The moment the deal closes is when the actual work starts—but for Customer Success Managers (CSMs), it might seem like diving into the deep end without a map.

In the fast-paced world of SaaS, the sales-to-success handover is supposed to be frictionless. In practice, it's full of gaps, resistance, and uncertainty. Let's break down the issues CSMs encounter as they take on new customers—and why fixing them is essential to driving long-term value, adoption, and stickiness.

1. The "Black Box" Handover

Most CSMs get handed a new customer with nothing but a name, a contract, and a general idea of what was sold.

The challenge: Incomplete handover notes, a lack of context on stakeholder dynamics, unrecorded expectations, and no business objectives.

This results in stilted first calls and slowness in delivering value. The CSM is left trying to put the pieces together, frequently having to ask customers to reexplain things they already told sales.

2. Misaligned Expectations Day One

Sales might sell a dream—CS has to bring the reality. But when expectations are established without alignment on what's possible within the product or timeline, CSMs are in the middle.

The consequence: Angry customers, strained relationships, and a losing battle to restore trust.

3. No Clear Definition of "Success"

Without visibility into what success means for the customer—whether it's lower churn, higher engagement, or efficiency of operations—CSMs cannot create meaningful plans.

Pitfall: Customer does not have well-defined KPIs, or the ones provided aren't product-capability aligned.

4. Pressure of Time-to-Value Without Tools,

CSMs are under pressure to onboard fast and prove value early, but lack the necessary tools and insights. Without clear usage signals, stakeholder maps, or proactive alerts, they operate reactively.

Consequence: Delayed adoption, poor engagement, and missed early warning signs of churn.

5. Internal Silos and Lack of Systematic Handover

Product, support, and marketing usually operate independently. And sales, quota-driven, might push handoffs hastily without investing in a seamless transition.

Reality for the CSM: They're being asked to be the glue between functions—but without process or support, that's a task that can't be accomplished.

6. Value Realization Is an Afterthought

After onboarding is complete, CSMs are asked to demonstrate ROI—but usually without any formal process to connect product usage to business results.

Struggle: Establishing executive-to-face success stories when metrics weren't defined or measured from day one.

What Can SaaS Companies Do?

In order to empower CSMs and safeguard customer relationships, companies need to:

• Operationalize the handover of sales using organized templates and common objectives
• Align teams on customer outcomes, rather than merely closed deals
• Provide CSMs with tools that bring forth contextual insights, signals, and risks
• Create feedback loops among CS, sales, and product
• Monitor success plans from the beginning—not only when renewal's imminent

The Bottom Line

Customer Success isn't a downstream process—it's the connection between promise and reality. The handover from sales is the make-or-break moment when that connection is made—or lost.

If SaaS businesses are to provide genuine, sustainable value to their customers, they need to stop viewing handovers as a nicety—and begin viewing them as the cornerstone of retention.