1 min lesson
Finding and running expansion plays
Compare two rows from "Finding and running expansion plays", then say when each one fits.
Step 1 of 2
Expansion isn't a separate sales motion you bolt on at quarter-end. It's the natural next step of a rollout that's actually working and your job is to see it before the customer asks.
Expansion follows adoption. A team running at high activation, with deep daily usage and a vocal power user, is the beachhead for the next team. The proof already exists inside the account, so the pitch becomes "do what that team did," which is far easier than selling from zero.
Keep a live map of customer fit, because the product gives you new expansion triggers constantly. At a company shipping features monthly, every release is a re-engagement moment: a new capability is a reason to call the account, demo it against a known need and open a deeper or wider footprint.
- Trigger
- High-activation team
- What you watch for
- A team well past the adoption tipping point
- The play
- Reference it internally; pitch the adjacent team next
- Trigger
- New product release
- What you watch for
- A capability that fits a known customer need
- The play
- Demo it against their workflow; expand depth or seats
- Trigger
- A visible win
- What you watch for
- A migration done in days
- The play
- Run the win-timed pitch
- Trigger
- Org growth
- What you watch for
- Hiring, a reorg, a new BU with eng headcount
- The play
- Map the new headcount to seats before someone else does
| Trigger | What you watch for | The play |
|---|---|---|
| High-activation team | A team well past the adoption tipping point | Reference it internally; pitch the adjacent team next |
| New product release | A capability that fits a known customer need | Demo it against their workflow; expand depth or seats |
| A visible win | A migration done in days | Run the win-timed pitch |
| Org growth | Hiring, a reorg, a new BU with eng headcount | Map the new headcount to seats before someone else does |
Each trigger has a window. The play lands when you reach the customer while the proof is fresh.
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Full explanation
Which Expansion Play to Run First
Interactive diagram. Tab through its regions; each focused region shows its detail in the panel below.
Map each play by the effort it takes against the NRR impact it returns.
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Optional practice