The Revenue Team No One Runs

Most SaaS companies can tell you exactly who runs Sales.They probably have a Marketing lead.Customer Success might even have a dedicated manager.

But ask who owns expansion and renewals—and suddenly it’s vague.

You’ll hear:

• “CS handles that, I think.”

• “It’s a joint effort.”

• “Depends on the account.”

This is how erosion happens.

Expansion and Renewals Aren’t Extras—They’re Revenue

Revenue doesn’t just come from new logos.It comes from existing accounts that grow, renew, and stay.

But in most companies, expansion is seen as a bonus.Renewals are assumed, not forecasted.And the person responsible? Often no one. Or three people. Or whoever happens to remember.

The result:

• High-value accounts shrink quietly

• Upsells stall because no one’s accountable for the close

• Renewals are missed because there’s no system to catch risk early

And when that happens quarter after quarter, you don’t see churn—you see erosion.Same logo. Less revenue.

“Let CS Handle It” Isn’t a Strategy

Customer Success is built to support, not sell.They’re trained to keep customers happy, not to run quota.When you layer expansion or renewals onto CS without giving them pipeline targets, close responsibility, or enablement, you don’t get a second revenue stream—you get burnout.

That doesn’t mean CS isn’t involved. They’re essential. But ownership of revenue must be defined.

Expansion is a revenue motion.Renewal is a revenue motion.They need process, targets, and structure—just like new sales.

At RevitalOps, We Build the Motion Most Teams Skip

We’ve stepped in when companies were leaking revenue and didn’t know where from.

Here’s what we implement:

• A clear retention and expansion owner

• A defined timeline and trigger set for renewal outreach

• A cross-team playbook for expansion pipeline tracking

• A feedback loop between CS, sales, and marketing so the customer journey doesn’t drop off post-sale

When nobody owns expansion, it becomes everyone’s afterthought.When someone owns it—and is resourced to run it—it becomes a revenue engine.

If You Can’t Name Who Owns It, You Don’t Have It

You wouldn't accept a sales pipeline that “sort of” has an owner.Don’t accept it in renewals and expansion either.

Fix the team no one’s running.Stop the erosion before it compounds.

Dig deeper on catching early erosion in [The Hidden Rust That Leads to Churn].