Table of content

1. Introduction

Let's talk about growing revenue from existing customers. You know, that magical moment when a customer loves your product so much they want even more of what you offer.

Customer expansion isn't just about hitting your numbers (though that's a nice bonus); it's about helping customers unlock more value from your relationship. Mastering the art of expansion is like learning to dance - it takes the right moves, perfect timing, and most importantly, a willing partner.

So grab your coffee, and let's dive into the nitty-gritty of growing accounts without feeling like that pushy salesperson we all try to avoid.

2. What is Expansion?

Customer expansion is getting your existing customers to buy more from you. Simple as that. Whether it's through upselling or cross-selling, it's about growing revenue from the people who already know and trust you.

Think of it like this: your customers are already in your store. They like what they see. Now you're just showing them other cool stuff they might find useful.

Here's what we're working with:

Upselling: "Hey, want the premium version of what you already love?"
Cross-selling: "If you like this, you might also like that"
Add-ons: "Here's something that makes your current product even better"

3. Different Flavors of Expansion

1. Upselling: The Art of the Upgrade

At its core, upselling in SaaS is about unlocking more value from the same product. Here's how it typically plays out:

The “A La Carte” Approach During my time at Phantombuster, we sold extra automation time without forcing a full plan change. Like buying extra data on your phone plan when you need it.
The Seat Game Adding more users to an account. Simple but effective - like adding another Netflix profile to your account.
The Classic Tier System The good old "good-better-best" pricing model. Most SaaS companies use this because, well, it works. Each tier unlocks more goodies.

2. Cross-selling: The Art of the Perfect Pairing

This is where you introduce customers to your other products that complement what they're already using. Like when you're using a CRM and realise you need email marketing too - that's the perfect cross-sell moment.

At Typeform, we often grew accounts by introducing Videoask - which lets your create video surveys & chatbots. For marketing teams, it wasn't just another product; it was the perfect companion to what they were already doing. For example, standard surveys were ideal for acquisition campaigns while video surveys were better suited for brand awareness campaigns.

4. How To Get It Wrong

I've seen two major facepalms in my time:

The Premature Pitch Trying to expand accounts that barely know how to use what they have. It's like trying to teach someone to run before they can walk. Give them time to get comfortable first.
The Solution Looking for a Problem This one hurts to watch. It's like trying to sell sunscreen during a snowstorm. If there's no need, there's no deal.

The result? Your customer starts seeing dollar signs in your eyes instead of genuine care. Game over. All that relationship building? Poof, gone.

5. The Guide to Smooth Expansion

The modern CSM needs to be part relationship manager, part strategic thinker, and part business developer. It's like being a Swiss Army knife of customer growth. Here's how to nail it:

1. SPIN: Your Secret Weapon

Remember when we talked about understanding customer goals with the root-cause analysis? Same principle applies here. You can't just spot opportunities out of thin air - you need to uncover them through conversation. But there’s a twist. Once you spot an opportunity, you need to sell the idea to your customer. Don’t worry, we have you covered.

Enter SPIN selling - a technique theorized in the late 80s. You can use many other sales framework but I personally love this one. Old school but gold school. SPIN stands for: Situation, problem, implication & need payoff.

Here's how it works:

Let me share a real Typeform story: a client just finished an HR survey with 150+ responses. Great completion rate, happy customer. Cool. But there's more to the story:

Situation: "What's next for all this data?" says the CSM (myself)
Problem: "Need the data team to analyze it..." says the client
Implication: "Delays our project, overloads the data team..."
Need-Payoff: "What if you could get instant insights right in Typeform?"

See what happened there? They basically sold themselves on the idea.

Obviously, this is a simplified version of the story. You will probably need to ask more than just one question at each step. But keep this in mind: only ask questions that help you understand if you can address your client’s issue with an upgrade (upsell) or another product (cross-sell). Any question that deviates from this is a waste of everybody’s time.

2. Making It Real

Here's a counter-intuitive tip: don't give free trials of premium features. Why?

It's like giving someone a Ferrari without teaching them how to drive - they might crash and blame the car
Free stuff often gets perceived as cheap stuff

Instead, do a proper demo. Show them the ropes, share the tricks, make it real. Connect every feature to a specific pain point they've mentioned. And clearly highlight the benefits for your customer.

3. Closing (Without the Cringe)

This is where many CSMs freeze up. Talking money isn't easy. My approach? Be direct but natural. After the demo, lay out clear next steps:

Send a formal proposal shortly after the demo
Get their timeline on when they expect to make a decision
Schedule a “decision” meeting accordingly (I’m sure you’ll think of a better title for the email invite)

When decision time comes, you'll get one of three responses:

"Yes!" - Pop the champagne!
"No" - Learn why and improve
"Yes, but..." - Time to handle objections

On pricing objections, here's a pro tip: trade discounts for commitment. Want 15% off? Cool, let's make it a two-year deal. Everyone wins.

When in doubt, your sales colleagues are goldmines of closing techniques. Don't be shy about asking for tips.

You're not selling features - you're solving problems. When you truly believe that, the conversation becomes much easier.

6. Conclusion

At the end of the day, customer expansion is really about being a trusted advisor who genuinely wants to see their customers succeed. It's not about forcing upgrades or hitting quotas - it's about spotting opportunities where your additional products or features could genuinely make your customer's life easier. When you approach expansion with this mindset, you'll find yourself having different conversations - ones where customers thank you for suggesting solutions they didn't even know they needed. Remember, the best expansions feel less like a sale and more like doing a favor for a friend. If you can help your customers win while growing your revenue, why go without it?

#4-Expansion