Parker Chase-Corwin

Potential Hot Take 🌶 Most CS teams don't want commission, no matter how much ARR they bring in. 💰 At least not true commission. Let me explain. Over the years, I've occasionally heard people talk about how CSMs and CS orgs should be compensated in commission like sales teams because of the amount of revenue CSM teams bring in. On the surface, this sounds like it makes sense. When you dig a little deeper though, you tend to find that: -CS teams don't want to lower their base salary for higher potential ceiling (whereas in many orgs, sales teams have a lower base salary to accomoddate the commission pay structure) 😬 -Many CSMs have a lower appetite for the risk/variability in pay that comes with a true commission-based comp model 🎢 -CS leaders have often found (rightly) that a commission model based just on added-ARR would not incentivize all the right behaviors as many CS plays are long term and hard to reward on JUST an added-ARR model (such as referrals and second order revenue) 🏈 Digging into this sentiment from CS leaders, I've found that it's not ACTUALLY a commission structure they want. Here are 3 things they want in reality: 1. Recognition They want the revenue they own, renew, and expand to be recognized just as much as net new ARR from Sales. 2. Incentive They want to feel like their compensation incentivizes the things that matter most to them. 3. Purpose Similar to point 1, they want their teams efforts to be clearly tied to the company's purpose. ________________________________ Leaders, advocate for the above for your team. Don't complain about Sales getting commission for "your work", but rather advocate for a holistic approach that truly takes care of what your teams actually want. This is a lot more work to articulate than just saying "CSMs should get commission for upsells." But other organizational leaders will take you more seriously and you'll achieve stronger results for your teams if you follow the above pathways. #CustomerSuccess #SaaS #CSM #GTM

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Sales Leaders: Be the glue that holds customer-facing teams together. Your role isn’t just about driving revenue—it’s about ensuring sales, marketing, and customer success are fully aligned. When everyone’s on the same page, your team can respond faster, adapt to changes, and close more deals. Here’s how to do it: 1. Communicate regularly across departments to ensure everyone is aligned on goals. 2. Set up cross-functional meetings to address any disconnects between teams. 3. Create clear workflows so every team knows their role in the customer journey. 4. Encourage open feedback to uncover pain points early and resolve them quickly. 5. Share wins and lessons learned to keep teams motivated and focused on shared success. When you lead with alignment, the wins follow.

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If you are a CMO, CRO or PE operating partner and your SaaS pipeline looks full but closed deals aren’t following, read this. Ken Jisser breaks down why 60% of opportunities die between discovery and proposal. More importantly, he explains how to fix it. https://lnkd.in/e2x9bRjN

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The average tenure of a SaaS executive is 18 months. That’s not long—so here’s how I manage the turnover. Remember it’s your job to show them your value. New execs bring change, fresh ideas, and (sometimes) skepticism. Managing this shift isn’t just important; it’s critical. But it doesn’t have to be a fire drill if you approach it strategically. Here’s how I navigate it: 💡 First, remember this: They’re busy. Really busy. Your partnership is likely not at the top of their list yet, so patience is key. Give them space—but stay proactive. Here’s my playbook: 1️⃣ Send a welcome email. Make it friendly, brief, and actionable. A quick introduction plus a booking link gives them control to connect when they’re ready. 2️⃣ Audit their deployment. Do your homework. Evaluate what’s working and where there’s room for improvement. Bring real insights to the table. 3️⃣ Do some intel gathering. Check their LinkedIn profile. What’s their background? Past companies? Do they prefer competitive tools? Context is everything. 4️⃣ Reintroduce the partnership. On your first call, walk them through contractual details, your value prop, and a product demo. Make space for questions—and ask plenty of your own. 5️⃣ Align on their intentions. Don’t shy away from the tough questions: Are you planning changes? Does our product align with your strategy? What do we need to deliver to earn your trust and investment? 6️⃣ Co-create a plan. Work with them to build a roadmap that ensures their success—and yours. Your goal is to prove your value. Establish yourself as a trusted partner. And show them you’re ready to help them win. These transitions can feel risky, but with the right approach, they’re an opportunity to deepen the partnership and shine. If the foundation is solid, they’ll likely see you the same way their predecessor did: indispensable. What’s your play when a new exec comes in? - - - - - - - - - - 📣 If you liked my post, you’ll love my newsletter. Every week I share my learning, advice and strategies from my experience going from a CSM to CCO. Join 12k+ subscribers of The Journey and turn insights into action. Sign up on my profile.

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Companies say they want CSMs to "drive value, not just revenue." Then they turn around and pay them like glorified support reps. Here’s where the math ain’t mathing: You expect CSMs to own renewals, drive expansion, and increase product adoption… ...but you comp them like customer service agents with a small retention bonus. 🤷🏻‍♂️ That’s a fundamental misalignment. The best revenue leaders don’t just pay CSMs more. They pay them differently: - Base salaries at AE-level (or close). Treat them as revenue drivers, not cost centers. - Variable comp split: 50% retention, 50% expansion. Lagging (GRR/NRR) and leading (upsells, adoption). - Clear line between CSM & AM. CSM = Expansion & retention. AM = Negotiation & new product cross-sell. Too many companies lowball their CSMs, then wonder why: - Retention tanks. - Growth stalls. - Top CSMs quit to become AEs. If you want CSMs to act like revenue drivers, pay them like revenue drivers. It’s not a cost. It’s a growth strategy.

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