Beyond the Funnel: Delivering Customer Value to Build Lasting Customer Relationships

At NYCX 2024, the spotlight was on the entire customer journey—from the top of the funnel through post-sales success.

While many conversations focused on marketing and sales alignment, a standout panel featuring Daniel Zarick (CEO of Arrows), Jon Dick (SVP of Customer Success at HubSpot), and Em Wingrove (CXO of Aptitude 8) took a deeper dive into what happens after the deal closes.

This fireside chat tackled the big question: How can SaaS teams build customer relationships that drive retention, growth, and long-term value?

Their insights combined real-world examples, tactical advice, and fresh perspectives on managing customer success.

Refocusing on Customer Value

For years, customer success teams have been pulled in two directions: ensuring customers succeed and driving upsells. According to Jon, this focus on expansion has sometimes come at the expense of delivering real value.

“We don’t want our CSMs to be worse sales reps. Their job is to help customers get value from the product. Expansion will follow.”

At HubSpot, this philosophy has led to a renewed focus on gross revenue retention (GRR)—a metric that tracks how well teams retain and support existing customers without factoring in expansion. By prioritizing GRR, teams can zero in on preventing churn and downgrades, ensuring customers stay for the long haul.

Takeaway: Value drives retention—and retention drives growth.

The best way to upsell is to ensure customers are happy, engaged, and getting measurable outcomes from your product.

Faster Onboarding, Stronger Relationships

Daniel picked up on this theme by focusing on the critical first phase of the customer journey: onboarding.

“Onboarding is an extension of the sales process. You need to carry the momentum and excitement from the deal into helping customers achieve their first success.”

For many SaaS companies, onboarding can be a bottleneck. Without clear processes, customers are left waiting—wondering what to do next or worse, losing interest entirely. Daniel emphasized the importance of empowering customers to take action on their own, whether it’s through tools like Arrows or better communication strategies.

Strategies for Better Onboarding

• Set Expectations Early: Use the sales process to outline what onboarding will look like, including effort required from the customer.
• Prioritize Early Wins: Start with small, achievable tasks to build confidence.
• Automate Where Possible: Streamline workflows to eliminate back-and-forth emails and delays.

“Customers don’t want to wait. The faster you get them to their first success, the stronger the relationship becomes.”

Adoption as an Ongoing Journey

While onboarding lays the foundation, the panelists agreed that ongoing adoption is just as important. Jon emphasized the need for continuous engagement to help customers unlock more value over time.

“Adoption isn’t a checkbox, it’s a journey. Customers need ongoing support to make the most of your product.”

This doesn’t mean overwhelming customers with information. Instead, focus on layering use cases over time. Start with the basics, then gradually introduce new features and capabilities.

Tactical Ideas for Sustained Adoption

• Use health scores to identify at-risk accounts and re-engage them before issues arise.
• Share personalized recommendations based on usage data.
• Celebrate milestones—like completing onboarding or adopting a new feature.

Em added that proactive engagement plays a key role here:

“The best CS teams anticipate customer needs before they arise. That kind of proactivity only comes with good data.”

Breaking Down Silos with Integrated Systems

A recurring theme throughout the session was the need for alignment between teams. Whether it’s sales, marketing, or customer success, having everyone on the same page is critical to delivering a seamless customer experience.

Daniel highlighted the importance of a single source of truth for customer data:

“When teams share a system—like HubSpot—it eliminates silos. Marketing, sales, and CS all have visibility into the customer journey, which means fewer gaps and better outcomes.”

While integrating systems isn’t always easy, Em pointed out that it’s essential for scaling customer success efforts:

“You can’t be proactive without the right data. And you can’t get the right data if your systems don’t talk to each other.”

AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement

AI was another hot topic during the panel. While the potential is clear, the panelists stressed the importance of using AI thoughtfully—especially in customer-facing roles.

Jon shared an example of how HubSpot uses AI in support:

“AI can resolve up to 60% of tickets with high satisfaction scores, but it’s not a replacement for humans. It’s about augmenting their work, not replacing it.”

Daniel agreed, emphasizing that AI works best as an enabler. For example:

• Automating repetitive tasks like meeting prep.
• Drafting suggestions for onboarding plans or customer emails.
• Highlighting at-risk accounts for human follow-up.

“AI can do the heavy lifting, but the human touch is still critical for building trust.”

Shifting from Delight to Deliver

One of the most thought-provoking moments came when Jon reflected on HubSpot’s “flywheel” approach to the customer journey. While the original model included phases like attract, engage, and delight, he suggested that delight might not be the right goal anymore.

“Customers don’t need to be delighted, they need their problems solved. Focus on delivering the value you promised when they signed the deal.”

This shift from “delight” to “deliver” underscores the panel’s broader message: Customer success isn’t about bells and whistles—it’s about outcomes.

Final Thoughts: Aligning Around the Customer

The panel wrapped up with a reminder that everything comes back to the customer. Em summed it up perfectly:

“If you focus on driving outcomes for your customers, the rest falls into place. But you need the right people, processes, and tools to make it happen.”

Whether it’s speeding up onboarding, driving adoption, or leveraging AI, the goal is the same: empowering customers to succeed.

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