Presentation deck from SaaStock 2019

1. Using Customer Success for growth
(Or how I learned to stop worrying about scaling quickly)
SaaStock 2019

2. Rav Dhaliwal
Software Executive
Advisory
Venture Partner
@ravsterd linkedin.com/in/ravinderdhaliwal/

3. Rav Dhaliwal
Software Executive
Advisory
Venture Partner

4. Sales is not about driving
revenue

5. It’s about generating
customer value
(revenue is the outcome)

6. Successful customers are the
ones realising that value
Can they realise value on their own?
Can they realise value quickly?

7. What is Customer Success?
(Recap)

8. “Building more value faster for the
customer’s company (and your own) so
you can keep and grow the customer
forever”

9. The mission of Customer Success
“Customer Success creates the
conditions for the next and subsequent
sales”

10. Why establish
Customer Success early?

11. The startup journey to scale
Product Market Fit Go To Market Fit Scale
Understand the value you
create and the measurable
leading success indicators
that demonstrate value
Repeatedly articulate,
position and sell based
on the value you create
Increase the pace at
which you position
and sell the value you
create

12. Two paths to scale
Revenue Growth
CustomerRetention
200%
> 90%
Fast revenue growth
1. Optimise for
Improve retention
200% revenue growth
> 90% retentionStrong retention
2. Optimise for
Improve revenue growth

13. The optimal path to scale
Revenue Growth
CustomerRetention
200%
> 90%
200% revenue growth
> 90% retentionStrong retention
2. Optimise for
Improve revenue growth
Much easier to accelerate scaling with
strong retention, than to fix retention
whilst scaling quickly

14. Because churn is a lagging
indicator
(and a silent killer)

15. CS speeds up the journey to scale
Product Market Fit Go To Market Fit Scale
Identify your leading
indicators for value and
churn
More value based
examples to position
and sell
Solid base of
retention makes
scaling faster & easier
But...

16. If Customer Success is just a
department...
...you will fail

17. Success is everyone’s business
Sales Support
Marketing Product
Success Partners

18. Align everyone to long term value
Hire consultative vs coin operated. % of comp on leading success indicators
Measure % customers achieving value in 90 days. Comp Net Revenue Retention
Focus messaging on value. Define MQLs on attributes of successful customers
Study customers not achieving value. Build features on these observations
Focus on customer self sufficiency. Measure on NPS and CSAT

19. Make Customer Success part of your GTM
(focus on value metrics before
unit economics)

20. ICON
Summary
Sales is about generating customer value
CS helps customers realise that value...
...and speeds up PMF & GMT fit
Need to align everyone around value
Strong retention makes it easier to scale
Measurable indicators for success & churn

21. Thank you
@ravsterd linkedin.com/in/ravinderdhaliwal/
rav@crane.vc