You want Sales and Customer Success to play nice, but not TOO nice.
I’ve been in Sales, and in CS.
When I was in Sales, CS always “played it too safe”.
–> Nobody was ever good-fit enough.
–> They resisted new things.
–> They liked things in tidy boxes they’d done before.
When I was in CS, Sales was “reckless”.
–> They wanted to push the product beyond its limits.
–> They wanted to commit to things we’d never done.
–> They wanted to sell to giant, complex customers.
The truth is, they’re both right.
You NEED Sales to push you out of your comfort zone.
You NEED CS to keep you honest.
Getting this tension right is the hard part.
It usually feels like Sales has the louder voice.
Like they always get their way.
Like CS is the bad guy, trying to hold everyone back.
But I’ve also seen the pendulum swing too far the other way.
Companies playing it safe.
Afraid to take risks that propel them to the next level.
It’s such a wasted opportunity.
Growth is never a nice, gradual slope.
You need each other.
The best relationships are ones of passion.
Don’t lose it.
