Driving Customer Retention and Customer Growth at Scale

Being a Customer Success Pro means constantly evolving to keep up with customer needs, automation, and retention strategies. But Customer Success is not a destination—it’s a journey, and today’s episode will help you navigate it with confidence.

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Daphne Costa Lopes, Director of Customer Success at HubSpot, about scaling Customer Success, increasing retention, and leveraging automation to drive revenue.

Daphne shares her career journey, insights into HubSpot’s CS strategy, and how Customer Success Qualified Leads (CSQLs) are transforming CS into a revenue engine. If you’re looking for proven strategies to scale CS teams and maximize retention, this episode is packed with game-changing insights.

Building and Scaling Customer Success at HubSpot 

With over a decade of experience, Daphne has built and scaled CS teams for startups, scale-ups, and Fortune 500 companies, managing over 200,000 customers and $2B in ARR.

Her philosophy? Customer Success should be the second engine of growth in any business. At HubSpot, she has helped implement a customer-led growth model that drives retention and expansion at scale.

Key Takeaways from Daphne’s Approach to Scaling CS: 

✅ Retention is the foundation of revenue growth – Happy customers renew, expand, and refer new business.

✅ Customer-Led Growth is the future – When CS is proactive and data-driven, it directly impacts Net Revenue Retention (NRR).

✅ Automation + human touch = scale – Success plans, QBRs, and segmentation can be automated without losing the human connection.

If you’re trying to scale your CS team or improve retention, Daphne’s approach is a masterclass in efficiency and impact.

What Are Customer Success Qualified Leads (CSQLs) & Why Do They Matter? 

One of the most exciting parts of our conversation was about Customer Success Qualified Leads (CSQLs)—a concept that transforms Customer Success from a cost center to a revenue driver.

What Are CSQLs? 

📌 CSQLs are high-value expansion opportunities identified by Customer Success teams.

📌 They bridge the gap between CS and Sales, helping companies proactively grow revenue.

📌 When done right, CSQLs turn CS into a revenue-generating function, not just a retention team.

HubSpot has successfully implemented a CSQL model, allowing their CS team to contribute directly to revenue growth while still prioritizing customer outcomes.

How to Implement CSQLs in Your CS Strategy: 

✔ Use customer health data to identify expansion signals. 

✔ Partner with Sales to create a seamless handoff process. 

✔ Make expansion a natural part of the customer journey. 

If you’re looking to prove the value of CS within your organization, adopting a CSQL strategy is a game-changer.

The Power of Dynamic Segmentation 

One of the biggest challenges in scaling CS teams is ensuring every customer gets the right level of engagement—without overloading your CSMs. That’s where dynamic segmentation comes in.

How Dynamic Segmentation Helps Scale CS: 

✅ Prioritizes the right customers at the right time. 

✅ Balances automation with high-touch engagement. 

✅ Allows CS teams to manage large customer bases more effectively. 

Daphne explains how HubSpot has mastered segmentation, ensuring that customers receive tailored experiences based on their needs, product usage, and growth potential.

Pro Tip: 

📌 Use data to trigger engagement. If a customer shows signs of churn risk or expansion potential, have a specific playbook in place.

📌 Automate low-touch interactions. Success plans, QBRs, and health checks don’t have to be manual for every customer.

📌 Make CS scalable. Dynamic segmentation ensures that every customer gets the right level of support, without overwhelming your team.

How Automation is Transforming Customer Success 

Customer Success at scale isn’t just about hiring more CSMs—it’s about using automation to drive efficiency without losing the human touch.

Daphne and I discussed how HubSpot has successfully automated key CS processes, allowing their team to focus on strategic, high-value interactions.

Where Automation Can Make a Difference: 

✔ Success Plans & QBRs – Automating reports and insights saves time without sacrificing quality.

✔ Customer Health Monitoring – AI and automation can track customer signals and trigger proactive engagement.

✔ Renewals & Expansion – Automated workflows help identify and manage renewals efficiently.

The key is finding the right balance between automation and personalization—something Daphne has mastered at HubSpot.

Listen Now & Scale Your CS Strategy 

This episode with Daphne Costa Lopes is a must-listen for Customer Success leaders, CS strategists, and anyone looking to build a scalable CS function that drives revenue.

🎧 Listen on your favorite platform: 

🔹 YouTube

🔹 Spotify

🔹 Apple Podcasts

Want to take your CS career to the next level? 

✅ CSM RevUP Academy – My coaching program for ambitious CS professionals.

✅ AI Guidebook for CS – Learn how to use AI for smarter Customer Success strategies.

Connect with Us 

📌 Follow Daphne Costa Lopes: LinkedIn

📌 Follow Anika Zubair: LinkedIn | YouTube | TikTok | Website