Kim Ayala - A Rebel's Tale of Dismantling the Sales Stigma in CS

In this episode of Rebels of SaaS, I’m joined by Kim Ayala, Director of Customer Success (Americas & APAC) at Akeneo, to challenge the common misconception that "sales" is a dirty word in Customer Success. Kim shares her "rebellious" approach to post-sales leadership, explaining why offering paid solutions is actually a form of deep customer advocacy when it solves a genuine pain point. We dive into the mindset shift required to move from a reactive support role to a proactive revenue driver, highlighting how expansion is the key to breaking through value ceilings. Kim also discusses her strategies for fostering collaborative relationships with Sales leaders and operationalizing forecasting within CS teams to ensure shared accountability. Tune in to learn how to master the art of consultative advising and why "CPR" for your QBRs might be exactly what your organization needs.