or as a business driver? 5. Market & Financial Position What are the industry growth signals, competitive pressures, and macro dynamics that will accelerate or slow the customer’s trajectory? These five pillars are weighted into a GPI score using Business Momentum, Technology Position, Relationship Strength, and Execution Record (25% each), with a layer of risk evaluation — competitive exposure, execution risk, financial pressure, and relationship gaps. What comes out is a prioritized account list with clear deployment guidance: High-touch for +2.5 and above Strategic focus for mid-range Combination of low-touch and tech-touch for negative scores Instead of spreading teams thin, GPI ensures CSM bandwidth aligns with where growth is actually likely. Data-driven deployment has already shown 2.3x higher NRR in benchmark studies (TSIA, Deloitte). The app ingests account data, pipeline signals, relationship trends, and external market insights to auto-generate a Growth Potential Index for every account — replacing subjective prioritization with evidence-based clarity. But ideation with validation with industry peers makes the real impact: > What other factors would you include in a Growth Potential Index? > How should the weightages shift between history, pipeline, relationships, technology, and market context? The better we get at this, the more predictable and scalable our outcomes become.

We gave Customer Success the power to kill deals. Sounds extreme, right? But it’s one of the best decisions we’ve made for scalable growth. At Personio, our Customer Success Managers can veto an opportunity even after it’s been qualified by SDRs, approved by Sales, and reviewed by leadership. Why? Because no amount of revenue today is worth a churn problem tomorrow. When we looked back at our least healthy accounts, almost every one of them had something in common: They were never true ICP customers to begin with. So we flipped the model: • CS owns the ICP veto • They decide if we pursue or decline an opportunity early and late stage • Every deal gets checked against implementation fit and long-term success potential Does it hurt new business numbers sometimes? Yes. But it protects the entire revenue engine from onboarding to renewal. “If your CSMs wouldn’t renew them, Sales shouldn’t sign them.” That’s exactly the mindset shift we made. And it works. According to Gainsight’s 2025 CS Benchmark, companies where Customer Success contributes to ICP definition see a 21-point lift in NRR on average. Our own data aligns. The tighter our ICP discipline, the healthier our retention and expansion rates have become. This is what cross-functional GTM looks like in practice: Sales hunts smart. CS protects quality. Leadership builds trust across the funnel. Because alignment on ICP isn’t just a marketing exercise. It’s the difference between short-term revenue and long-term growth. Would you ever give your CSMs veto power over which customers you sell to?

I lost one of the most important customers I ever had. A key account that held down an entire territory. A flagship relationship in the company's own backyard. They churned because of a new lead executive, who joined their team already sold on a competitor. They said they would stay on, IF we could deliver a (frankly absurd) grievance list of feature updates and customization on an intentionally impossible timeline. But Product pulled a miracle, and delivered all but one, under time. The customer left anyway. I held the door open, and even helped migrate some of their information in to the new platform. I kept in touch with my lead contacts. We didn't fight them on ending the contract. No gotcha fees, no hidden penalties. Then, their new implementation stalled. Features promised that weren't delivered, surprise up-charges based on usage. Functionality they swore they had turned out not to work the way they said it did. They needed a key communication tool to keep the lights on, and their new one wasn't ready. So we built a new limited contract just for them on an as-needed basis. We kept talking. And you know what? The customer came back, in under a year (!) That new company executive stopped talking up our competitor, and that customer is still with the company to this day. That's the power of Customer Success - and Customer Experience - in action. - Marketing told us about the incoming executive and how he was an advocate for a competitor. We knew in advance why the customer was suddenly combative. - Billing had built a contract that was easy to end, so customers wouldn't feel trapped, or have a positive relationship soured by a rough exit. - Product was able to deliver custom updates *fast,* and work directly with me and the customer seamlessly. - Sales built a custom contract on the fly to give us a huge win. - Implementation was able to get the solution up and running and handle retraining on short notice. And my leadership supported me all the way. Making this collaboration between teams possible. Allowing us to keep our promises, and not only win the customer back FAST, but with even higher sentiment and advocacy than before. - The other company made promises they couldn't keep. - Sold a leader who didn't know the tools. - Didn't fight to keep their massive win of a customer. - And in the end were *awful* about ending their contract. If my company at the time, and I, had behaved the way our competitor did, we both would have lost the account. My contact wouldn't have reached back out, my internal teams wouldn't have pivoted, my leadership would have been ready to fire me. Instead? We had a HUGE business win, a whole new upsell model (that as-needed service), new features, a lifetime advocate, who promptly added more features and expanded their contract when they came back. Your company can be the one that wins customers back... or the other one. Which do you choose?

Misaligned customers don’t come from Customer Success. They begin in Sales. When discovery is rushed, or key details never make it into the CRM, CS inherits an account that was shaky from the start. Too often: - Sales pushes to close without qualifying for fit sufficiently - the basics may be covered, but not the depth needed to guide success. - My personal favorite - expectations and limitations aren’t set, only the opportunities are presented. - Important context about goals and challenges isn’t fully captured. The “handoff” is a liiittle more than a name on a spreadsheet. By the time the account lands with a CSM, the cracks are obvious. The customer ends up repeating their story in onboarding, the same business context they already shared with Sales. Sometimes they’re even asked the very same questions (and what's worse, there are companies where this practice is encouraged, I'm not even joking). Yes, CSMs need deep knowledge of a client’s business, but they shouldn’t be starting from zero. It is the Sales’ RESPONSIBILITY to hand off structured, detailed information so the CSM walks into the first meeting informed and credible, and not scrambling to collect basics that should have been captured before the deal closed. Another important point - if expectations weren’t properly set during the call(s) with Sales, it’s the CSM who has to deliver the “bad news.” That moment often leaves the customer feeling misled, even deceived, as if something important was intentionally hidden. Trust takes a direct hit before the real work even begins. Long story short, good discovery doesn’t just close deals. It sets the stage for smoother handoffs, faster adoption, and healthier long-term accounts. And let’s be clear: if your only goal is to close as many deals as possible, you’re not building sustainable revenue. You’re creating accounts that churn quickly, drain CS resources, and damage your reputation in the market. Those short-term wins turn into long-term losses. What’s the hardest conversation you’ve had with a client because of something Sales didn’t cover? #CustomerSuccess #Sales #CustomerExperience #SaaS #StartupGrowth #CSM

Why do sales teams chase the wrong deals while key accounts slip away? @Dennis Smith, 𝗩𝗣 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗖𝗥𝗠, breaks down the focus gap - the hidden issue that undermines sales performance - and how to close it. Read more here: https://sgrcrm.co/4mV5s4w

Churn and retention are not all black and white. There’s good churn and there’s bad retention. Good churn happens when customers leave who - need a ton of help over a long time - do not follow advice and instructions - (complains all the time) - consequently do not get the desired outcomes - and eventually the costs of service > revenue Bad retention happens when they don’t despite their lack of success. What they both have in common is that they are costing you money. While you create negative margins with every additional month they continue to stay, it’s far from the end of the story. What’s much worse are the costs of opportunity. Because the time you spend trying to fix unfixable customers you could also spend on - working with high-quality customers - on strategically growing their outcomes - leading to expansions, upsells, and referrals This is a lose-lose situation and as a CSM you need to work on reducing the number of occurrences. Find out what these customers have in common and pass the information on to your sales team. Because the best way to deal with those customers is to prevent them from being acquired in the first place.

The Truth Sales Teams Need to Hear About Customer Success 💰 If I could sit down with every Sales leader, the one thing I'd want them to understand is this: Customer Success is not post-sales support; we are future-revenue protection. A Sales team gets a bonus for the initial contract value (ACV), but we own the Customer Lifetime Value (CLV). When Sales prioritizes closing a deal over Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) fit, they are essentially selling a ticking time bomb. That "bad fit" customer costs us: Wasted CSM resources (higher effort for lower return). Tarnished brand reputation (negative reviews, lower NPS). Churn that negates the initial win. The best customer is the one who renews and expands. And that starts with a qualified prospect who is a perfect fit for the product. What's your team's biggest barrier to true ICP alignment? #CustomerSuccess #SalesAndCS #RevenueOperations #SaaSGrowth #IdealCustomerProfile

“Land & expand” fails when you manage existing customers like new prospects. CRMs are good systems of record for net-new. But expansion needs a system of action that’s built for long-term relationships, not automated cold outreach. Here’s where land & expand breaks down: • One-size-fits-all motions. Existing clients need personalization tied to their goals—not generic pitches. • Transactional mindset. Expansion comes from trust, value, and ongoing alignment, not just closing the next deal. • Limited visibility. Pipeline tools rarely show health, risk, or usage signals across current accounts. • Siloed tools & teams. Fragmented data = missed cross-sell and renewal moments. What works instead? A purpose-built account management platform (think Customer Revenue Management): • Relationship-centric: Org charts & multi-threading, QBR/EBR workflows, health scores, renewal/risk tracking. • Configurable to your playbook: Your templates, fields, and language—integrated with your CRM. • Collaborative by design: Marketing, product, CS, and account management aligned around one plan of record. • Expansion guidance: Whitespace mapping tied to your product families so account teams focus on the right upsell/cross-sell at the right time. That’s exactly what Kapta delivers—so “expand” isn’t left to chance. Curious how this could work for your team? How about a quick walkthrough. https://lnkd.in/eNEBXdaF #KeyAccountManagement #CustomerRevenueManagement #CustomerSuccess #RevenueGrowth #LandAndExpand #B2BSaaS https://lnkd.in/efe5jwY6

💡Let’s talk about Renewals - the true reflection of Customer Success! Renewals are not just about extending a contract. They’re about renewing trust, outcomes, and partnership which we earn by staying proactive and continuously helping customers see the real ROI from our solution. Over the years, I have realized that successful renewals don’t happen in the last 30-45 days of a contract they are earned throughout the lifecycle. Here’s how I look at it 👇 ✅Why Renewals Matter: They are the ultimate proof that customers see value. A renewal means our solution continues to align with their goals — and that’s the real win for Customer Success. ✅Who Owns Renewals: While the CSM drives the relationship and adoption, it’s truly a team sport. Sales, Finance, Legal, Product, and sometimes even Marketing — everyone plays a role in building the confidence needed for that “Yes”. ✅When to Start the Conversation: Start early. A good rule of thumb begin renewal discussions at least 90–120 days before the due date, but more importantly, keep value conversations ongoing throughout the year. That way, the renewal becomes a natural next step, not a negotiation. ✅Multi-Year vs. Annual Deals: Multi-year renewals (say 3–5 years) can secure long-term commitment and revenue stability but only if the customer is realizing continuous value. On the other hand, annual renewals provide flexibility and a chance to recalibrate strategy each year. It’s all about balancing customer confidence with business predictability. At the end of the day, renewals are the best compliment a customer can give: “We trust you to continue the journey with us.” #CustomerSuccess #Renewals #CustomerRetention #CustomerExperience #AccountManagement #CustomerValue #CustomerGrowth #CustomerFirst #CustomerEngagement #ValueRealization #RevenueGrowth

You can spot the warning signs months before churn spikes or pipeline slows. It’s not random. It’s not “just market headwinds.” Here are five indicators your customer experience is eroding your go-to-market engine — and what they really mean. 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 #𝟭: 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗿𝗲-𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴. If every contract renewal turns into a fresh sales pitch, the experience between signatures isn’t building confidence for an automatic “yes.” That’s higher churn risk and more sales cost. 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 #𝟮: “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀?” 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀’ 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. When customers have to chase you for updates, the experience is creating doubt instead of trust. Doubt slows deals, kills referrals, and drives prospects toward competitors. 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 #𝟯: 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱. If sales is struggling to find customers willing to vouch for you, your experience isn’t producing enough advocates—and your close rates will show it. 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 #𝟰: 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽. Upsells and cross-sells depend on confidence. If decision-makers hesitate or stall in late-stage approvals, the experience hasn’t made the value feel like a “must-have.” 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 #𝟱: 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 “𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹” 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲-𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴. When long-term customers start pushing back on price, it’s a sign your experience is no longer creating enough perceived differentiation to protect margin. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀? Every one of these is fixable. At ImprintCX, we help leaders identify the silent experience failures that erode trust, margin, and market position — then we close those gaps before they turn into churn, price pressure, or stalled pipeline. Because protecting revenue starts with protecting the experience. Let’s talk.