4 Practical Ways to Drive Expansion RevenueThrough Customer Success

Let’s get one thing straight: Customer Success is about growth. It’s not about keeping customers “happy.” It’s not about just reacting to issues it’s about helping customers see the bigger picture—so they see you as a strategic partner, not just another vendor.

And that’s exactly where the opportunity lies.

But the big question is:

How do we make Customer Success a true driver of growth—not just a cost center?

There’s no shortage of high-level strategies and KPIs being thrown around by CS and business leaders about the value of Customer Success. But here’s what very few are talking

about:

That’s what this blog post is about.

So let’s get into it. Here are 4 proven, tactical strategies you can implement right now to increase expansion revenue through Customer Success.

1️⃣ Align CSMs with Sales – Act Like One Team

Your sales reps are already experts at what CSMs are being asked to improve on: selling.

If your Customer Success team owns expansion, they should collaborate closely with your Sales team. Learn from them. Understand the nuances of your products, pricing, objections, and upsell triggers.

Even if your CSMs are only responsible for generating warm leads (CSQLs), the ability to spot expansion opportunities and hand them off effectively is incredibly valuable.

Encourage your CSMs to adopt a modern sales mindset—not the outdated, “pushy” one, but a consultative, helpful, and insight-driven approach.

Next time you’re in a QBR or status call, try this:

Or:

If you can answer those questions with confidence—you’re halfway there.

2️⃣ Orchestrate Expansion Conversations Systematically

Sales orchestration = selling with structure and intent.

Use product usage data, customer milestones, and maturity signals to time your expansion conversations.

Try something like this:

This makes the conversation consultative—not transactional.

You’re not pushing. You’re guiding you’re saying: “Here’s how similar customers grow. Let’s explore this together when the time is right.”

It’s non-threatening, relevant, and tailored.That’s modern selling.

3️⃣ Level Up Your Sales Skills as a CSM

Selling is one of the oldest professions in the world—and there’s a reason great sellers invest time in learning the craft. Yet we often expect CSMs with little or no sales experience to hit ambitious expansion targets without any formal training.

That’s a problem.

If you want to sell more, you need to sharpen your skills.

Recommended reading:

• SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham

• Salgets Helter by Christian Hofbauer (for Norwegian readers)

Or take a course, watch YouTube breakdowns, listen to sales podcasts. There’s endless free content out there.

Good selling is never about pushing. It’s about understanding, advising, and helping.

And here’s the best part:You don’t need to mimic someone else’s style.

Find your voice. Discover how you naturally sell. That’s where the magic is.

4️⃣ Be Empathetic. Be Consultative.

The best sellers talk about 30% of the time and listen 70%.That’s not just a statistic—it’s a mindset.

Talk less. Listen deeply.

When you do, your customers will open up. They’ll tell you what they’re struggling with—and then (and only then) can you suggest solutions that genuinely help.

Never start with a pitch. Start with their goals, their pain, their daily reality.

I’ve sat in too many meetings as a buyer where the seller walked in and launched into a monologue, without asking a single question about my needs.

It doesn’t work.

If your customers don’t feel seen, they won’t buy from you.Make it about them, not you.

Understand not just the company’s goals, but your contact person’s goals. What does that individual want to achieve—and how can you help them get there?

That’s the essence of great selling.

Final Thoughts

These are 4 concrete strategies you can start using today to grow your expansion revenue through Customer Success:

1. Partner with Sales to learn how to spot and act on opportunities

2. Use Sales Orchestration to structure your expansion conversations

3. Improve Your Sales Skills so you’re confident and effective

4. Lead with Empathy to build trust and uncover real customer needs

   
   

You don’t need to overhaul your whole strategy overnight.Start by implementing just one of these—and build from there.

Remember, expansion revenue isn’t about pushing products. It’s about delivering more value, at the right time, in the right way.

And your customers?They’ll thank you for it.