2025 will redefine how enterprises approach revenue growth. The practice of customer-led growth (CLG) will no longer be a choice, but an essential business strategy for sustained success. Businesses that adapt their go-to-market (GTM) strategies to prioritize existing customers — do we dare say instead of acquisition — will see the most predictable and efficient growth.
Here are three trends that all revenue and GTM leaders need to know to stay ahead:
- Customer-led growth must be a company priority, not just a department priority.
- Customer success teams need to share revenue accountability with sales partners.
- AI-powered intelligence systems will help pivot customer success teams from reactive to proactive.
Key trends shaping the future of revenue growth
1. Customer-led growth is non-negotiable
Retention isn't just the new acquisition — it’s the foundation of scalable growth. With increasing competition and tighter budgets, doubling down on existing customer relationships is the most sustainable strategy to drive growth. 65% of global revenue leaders report that they plan to refocus their efforts on up-selling and cross-selling. The ability to empower customer success as a driver of revenue will be a key marker of leading businesses. This means greater accountability for results, stronger alignment with cross-functional teams, and a laser focus on customer outcomes.
What does this mean for you as a business leader?
To succeed, customer-led growth must be a business — not a team — strategy. Retention, expansion, and lifetime value begin before the sale. Here are three questions to help you understand where your business is on the path to customer-led growth:
- Do your sales/account and CS teams have clear goals and incentives for retention and expansion?
- Does your pipeline meeting track retention and expansion targets?
- Is there a defined process for information around customer goals to be passed from sales to CS and post-sale teams?
2. Customer success teams will have revenue accountability
The collaboration between sales and CS teams will be critical as customer-led strategies take center stage. Customer success leaders will be accountable for revenue contributions by identifying expansion opportunities and reducing churn risks. At the same time, sales teams will have more accountability to ensure that customers and customer outcomes are a product fit, thereby ensuring that time-to-value and measurable milestones are achieved quickly.
What does this mean if you are a customer success leader?
As a sales or CS team leader, you will need to equip your AMs and CSMs with the tools and training to effectively manage revenue responsibility. It is likely that many customer success teams will need skill training to learn how to identify and engage with customers on expansion opportunities. Whether negotiating renewals or introducing value-led opportunities, they will need to be supported with the tools and confidence to understand customers’ current and future business needs.
3. AI-powered intelligence will keep businesses ahead of risks
AI-powered systems and workflows will be indispensable for leaders to obtain predictive insights that they can act on early. For example, Unison, a churn intelligence solution can help you identify early warning signs of risk and optimize action-oriented workflows with automation. Not only do AI solutions allow teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than data wrangling, but they also allow teams to understand and act on insights earlier — pivoting churn mitigation to proactive versus reactive behavior.
What does this mean if you’re a revenue leader?
AI is no longer a “nice-to-have” — it’s a “must-have” if you want to stay ahead of what your customers need. 48% of revenue teams already use AI, and another 24% plan to incorporate it into their teams’ workflows in 20251. Forward-thinking enterprises should integrate AI into their CS operations now to ensure key customer data is actionable, reliable, and available at scale.
Pivoting to a customer-led growth strategy
In 2025, enterprise B2B leaders will reevaluate their approach to growth. Customer success will unlock revenue potential, and revenue leaders must empower their CS teams with the tools and authority to deliver results while adhering to customer-first principles. With a laser focus on customers you already have, accountability to revenue and AI-powered insights, customer success teams will be set-up to drive growth despite and through a rapidly changing business landscape.
Recurring revenue is a rhythm — not one note. It’s a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation, led by the customers you’ve got. So, they meet their goals, and you meet yours.
Learn how Totango can help your business put revenue on repeat.
1 The State of Revenue Growth, Gong, 2025
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