Post-Sale Management

Your best CSM spends equal time on a $5K account and a $500K account because you assigned them alphabetically. Your strategic customers get the same quarterly check-in cadence as accounts that'll never expand. You wonder why retention is inconsistent and your team is perpetually underwater.

The issue isn't effort. Your team works plenty hard. The problem is you're treating fundamentally different customers identically, which guarantees nobody gets what they actually need.

Account tiering fixes this by explicitly saying different customers warrant different levels of investment. Your $500K strategic account with 10x expansion potential? Dedicated attention, customized engagement, proactive relationship management. Your $5K account? Efficient digital-first service and self-service resources. Both can succeed, but the path looks completely different.

Companies that tier accounts strategically see 20-30% higher retention in top tiers, better CSM efficiency across the board, and dramatically improved expansion rates. Those that don't tier (or tier poorly) burn out their teams while under-serving their most valuable customers.

Tiering Framework: Defining Your Tiers

You'll typically see 3-4 tiers at most SaaS companies, maybe 5 if they're trying to be fancy. Each tier reflects customer value and the engagement model they receive.

Tier 1: Strategic Accounts - Your highest-value, highest-potential customers. The accounts that make or break your business. Usually 10-20% of your customer base representing 50-70% of ARR.

Tier 2: Core Accounts - Mid-value customers with solid retention and some expansion potential. The meat of your customer base. Roughly 30-40% of customers, 25-35% of ARR.

Tier 3: Scale Accounts - Lower-value customers who benefit from your product but can't justify high-touch service. Around 40-50% of customers, 10-20% of ARR.

Tier 4: Tech-Touch Accounts (if applicable) - Very small customers or free/trial users who receive purely automated engagement. Could be thousands of accounts representing minimal ARR.

Some companies simplify to three tiers (combining Scale and Tech-Touch). Others create sub-tiers within Tier 1 for ultra-strategic accounts. Start simple. Add complexity only if it drives better outcomes.

Tier population targets matter because if 60% of your accounts are "Tier 1," you haven't actually prioritized anything. Shoot for roughly:

Tier 1: 15-20% of accounts
Tier 2: 30-40% of accounts
Tier 3: 40-50% of accounts
Tier 4: Whatever's left (if you have this tier)

Resource allocation by tier should reflect value concentration. If Tier 1 represents 60% of your ARR but only 15% of accounts, they might consume 50-60% of your CS capacity. That's appropriate.

Tiering Criteria: How to Assign Accounts

Tier assignment can't be subjective or political. You need clear, measurable criteria that anyone can apply consistently.

Current ARR is the foundation. Set explicit thresholds:

Tier 1: $100K+ ARR (adjust for your ACV)
Tier 2: $25K-$100K ARR
Tier 3: <$25K ARR

But ARR alone is insufficient. A $150K account with zero growth potential and high churn risk shouldn't automatically be Tier 1.

Expansion potential looks forward. Score accounts on realistic expansion opportunity over the next 12-24 months:

High potential: 3x+ expansion possible (land-and-expand scenarios, using <30% of available seats, only bought one product line)
Medium potential: 50-100% expansion realistic
Low potential: Maxed out or minimal expansion runway

A $40K account with high expansion potential might merit Tier 1 treatment. A $120K account with no expansion room stays Tier 2.

Strategic value covers non-revenue factors:

Logo/brand value (Fortune 500, well-known companies that build credibility)
Reference and advocacy potential (willing to do case studies, speak at events)
Market influence (industry thought leaders, early adopters who influence peers)
Partnership opportunities (integration partners, co-marketing potential)

Dropbox famously gave Apple Tier 1 treatment when they were a tiny account because of the strategic partnership value.

Relationship complexity plays a role too. Accounts with complex technical implementations, multiple stakeholders, or mission-critical usage need more support regardless of size.

Health and risk can adjust tiers temporarily. A Tier 1 account at high churn risk might need extra resources. A healthy Tier 2 account might temporarily get lighter touch.

Product complexity also matters. Customers using advanced features, multiple integrations, or custom configurations need specialized support.

Most companies use a weighted scorecard. Current ARR might be 40% of the score, expansion potential 30%, strategic value 20%, and product complexity 10%. Add those up and your total score determines tier placement. Simple math that anyone can follow.

Tier 1 (Strategic) Accounts: White-Glove Treatment

These customers get everything. They're the revenue engine, the references prospects want to hear from, and the accounts your CEO knows by name.

What defines Tier 1:

$100K+ ARR (or top 15-20% by revenue)
Significant expansion potential or strategic importance
Healthy or requiring focused recovery effort
Often enterprise-scale or high-complexity deployments

How you engage is dedicated and high-touch:

Named CSM who owns the relationship (not pooled coverage)
CSM ratio of 1:15 to 1:30 accounts max
Bi-weekly or monthly proactive check-ins
Quarterly business reviews (in-person or video, never skipped)
Executive sponsor from your leadership team
Customized success plans tailored to their goals
Direct access to product and engineering teams

Touchpoint frequency is intensive. At minimum:

Bi-weekly or monthly account check-ins
Quarterly business reviews
Monthly value reports or ROI tracking
Immediate response to any inbound request
Proactive monitoring of product usage and health signals

Gainsight's enterprise tier gets weekly touches during onboarding, bi-weekly afterward, and immediate escalation paths to leadership. That level of attention is only sustainable for a small percentage of accounts.

What you invest includes premium offerings:

Priority support with <1 hour initial response SLA
Dedicated Slack channels or direct CSM contact
Custom training sessions
Early access to new features
Dedicated implementation and technical resources

The math works because these accounts fund everything else. A $500K account can justify $50K+ in annual CS investment. A $5K account cannot.

Tier 2 (Core) Accounts: Structured and Efficient

Core accounts get solid service through efficient, scalable processes. This is where you optimize for repeatability.

Mid-value profile:

$25K-$100K ARR range (adjust for your business)
Some expansion potential but not massive
Standard product usage and complexity
Generally healthy with manageable risk

CSM model varies - pooled or dedicated depends on your approach. Some companies give Tier 2 accounts dedicated CSMs with higher account loads (1:50 to 1:100). Others use pooled teams where multiple CSMs share responsibility for a portfolio.

HubSpot's mid-tier customers get pooled coverage with assigned points of contact but not true dedicated CSMs. This balances personalization with efficiency.

How engagement works:

Standardized onboarding process
Bi-annual business reviews (or annual for smaller Tier 2 accounts)
Monthly or bi-monthly touchpoints (mix of personal and automated)
Reactive support with same-day or next-day response
Standard training webinars and resources

Touch model blends personal and digital:

Kickoff call and key milestone check-ins (personal)
Nurture campaigns and educational content (automated)
QBRs delivered via templated decks with customization
Access to CSM via email/Slack but not dedicated channels

You want consistency here, not customization. Every Tier 2 customer gets a good experience, but you're not building bespoke programs for each account.

Tier 3 (Scale) Accounts: Digital-First Efficiency

Scale accounts receive lightweight, efficient service that keeps them successful without consuming CS capacity.

Lower value but still important:

<$25K ARR
Limited expansion potential
Standard use cases
Self-sufficient customers who don't need hand-holding

CSM model is pooled with very high ratios. One CSM might cover 200-500 Tier 3 accounts, handling escalations and key moments but not routine touchpoints.

Intercom's smaller customers get pooled coverage where CSMs handle hundreds of accounts, engaging primarily when triggered by low health scores or specific events.

Process efficiency is non-negotiable:

Automated onboarding sequences
Digital-first engagement (email, in-app, webinars)
Quarterly or event-triggered check-ins only
Community and help center for self-service
Support tickets routed to standard queues with 24-48 hour SLAs

Digital touchpoints:

Welcome email series with setup guidance
In-app tooltips and guided tours
Webinar invitations for product training
Automated health monitoring with CSM intervention only when scores drop
Renewal emails 60/30/14 days before renewal with automated follow-up

Automation makes this tier sustainable. Without it, you can't serve hundreds of accounts per CSM. Tools like automated onboarding, triggered email campaigns, and chatbots become essential infrastructure.

The economic reality is straightforward. A $10K account can't justify $5K+ in CSM labor. Digital-first service lets you keep these customers successful while maintaining healthy unit economics.

Tier 4 (Tech-Touch) Accounts: Fully Automated

If you serve very small customers, trials, or freemium users, Tier 4 provides automated-only engagement.

Lowest value segment:

<$5K ARR (or trial/free users)
Thousands of accounts
Minimal individual account value

Engagement is 100% automated:

No assigned CSM
Automated onboarding email sequences
In-app messaging and product tours
Chatbot support with escalation to human support only for critical issues
Self-service knowledge base and community forums
Automated renewal and expansion offers

Companies like Slack and Dropbox serve millions of small accounts this way. Humans engage only when automation fails or opportunities justify it (viral growth signals, expansion to enterprise plans).

Self-service is king:

Comprehensive help center
Video tutorials and documentation
User community for peer support
AI chatbots for common questions

Support is on-demand. Tier 4 doesn't mean no support, just no proactive engagement. Customers can still submit tickets, but response follows standard SLAs.

Human intervention kicks in when health scores crash, someone upgrades to paid, or usage hits thresholds that signal expansion opportunity.

Tiering Operations: Making It Systematic

Tiering only works if it's consistently applied and regularly maintained.

Assignment happens mostly automatically. When a new customer signs, your CRM assigns their tier based on ARR and other criteria. CSM managers review and adjust for strategic factors (brand value, complexity, etc.).

Review frequency keeps tiers current. Quarterly reviews catch:

Accounts that expanded and should move up
Accounts that contracted below tier thresholds
Changes in strategic value or risk status
Health score changes warranting tier adjustment

Zendesk reviews tiering monthly for top accounts, quarterly for the rest. Frequent enough to catch changes, not so often that it creates administrative burden.

Migration criteria define movement between tiers:

Upward migration happens immediately when accounts cross thresholds through expansion or new strategic designation. Don't make growing customers wait for quarterly reviews to get better service.

Downward migration gets a grace period. If a Tier 1 account downgrades to $80K, don't immediately demote them to Tier 2. Give them one renewal cycle to see if it's temporary. You don't want to yo-yo customers between tiers.

CRM tracking makes tiering operational:

Customer tier field (dropdown: Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4)
Tier score/criteria fields showing how tier was determined
Last tier review date
Tier change history
Automated workflows that trigger based on tier

Customer communication about tiers is usually subtle. You don't tell customers "You're Tier 3," but they figure it out from service levels. Frame it positively: "All our enterprise customers get dedicated CSMs and quarterly business reviews" (Tier 1 knows they're enterprise without hearing "tier").

Tier-Specific Programs: Different Strokes for Different Folks

Each tier gets different program access and delivery models.

Business review frequency:

Tier 1: Quarterly, video or in-person, executive attendance
Tier 2: Bi-annually or annually, video, templated with customization
Tier 3: Annual automated report or on-request only
Tier 4: None (self-service analytics dashboards)

Training offerings:

Tier 1: Custom training sessions, dedicated onboarding specialist, on-site if needed
Tier 2: Standard group training webinars, recorded sessions available
Tier 3: On-demand video library, help center, occasional webinar invitations
Tier 4: Self-serve only (videos, docs, community)

Support SLA:

Tier 1: <1 hour initial response, 24/7 escalation path
Tier 2: Same-day response, business hours support
Tier 3: 24-48 hour response
Tier 4: 2-3 day response or community-first support

Account planning:

Tier 1: Custom success plans, mutual action plans, joint roadmaps
Tier 2: Templated success plans with goal-setting
Tier 3: Automated health monitoring, no formal planning
Tier 4: Self-directed

Expansion focus:

Tier 1: Dedicated expansion campaigns, executive involvement, custom pricing
Tier 2: Targeted upsell campaigns, CSM-driven expansion conversations
Tier 3: Automated upgrade offers, product-led expansion
Tier 4: In-product upgrade prompts only

Balancing Act: Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Tiering can backfire if done poorly.

Don't focus only on Tier 1. If all your attention goes to strategic accounts while Tier 2 and 3 churn massively, your revenue growth stalls. Tier 2 and 3 still need functional programs, just efficient ones.

Salesforce learned this when they initially focused almost exclusively on enterprise accounts and saw SMB churn spike. They built separate success motions for different tiers instead of starving lower tiers.

Keep Tier 3/4 satisfied by actually building digital programs, not just ignoring those accounts. Great self-service resources, responsive support, and smart automation keep smaller customers happy without burning CS capacity.

Efficiency in scale segments comes from automation and processes, not neglect. Invest in building excellent onboarding sequences, help centers, and automated monitoring for lower tiers.

Manage tier migrations smoothly to prevent customer confusion. When accounts move up a tier, introduce the changes positively: "As you've grown with us, we're excited to provide dedicated CSM support and quarterly business reviews." When accounts move down (rare but it happens), frame it neutrally and maintain quality service.

You don't want anyone to feel deprioritized. You're matching service models to customer needs and economics in ways that create sustainable success across your entire base.

Ready to implement strategic account tiering? Learn how to segment your customer base effectively, design touch models by tier, build customer cadence frameworks, and structure CS teams around your tiering strategy.

Related resources:

Post-Sale Business Models

Tara Minh

Operation Enthusiast