Hi there,

"I’m not in Sales."

If you’re a CSM and this thought has crossed your mind, it’s time for a mindset shift.

The truth is that everyone is in Sales, whether they like it or not.

• Landing your dream job? You sold your skills, your experience, and your potential.

• Going on a date? You sold your personality, values, and charm.

• Negotiating a raise? You sell your value to your company, demonstrating the impact of your contributions.

• Talking to customers? You sell the product, its benefits, and how it solves business challenges.

So, if you’re already doing it daily, why not lean into what you do best—while driving more revenue for your business?

Revenue ownership isn't just a shift in mindset; it's an opportunity to amplify the impact you’re already making. You’re not adding more work—you’re recognizing the value you deliver and using it to drive even greater outcomes.

5 tips embrace a revenue-driven mindset

1. Reframe sales as value exchange

Sales isn’t about pushing products; it’s about showcasing value. In fact, if you’re approach is to bring any solution to your customer just because you need to meet a number, you’re doing it wrong, and this my friend is what will damage the relationship, and how you will immediately lose your customer’s trust.

Every time you help a customer solve a problem, improve efficiency, or achieve a goal, you’re part of a value exchange. Shift your mindset to focus on the outcomes your product delivers rather than the transaction itself.

Think of it this way: when you recommend a great book, movie, or restaurant to a friend, you’re not “selling” in the traditional sense. You’re sharing something valuable because you believe it will enhance their life. Apply this mindset when speaking with customers. It’s about helping, not convincing.

Pro-tip: Create a value proposition matrix highlighting key customer outcomes linked to your product features. Use this to guide conversations and ensure you’re always leading with value.

2. Align Customer Success with business impact

Understand that renewals, expansions, and churn are outcomes influenced by your work. Tie your activities directly to revenue metrics to see the bigger picture.

Everything you do: onboarding, training, driving adoption, and success planning is a revenue driver. When a customer successfully adopts your product, sees value, and stays loyal, that's revenue you helped secure.

Consider the ripple effect: a satisfied customer not only renews but often expands their usage and refers others. This cumulative impact can be substantial over time.

Pro-tip: Implement a revenue impact tracker. Document how your activities contribute to renewals, upsells, and cross-sells. Track metrics like customer health scores, engagement levels, and growth opportunities to make your impact visible. This is an example of how I’ve done this with my own business portfolio.

3. Master the art of discovery

Great salespeople ask the right questions. As a CSM, deepen your discovery skills to uncover customer pain points, growth opportunities, and unmet needs.

Discovery isn’t just for the sales process; it’s an ongoing practice. Regularly engage with your customers to understand how their needs evolve. What worked last year may not be relevant today.

Active listening is key. When you truly hear what your customer is saying (and what they’re not saying), you can tailor your approach to meet their specific goals and challenges.

I recently purchased this book, “Doing Discovery” by Peter E. Cohan. I believe the best CSMs are the ones who can master the art of discovery. I am halfway through the book, and while it is targeted to Sales people, I’ve learned a few tricks to improve my discovery skills. I highly recommend it!

Pro-tip: Develop a discovery question toolkit tailored to your customer segments. Use open-ended questions that encourage customers to share strategic priorities, challenges, and future plans.

Questions like:

• What are your top business goals this year?

• What challenges are you facing in achieving those goals?

• How can we support your growth initiatives?

4. Get comfortable with revenue conversations

Practice makes perfect. Engage in role-plays with peers or mentors to build confidence in discussing renewals, pricing, and expansions.

Revenue conversations don’t have to be uncomfortable. When framed around the value you've provided and the outcomes achieved, they become a natural part of the customer relationship.

The key is to shift from a mindset of “selling” to one of “advising” You’re not asking for something; you’re presenting an opportunity for continued growth and success.

Pro-tip: Role-play scenarios focused on common customer objections. Record and review to identify areas for improvement. Practice transitioning from value discussions to revenue topics smoothly. An example from one of my most recent conversations with a customer:

• Customer: “One of our biggest challenges right now is managing capacity at high demand locations such as Chicago. Users are complaining about not being able to find any bookable spaces, but when they come into the office those desks are free and no-one is sitting there. This is causing pain and friction with the booking process, ultimately impacting end user experience. On top of that, data is not accurate, which is impacting our ability to make decisions with our real estate”.

• Erika: “I understand the pain point. Customers who have faced this issue in the past were able to drastically improve this by implementing our newest feature: an integration between your Access control system (badge RFID) and our booking solution. Users will only be checked-in to their reservations when they badge at the door, if the user did not come into the office that day, the reservation would be automatically released for someone else to book. Customers who have implemented this feature have seen a 50% improvement, while also improving data so you can make better decisions with that space/location.

• Customer: “Great, can you please help me better understand how much this would cost and the effort to implement it?”

5. Embrace a growth mindset

View revenue ownership as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. The more you embrace learning about business acumen and sales strategies, the more impactful you become.

A growth mindset allows you to see challenges as opportunities to learn and improve. Instead of fearing revenue targets, view them as benchmarks for your influence and effectiveness.

Invest in continuous learning. Attend webinars, read industry books, and seek mentorship from colleagues who excel in revenue-related roles. The more you understand the business side of Customer Success, the more confident you’ll feel in owning revenue.

A personal story.

Last year, I did not win CSM of the year, but someone else did.

My approach:

• Report on all the CSQLs this person closed last year.

• Identify the customers that grew in revenue and the industries they belong to.

• Analyze the pain points of those customers.

• Can I identify any of these pain points in the conversations I’m having with my customers?

• How can I use her success to learn and replicate it with my business portfolio?

Pro-tip: Curate a growth library with books, podcasts, and courses on value-based selling, customer success, and business strategy. Recommended resources:

• "The Challenger Sale" by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson

• “Doing Discovery” by Peter E. Cohan

• “REACH” by Rod Cherkas

• “How top CSMs nail customer value” Customer Success Career Coach Podcast, Carly Agar.

• From CS to Sales growth: Turning upsells into new sales – Customer Success Pro Podcast, Anika Zubair

The rewards of owning revenue

• Increased earning potential with performance-based incentives. As you contribute to revenue growth, many organizations offer bonuses or commissions tied to your success. This means, of course, more money for you!

• Elevated professional credibility within your organization and industry. Revenue ownership showcases your strategic value, positioning you as a leader in driving business outcomes.

• A seat at the table, influencing not just customer outcomes but business direction. When you impact revenue, your insights become critical in shaping product roadmaps, go-to-market strategies, and growth initiatives.

CSMs, it's time to own your impact. Own the revenue with pride! And I promise you, the rewards will come.

What has been your experience? And how do you feel about this change? Have you embraced owning revenue in your role? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Best,