Customer Success (CS) has long been misunderstood as a reactive support function. But as Annie Stefano and Ray Makela discussed on a recent episode of the Sales Readiness Podcast, modern CS is a key driver of revenue growth, commercial productivity, and strategic customer expansion.
Listen to the full episode, Redefining the Role of Customer Success.
Annie explained her transition from Growth Molecules to SBI as a move that expands the impact of customer enablement. With her expertise now embedded in SBI’s commercial training framework, Annie brings forward a refined curriculum, foundational to advancing CS capabilities. Her mission is clear: elevate post-sale performance to match the sophistication and rigor seen in pre-sale functions.
Ray highlighted that this move fills a long-standing gap in most organizations. Too often, companies invest heavily in sales processes and enablement, only to neglect the customer experience after the deal closes. Annie’s role and the new SBI curriculum bridges that divide.
Ray raised a critical point: what happens after account executives close the deal? Too many companies still view CS as operational support when it should be treated as a revenue engine. In today’s fast-paced, tech-enabled environment, the customer experience is no longer managed passively. CS leaders must be proactive, data-informed, and tightly aligned with broader GTM goals.
CSMs are now responsible for large and complex levels of business. Whether managing a few high-value enterprise accounts or hundreds of smaller clients, Annie explains that CS professionals must demonstrate strategic foresight and execution capability. That means leveraging technology, building scalable processes, and developing the skills to engage at the executive level.
CS as a Revenue Driver: Mindset Shifts and Skill Gaps
Ray asked how organizations can move past outdated perceptions of CS as a cost center. Annie pointed out that the first step is reframing how the team sees itself. Her training programs help CS professionals internalize their role as contributors to growth by owning business outcomes, not just touchpoints.
Annie noted that foundational skills like meeting facilitation, executive communication, and objection handling are still lacking in many CS teams. Teaching CSMs how to manage difficult conversations, deliver value-focused QBRs, and articulate the business impact of their work is what ultimately changes customer behavior and revenue outcomes.
What Organizations Miss When Scaling CS
There are a number of blind spots organizations encounter when building or scaling CS teams. Annie outlined two missteps she sees often:
Ray highlighted that this misalignment is echoed in SBI’s research: commercial productivity drops when buying experiences are fragmented. Ensuring CS, Sales, Product, and Support operate as a unified front is no longer optional.
One of the final topics Ray explored was the importance of customizing CS training to specific industries and business models. Annie shared how SBI’s curriculum architecture enables modular delivery that can flex by sector to meet each organization’s unique needs.
Annie emphasized that discovery and alignment are non-negotiables. Training sticks when it speaks directly to the learner’s environment. That means integrating client-specific language, lifecycle models, and personas into the learning journey.
Listen to the full episode, Redefining the Role of Customer Success