Turning Customer Success Into a Revenue Engine w/ Kelly Ross & Steve Popp

"We're not selling. We're servicing. We're helping. That's our jobs." Turning customer success into a revenue engine is the #1 thing CROs are asking for in 2026 — here's how to do it without breaking your team. In this episode, Mark McGraw, Kelly Ross, and Steve Popp unpack the trend of asking customer success, account management, and client success teams to drive renewals, expansion, and cross-sell — and the leadership playbook for making the transition stick. What you'll learn: Why CS-to-revenue is the top CRO priority for 2026 The identity conflict CS people feel when asked to sell — and how to lead through it Will before skill: making it safe to say "no" to a new role The mindset shift that unlocks the role: helping, not selling Building the "sales antenna" — listening for expansion signals already in every conversation Two simple QBR questions that turn updates into revenue conversations A full map of expansion plays: seat growth, product suite cross-sell, services, divisions, M&A Why every renewal — and every potential churn — should also be an expansion conversation How AI and call recording tools surface opportunities CS teams miss Why this isn't really sales training — it's communication and influence training 🎙️ Host: Mark McGraw — Building Your Sales Engine 🎤 Guest: Kelly Ross — Building Your Sales Engine 🎤 Guest: Steve Popp — Building Your Sales Engine 👇 Timestamps below 👇 ✅ Like + Subscribe for more expert sales insights 🎙️ Full podcast episodes: buildingyoursalesengine.com Links: Sandler: https://www.Sandler.com Episode page: https://www.BuildingYourSalesEngine.com/ Show links: https://linktr.ee/buildingyoursalesen... Mark McGraw on LinkedIn:   / markmcgraw   Kelly Ross on LinkedIn:   / kellyannross   Steve Popp on LinkedIn:   / stevejpopp   Chapters: 0:00 — Cold Open: "We're not selling. We're servicing. We're helping." 1:45 — Why CS-to-Revenue Is the #1 CRO Priority for 2026 4:30 — Defining the CS Role — And How It's Evolving 9:16 — The Identity Conflict: Asking Someone Who Wasn't Hired to Sell 12:30 — Will Before Skill: Making It Safe to Say No 15:43 — Mindset First — "You're Already Doing This, You Just Don't Know It" 17:06 — The Stigma of "Salesy" and the Trust Conversation 19:46 — Building the Sales Antenna and the Skill of Listening Deeper 20:11 — Turning the QBR Into a Revenue Conversation 22:42 — Helping vs. Pushing — The Reframe That Unlocks the Role 23:29 — Every Renewal (and Every Churn) Should Be an Expansion Conversation 33:14 — Mapping Expansion Plays: Seats, Cross-Sell, Services, M&A 37:27 — Using AI and Call Recording to Surface Missed Opportunities 39:12 — This Isn't Sales Training — It's Communication & Influence 42:43 — Final Thoughts: Lean Into the Evolution