Introduction
Strategic account planning ensures that expansion efforts align with customer business objectives. By identifying growth opportunities, setting measurable goals, and coordinating with Sales, CS teams can proactively drive upsell and cross-sell initiatives. This article outlines how to develop structured account plans that support long-term expansion.
Step 1: Identify Expansion Opportunities in Account Planning
A structured approach to account planning helps surface high-value expansion prospects.
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Assess customer goals and challenges: Use documented insights from Success Plans to align expansion opportunities with customer priorities.
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Analyze historical product usage and trends: Leverage reports in Dashboards to track feature adoption and whitespace opportunities.
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Segment accounts based on expansion readiness: Identify customers with strong health scores, increasing engagement, and partial product adoption as prime expansion candidates.
Step 2: Define Measurable Expansion Goals
Setting clear, data-driven objectives improves account plan effectiveness.
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Establish account-specific expansion KPIs: Define targets for ARR growth, product adoption increases, and new seat expansion based on past trends.
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Document growth strategies in account plans: Use Success Plans to track expansion initiatives and key milestones.
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Ensure CS and Sales alignment on expansion goals: Schedule regular check-ins with Sales to refine strategy and track progress against revenue objectives.
Step 3: Integrate Expansion Plans into Customer Engagements
Embedding expansion goals into ongoing interactions drives execution.
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Incorporate expansion discussions into QBRs: Use Timeline to capture key customer feedback and evolving needs.
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Track expansion signals through CTAs and alerts: Configure CTAs to notify teams of expansion-ready customers.
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Measure progress and refine account plans regularly: Use Dashboards and reporting to analyze the impact of expansion-focused engagements.
What’s Next
Account planning sets the foundation for expansion, but seamless execution requires collaboration between CS and Sales. The next article will cover how to align expansion strategies with Sales for successful execution.
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