From CS to Sales Growth: Turning Upsells into New Sales

Being a Customer Success Pro means playing a critical role in driving business growth and customer advocacy. But Customer Success is not a destination—it’s a journey, and today’s episode will help you leverage CS as a revenue driver while strengthening customer relationships.

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, I sit down with Ejieme Eromosele, General Manager for EMEA at Quiq, to discuss how CS can shape go-to-market strategies, increase upsell and expansion opportunities, and drive sustainable growth.

We explore Ejieme’s journey from Customer Success leadership to General Management, the role of customer advocacy in sales, and how to use data and storytelling to create urgency in CS conversations. If you’re a CSM or CS leader looking to elevate your role in business strategy, this episode is packed with game-changing insights.

The Power of Customer Advocacy in Driving New Sales 

One of the biggest untapped opportunities in CS is customer advocacy. Ejieme explains how happy customers can become your best salespeople.

How to Turn Customers into Advocates: 

📌 Leverage customer success stories – Use real data and case studies to prove business impact.

📌 Encourage peer-to-peer recommendations – Build customer communities and executive sponsorship programs.

📌 Make advocacy part of CS playbooks – Track and measure how CS influences referrals, case studies, and customer marketing.

Pro Tip: Customer Success should partner with Sales and Marketing to create structured advocacy programs that generate new business.

Post-Acquisition Strategies for Customer Growth 

Winning a new customer is just the beginning—the real value comes from nurturing and growing that relationship. Ejieme shares how CS teams can create long-term value and drive expansion.

Post-Acquisition Strategies That Work: 

✅ Create structured onboarding and value realization plans – Ensure customers achieve quick wins early in the journey.

✅ Build expansion frameworks – Use data to identify upsell opportunities and position them as business solutions, not just product features.

✅ Use storytelling and urgency – Align customer growth conversations with business priorities and market trends.

Pro Tip: Retention and growth go hand-in-hand. The best CS teams don’t just renew customers—they expand them.

Building a Customer Growth Function in CS 

Customer Success isn’t just about keeping customers happy—it’s about helping them grow. Ejieme shares how CS teams can create structured expansion strategies.

How to Build a Customer Growth Function: 

📌 Train CSMs on upsell & expansion skills – Teach them how to identify, position, and close opportunities.

📌 Segment customers based on growth potential – Focus resources on accounts most likely to expand.

📌 Align CS, Sales & Product teams – Ensure cross-functional collaboration on expansion initiatives.

Pro Tip: CS teams that track and measure expansion impact will gain stronger executive support and resources.

Strategies for Upselling & Expansion in CS 

Many CSMs struggle with upselling because they fear it feels like selling. But when done right, upselling is about helping customers succeed.

Ejieme’s Best Strategies for Expansion: 

✔ Use data to drive urgency – Show customers the impact of upgrading or expanding their use case.

✔ Tie upsells to business outcomes – Position expansions as solutions to business problems.

✔ Make expansion a natural part of the customer journey – Build expansion conversations into QBRs and value reviews.

Pro Tip: Don’t wait until renewal time to talk about expansion—make it part of your proactive engagement strategy.

Listen Now & Master Growth-Focused Customer Success 

This episode with Ejieme Eromosele is a must-listen for CSMs, CS leaders, and anyone looking to align CS with business growth, advocacy, and expansion. 

🎧 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.

🚀 Bonus: Want to win a FREE pair of AirPods Pro? 

Sign up for a Vitally demo here: vitally.io/cspro

Connect with Us 

📌 Follow Ejieme Eromosele: LinkedIn

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