{"id":354,"date":"2024-12-13T18:56:28","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T19:56:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ngssgolf.com\/?p=354"},"modified":"2025-07-24T10:04:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T10:04:22","slug":"a-1b-acquisition-with-a-singular-leader-for-both-sales-and-customer-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ngssgolf.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/13\/a-1b-acquisition-with-a-singular-leader-for-both-sales-and-customer-success\/","title":{"rendered":"A $1B Acquisition with a Singular Leader for Both Sales and Customer Success"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hello and welcome to The GTM Newsletter by GTMnow <\/strong>– read by 50,000+ to scale their companies and careers. GTMnow shares insight around the go-to-market strategies responsible for explosive company growth. GTMnow highlights the strategies, along with the stories from the top 1% of GTM executives, VCs, and founders behind these strategies and companies.<\/em><\/p>\n

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A $1B Acquisition with a Singular Leader for Both Sales and Customer Success<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In 2017, tech leader Vikas Bhambri<\/a> found himself at a crossroads. Kustomer, a SaaS startup navigating leadership changes, unexpectedly handed him the reins to both sales and customer experience\/success. What began as a necessity quickly transformed into a game-changing strategy that catapulted the company to a $1 billion acquisition by Meta, with Vikas at the reigns serving as SVP of Global Sales and Customer Experience.<\/p>\n

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The accidental discovery \u2013 the unification of sales and customer success \u2013 delivered outsized results by creating a cohesive customer journey, aligning internal teams, and driving sustainable growth. Let\u2019s get into it.<\/p>\n

3 reasons why a unified sales and customer success strategy works<\/h3>\n

1. Seamless customer journey<\/strong><\/p>\n

Owning the entire customer lifecycle \u2013 from acquisition to retention \u2013 eliminated disconnects between pre- and post-sales teams. For Kustomer, this alignment was transformative:<\/p>\n

“I told customers, \u2018Things will happen in deployment, but when they do, call me. Here\u2019s my number.\u2019 That level of accountability built trust and ensured consistency at every stage.”<\/em><\/p>\n

The dual role provided clarity for customers. They knew exactly who to call for any issues.<\/p>\n

“Customers appreciated knowing I was the same hand to shake \u2014 or the throat to choke \u2014 if things went wrong post-sale.”<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Revenue growth through focused prioritization<\/strong><\/p>\n

By integrating sales and customer success, Vikas could see the full customer lifecycle and identify opportunities to maximize revenue. Whether optimizing for annual recurring revenue (ARR) or expansion, he asked one key question: \u201cWhat are we solving for at this stage?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The dual accountability extended to selecting the right customers, ensuring that every prospect fit Kustomer\u2019s ICP from both the short-term and long-term to prevent misalignment.<\/p>\n

“I didn\u2019t want unhappy customers calling me. That accountability kept us honest and focused on acquiring the right customers.”<\/em><\/p>\n

3. Unified messaging and forecasting<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vikas ensured messaging between sales and CX was consistent, presenting a unified voice to customers. This approach also improved forecasting accuracy by combining sales and retention data, enabling better pricing, resource allocation, and product planning.<\/p>\n

But, it doesn\u2019t always work.<\/h3>\n

When it works best:<\/strong><\/p>\n