If Sales has a pipeline, why doesn’t Customer Success?
For years, Sales has been seen as the revenue engine, forecasting deals, tracking pipeline, and managing stage-by-stage conversion.
CS, on the other hand, has been expected to drive expansion… without the same systems, language, or rigor.
That mismatch is one of the biggest reasons expansion is unpredictable, inconsistent, and often invisible until the last minute.
Here’s the truth:
If CS is expected to own expansion, then CS needs a real expansion pipeline.
Not a spreadsheet. Not a “maybe list.”
A real pipeline, with stages, forecast categories, qualification criteria, and consistent inspection.
Let’s break down exactly why it matters and how to build one that works.
Why CS Needs an Expansion Pipeline
1. Expansion Is Revenue: It Should Be Forecasted Like Revenue
Most CS teams can’t answer basic questions that Sales teams live by:
What’s in the expansion pipeline right now?
What’s likely to close this quarter?
Which accounts are slipping?
What’s the dollar amount tied to each stage?
If you can’t answer those, you’re not forecasting, you’re hoping.
A pipeline gives CS the same visibility and predictability Sales relies on.
2. Execs Don’t Trust Expansion Numbers Without a Pipeline
CROs and CFOs think in terms of:
Pipeline → Coverage → Forecast → Gap to Target
But most CS teams show “expansion potential” as anecdotal notes or soft assumptions.
A pipeline shifts the conversation from:
“We might have expansion coming.”
to:
“We have $1.2M in expansion pipeline, $450K in commit, and $300K in upside for Q2.”
That’s how CS becomes a revenue-credible function.
3. It Creates Focus for CSMs
Without a pipeline, expansions get lost behind support tickets, adoption tasks, and escalations.
A pipeline forces:
Prioritization
Qualification
Next steps
Deal sequencing
Multi-threading
Executive alignment
It becomes a working list of revenue actions, not just tasks.
4. It Builds a Culture of Proactive Growth
Most expansions happen reactively, customer asks, CSM responds.
A pipeline flips the model.
It turns CSMs into opportunity creators, not just opportunity catchers.
The Anatomy of a CS Expansion Pipeline
If you’re building this for the first time, start with a simple structure.
Below is a proven framework that I’ve deployed in the past - you would need to fit this into your business but I hope this gives you some general guidelines on how to setup stages for an expansion oppty.
1. Define Your Pipeline Stages
Here’s a clean 6-stage approach that mirrors Sales while staying CS-friendly:
Stage 1: Expansion Signal Identified
A trigger appears: usage spike, new team joins, exec sponsor mentions expansion, a new workflow is unlocked, etc.
Exit Criteria:
Clear signal documented, tied to a value outcome.
Stage 2: Qualified Opportunity
You confirm this opportunity is real and valuable.
Exit Criteria:
Pain/opportunity clarified
Buying group identified
Budget likelihood assessed
Initial timeline discussed
Stage 3: Solutioning & Business Case
You map the “why now” and “why this.”
Exit Criteria:
Business case drafted
Value hypothesis aligned
Stakeholders engaged
Internal advocates identified
Stage 4: Technical + Procurement Validation
Champion is onboard. Now procurement/legal enters.
Exit Criteria:
Pricing reviewed
Security/IT alignment
Procurement path confirmed
Paper process and timeline defined
Stage 5: Commit
The customer has signaled intent to purchase.
Exit Criteria:
Verbal yes
Timeline locked
No unresolved blockers
Internal approvals underway
Stage 6: Closed Won
Contract signed. Revenue booked.
And CS becomes the hero
2. Create a Qualification Checklist (CS Version of MEDDPICC)
You don’t need full MEDDPICC, but you do need a way to ensure rigor.
Here’s the CS-friendly version I’ve used inside customer expansion playbooks:
Metric: What outcome or KPI improves with expansion?
Economic Buyer: Who owns the budget or business case?
Deal Driver: Why now? What event or pain creates urgency?
Path to Value: What value/story will get this approved?
Influence Map: Who are the cross-functional players?
Contract Path: What’s the procurement/paper process?
Confidence: What’s your forecast category?
This becomes the inspection framework for managers.
3. Add Forecast Categories
Just like Sales make sure you can forecast these expansions:
Commit: 90%+
Likely: 60–80%
Upside: 20–50%
Pipe: 0–20%
This helps leadership understand risk and coverage.
4. Instrument It in Your Tools
You can implement this in your CRM or your CSP. Just make sure it’s tracked somewhere!
5. Plan a Weekly “Expansion Pipeline Review”
Make this a standing part of your CS operating rhythm.
In these reviews you ask:
What’s moving?
What’s stuck?
Who else do we need to thread in?
Do we have a documented next step?
Where can leadership help unblock?
What’s the forecast change from last week?
This is where rigor is created.
6. Tie Your Pipeline to Quarterly Revenue Targets
CROs instantly gain confidence when CS links:
Pipeline coverage
Forecast
Gap-to-target
Stage conversion
Deal velocity
It shifts CS from a “cost center” to a predictable revenue engine.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Teams that fully adopt an expansion pipeline see:
✔️ 20–40% increase in expansion sourced by CS
✔️ Higher exec sponsorship engagement
✔️ Faster deal cycles
✔️ More accurate forecasting
✔️ Fewer end-of-quarter fire drills
✔️ Clear coaching paths for CSMs
✔️ CS seen as a revenue partner, not a reactive function
Final Takeaway
Sales isn’t the only team that needs a pipeline.
If CS is responsible for expansion, CS must operate like a revenue organization.
When CSMs have a structured pipeline with clear stages, qualification criteria, and weekly inspection, expansion becomes:
Predictable
Visible
Repeatable
Scalable
This is how CS evolves from “supporting renewals”
to driving net revenue growth.
How have you tried this out in the past?
Have you got stuck? Let me know how I can help!
Onwards,
Mark
