The importance of revenue in CS

The field of customer success (CS) has been through a whirlwind of changes this year due to the global economy. As we near the end of 2023 and start planning for 2024, sustainability and revenue have become top priorities for every CS department. But why is revenue such a vital piece of the CS puzzle? And how can CSMs and CS leaders enhance their skills to adapt to the evolving market?

In this episode, our host Anika Zubair chats with Maranda Dziekonski, Senior VP of Customer Success at Datasembly about the importance of viewing customer success as a revenue generator rather than a cost center.

With over 20 years of experience in both working in and building world-class operations, Maranda brings a wealth of expertise to the table. She has successfully built and scaled teams in early and mid-stage startups, and has been involved in four companies that have achieved successful exits, including one unicorn. Now, Maranda is currently working on her 9th startup!

While she has owned various functions such as Sales and Marketing, HR, Biz Ops, and more, her true passion lies in Customer Success.

Maranda has been recognized as one of the Top 50 CCOs to Watch and has been named a Top 25 Customer Success Influencer for 2021, 2022, and 2023. Additionally, she serves on numerous boards and is an advisory board member for the University of San Francisco’s Customer Success and Insights MBA Program.

As we approach the end of the year, the topics of sustainability and revenue weigh heavily on the minds of leaders. However, if we were to go back 5 years and ask Maranda, and many other leaders, they would have advocated for keeping customer success pure and avoiding any involvement with revenue or owning a specific number. So, what is Maranda’s perspective on revenue in customer success today?

“My perspective has evolved and changed over time. Given the current state of the economy, I believe customer success teams need to embrace taking ownership of measurable outcomes. And even if they don’t directly own a revenue number, they should be able to demonstrate their direct impact on revenue.” 

Listen now to the full conversation with Maranda and Anika to learn more about the importance of viewing customer success as a revenue generator rather than a cost center.