The Customers You Swear Have “No Growth Potential” Might Actually Surprise You

Here is a hard truth we do not talk about enough in Customer Success. Some of the customers we write off the fastest are the ones sitting on the biggest opportunities.

I know. I know. It feels easier to focus on the shiny, well-funded, “textbook” expansion accounts. They show up to calls. They read your emails. They know what they want.

But not every customer is that obvious. And honestly, thank goodness, because the obvious ones are only half the fun.

The real magic lives in the customers you are convinced are “not a growth fit.”

The Forecasting Blind Spot

When I talk with CS leaders about building their expansion forecasts, I hear the same greatest hits:

“We already ruled out the small accounts.”

“That customer is too risky.”

“Timing is not right.”

I swear, if I had a dollar for every time I heard one of these, I could fund my own onboarding team for a year.

And look, prioritization is important. Absolutely. You cannot chase every account with the same intensity. But there is a big difference between prioritizing and assuming.

Assuming is where good revenue plans go to die.

The Plot Twists You Never See Coming

Let me tell you. Some of the best growth stories in my career have come from customers who looked like total long shots on paper.

I am talking about the “oh, that account? Yeah, probably not” crowd.

Here are a few of my favorites:

The resource-strapped customer who shocked everyone by purchasing services because they needed help and they needed it yesterday.

The tiny account that got acquired and suddenly opened a huge door with the parent company.

The low-usage customer who turned into a multi-product hype machine once we fixed the real problem.

The executive turnover that went from “oh no” to “oh wow” and reset the partnership in the best way.

The budget-limited customer who found money they apparently did not have once innovation solved a real problem.

None of these were on the bingo card.

All of them became wins.

And every single one started as a “no.”

Why We Write Customers Off Too Fast

This part is not glamorous, but it is true. We eliminate customers for three reasons:

1. It feels safer than being wrong.

2. We let bias sneak in.

3. It is just easier.

Fear, bias, convenience. The trio that quietly shapes more revenue forecasts than any model in the world.

Before You Rule Them Out, Ask These Questions

A little curiosity goes a long way. Before you decide a customer has zero growth potential, ask yourself:

Have we actually had a conversation with them about their goals?

Do we know what has changed in their business recently?

Are we evaluating them based on this quarter or last year?

Have we asked the hard, strategic questions or just assumed the answers?

The number of times I have seen a “definitely no” turn into “wait, what just happened” is wild.

Curiosity Creates Growth

If there is one thing I want every CS leader and team to remember, it is this:

Growth does not always look like growth at first glance.

Sometimes it looks like a small account.

Sometimes it looks like a quiet account.

Sometimes it looks like an account you are pretty sure hates your product.

But when you stay curious, when you talk to your customers, when you check your assumptions at the door, you uncover opportunities you would have missed.

And that is the difference between forecasting and finger-crossing.