How I grew a $200K at risk account into $450K ARR

Hi there,

Three years ago, I inherited an account that was at risk.

They had a ton of product feedback, open challenges, and a long list of things they needed from our solution that we didn't have at the time.

But here's the interesting part...

This was also one of the most engaged customers I had ever worked with.

They showed up prepared. They shared detailed feedback. They knew exactly what was working, what wasn't, and what they needed to make the product more valuable for their business.

And honestly?

That kind of customer is a gift. A challenging gift, but still a gift.

Because when customers are willing to tell you exactly where the gaps are, you have an opportunity to do something with that information.

The account had a lot going on. Senior stakeholders changed roles. New leaders came in with higher expectations. Some were demanding. Some were highly technical. And none of them were afraid to tell me when we were falling short.

At the time, the account was around $200K in ARR. And I knew that if we wanted to retain it, let alone grow it, I had to do more than listen and say, "Thank you for your feedback."

I had to take action.

So I partnered very closely with Product.

Their feedback made complete sense. They were asking for capabilities we didn't have, but these were not random requests. They were asking for features that would deliver real operational value — features that would help them work better, improve day-to-day operations, and if built, benefit many other customers too.

So I did what I do best. I built the business case.

I documented the needs clearly. I explained what the customer was trying to accomplish, why these capabilities mattered, and the impact the gaps were having on their operations.

And most importantly, I positioned their feedback in a way that made sense for Product, Engineering, and leadership.

Because this is something I've learned over the years: customer feedback is only powerful when you translate it correctly.

It's not enough to say, "The customer wants this feature."

You have to explain:

• What business problem are they trying to solve?

• How many users are impacted?

• What happens if we don't address this?

• Could this benefit other customers?

• Is this tied to retention, expansion, or strategic value?

That is where CSMs can have a massive impact. We are the bridge between what customers experience and what internal teams need to understand.

So I worked closely with Product to shape the stories. I gathered context, provided examples, and followed up every week. I kept the customer informed and internal teams aligned. And I made sure their feedback didn't get lost in a backlog somewhere.

Over time, about 90% of their asks were addressed — and these improvements strengthened the product for more than just this one account.

That's when the relationship started to shift.

The customer could see we were listening. They could see we were taking their feedback seriously. And they could see I wasn't just showing up to manage the account — I was advocating for them. I was helping them get closer to the outcomes they cared about.

Slowly, trust started to build.

The account grew. They doubled their licenses. I took this account from $200K to $450K in ARR — $250K in growth from an account that started as a risk.

But I want to be clear: this did not happen overnight.

It took time, patience, and a lot of hard work. It took multi-threading the account and building relationships across IT, Product, Real Estate, and Security. It took cross-functional collaboration, because CSMs cannot protect and grow accounts alone. We need Product, Engineering, Support, Sales, and leadership. Everyone plays a role in customer retention.

Today, this customer continues to be one of my most engaged accounts. They still share challenges. They still have high expectations. But they trust me — not because everything was perfect, but because when things were difficult, I showed up. I listened, took action, engaged the right teams, and made sure they felt heard.

Right now, this same customer is exploring two additional products from our suite, which could represent another $200K in ARR.

That is the power of turning feedback into action.

At-risk accounts are not always lost accounts. Sometimes they are the accounts with the biggest potential — but only if you're willing to lean in, understand the real business problem behind the feedback, and partner internally to solve it.

Our job as CSMs isn't just to collect feedback. It's to translate feedback into business impact, protect revenue, and when the opportunity is there, grow it.

Have you ever worked closely with Product to protect an account or turn around a customer relationship? Hit reply and share your story.

Best,
Erika