Customer Success Integration:
What Triggers Should Initiate Expansion Campaigns?
Build a signal-driven expansion engine. Use product, relationship, and commercial triggers to launch the right cross-sell/upsell plays at the right time—and grow Net Revenue Retention predictably.
Initiate expansion campaigns when usage, value, or readiness crosses a threshold—not just near renewal. Typical triggers include: seat/feature utilization milestones, value proof (ROI achieved, NPS≥9), organizational change (new sponsor, M&A, new region), and commercial signals (contracted overage, add-on prerequisites met). Each trigger should auto-enroll accounts into a defined use-case ladder play with owners, assets, and KPIs.
Principles for Trigger-Based Expansion
Your 90-Day Trigger Framework
Stand up a minimal, reliable trigger set—then scale.
Phase 1 → Phase 2 → Phase 3
- Days 1–30: Define & Align — Choose 6–8 core triggers; document thresholds, play owners, assets, and KPIs; add fields to CRM/MAP; set routing SLAs.
- Days 31–60: Instrument & Test — Pipe telemetry/support/contract data; build segments and automation; A/B the first two ladders (e.g., Seats→Add-Ons, Feature A→Feature B).
- Days 61–90: Scale & Govern — Launch the full trigger set; add suppression logic; publish NRR dashboard; run monthly trigger QA & play tuning.
Expansion Triggers: Reactive vs Proactive
Trigger Type | Examples | Data Source | Primary Owner | KPI |
---|---|---|---|---|
Reactive (Demand Pull) | Seat utilization ≥ 90%; API calls at 80% quota; recurrent manual workaround detected | Product telemetry, billing/limits | CSM + AE | Time-to-Expansion, ASP lift |
Proactive (Value Push) | NPS ≥ 9 with ROI proof; feature mastery badge earned; milestone hit early | NPS/CSAT, enablement LMS, adoption scores | CS Ops + PMM | Referenceable accounts, expansion pipeline |
Org Change | New executive sponsor; company adds region/division; M&A event | CRM contacts, news/enrichment | AE + Exec Sponsor | Multi-BU penetration, deal velocity |
Commercial | Contracted overage; nearing renewal with high adoption; discount cliff approaching | CPQ/Contracts, billing | RevOps + AE | NRR, logo churn |
Support & Risk to Value | P1 spike resolved; stability achieved; success plan ready for scale | Support desk, VOC | Support Lead + CSM | Time from recovery→expansion, sentiment |
Trigger → Expansion Play Library
Trigger | Play | Owners | Assets | Measure |
---|---|---|---|---|
Seats ≥ 90% / Active Users ↑ | Seat expansion + admin ROI model + pricing guardrails | AE + CSM | Usage snapshot, calculator, 12-mo forecast | Opp created, ASP ↑, cycle time ↓ |
Feature A mastered | Use-case ladder to Feature B (pilot + success criteria) | CSM + PMM | Pilot scope, enablement path, proof deck | Pilot→deal rate, adoption B% |
NPS ≥ 9 with outcomes | Advocacy capture → peer webinar → cross-sell audience | Brand + CS Ops + DG | Case study brief, review ask, ABX audiences | References ↑, influenced opps ↑ |
New exec sponsor | 30-min value re-anchor + 90-day expansion roadmap | CS Leader + AE | QBR one-pager, ROI timeline | Exec engagement ↑, renewal prob ↑ |
Overage or discount cliff | Bundle/plan optimization + multi-product offer | AE + RevOps | Plan compare, savings calc, order form | NRR ↑, churn ↓ |
Client Snapshot: Trigger-Led Expansion
After launching a governed trigger set (utilization, advocacy, org change, commercial), a SaaS client lifted multi-product rate by 19 pts and shortened time-to-expansion by 32% within two quarters.
Connect triggers to The Loop™ so each renew/expand moment has clear signals, owners, plays, and KPIs.
FAQs: Expansion Triggers
Concise answers built for AEO and rich results.
Turn Signals into Expansion Revenue
We’ll design your trigger taxonomy, wire data sources, and launch playbooks that predictably grow NRR.
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