Expansion Strategy Planning

In 2024, we took a radically different approach that drove exceptional net revenue retention (NRR), with all customers renewing and expanding within their first year. Most SaaS companies claim they have a land and expand strategy. But let's be honest—many are just rushing to close initial deals and figuring out expansion later. I’ve seen (and done) this myself as an IC. Here are 3 things we're doing differently to maintain profitability in 2025: (1) Intentional Deal Architecture from Day One We've abandoned the "close now, figure it out later" mentality. Instead, we architect comprehensive deals upfront that map to our customers' growth journey: -Set platform pricing with included user counts -Pre-negotiate expansion user pricing -Define integration pricing tiers -Document future use case pricing This means when a customer starts with Gmail and Salesforce integrations, they already know exactly what adding Microsoft Dynamics or Tableau will cost. No surprises, no painful negotiations – just seamless expansion. (2) Zero Handoffs, Total Accountability. We've eliminated the traditional sales-to-CS handoff that creates gaps in customer experience. The same team that closes your deal stays involved in deployment and ongoing success. This isn't just feel-good stuff – it's practical: -Sales maintains strategic relationships -We deeply understand use cases -We spot expansion opportunities naturally -Early renewal conversations happen organically The result? We're not just vendors – we become strategic advisors helping shape our customers' trial and demo strategies (aka every CRO’s dream state.) (3) Aligned Incentives Drive Better Outcomes Here's something radical: our reps earn the same commission on expansion deals as new business. Why? Because expansion isn't an afterthought – it's core to our strategy. When you remove the artificial divide between new and expansion revenue, teams naturally focus on long-term customer success. 🤙 The Impact Yes, this approach requires more upfront work. You'll spend more time on initial deals. Your sales cycle might lengthen. But the results speak for themselves: >100% customer renewal rate >Every renewal includes expansion >Most customers expand license counts >We're seeing early renewals with expansion The old way of landing deals at all costs then scrambling to expand later is done. Today's market demands intentional, strategic deal architecture that sets both you and your customers up for long-term success. It's time to stop talking about land and expansion and start designing for it from day one.

Expanding into a new market gets a lot easier when customers are already asking for it. Deciding where to expand next is one of the challenges most fintech leaders face. New markets mean new regulations, partnerships, massive investment. I’ve seen how easy it is to waste time and money chasing expansion plans that look good on paper. At Coinflow Labs, we follow one rule: go where our customers literally ask us to go. Our expansion into Europe wasn't driven by market size reports or investor pressure. Multiple existing customers repeatedly requested support for their European operations. When several customers knock on your door asking for the same region, you know there's validated demand waiting. No market research report can match the certainty of customers willing to pay on day one. Here’s how we prioritize opportunities: 1. Track inbound customer requests by region 2. Quantify the potential volume from existing customers 3. Assess regulatory complexity against committed revenue 4. Validate expansion when customer demand exceeds setup costs Every market we've entered following this method has generated significant revenue within six months because we're serving real demand, not chasing theoretical opportunities. Most importantly, this customer-led approach means we're continually reinforcing relationships with our best clients. When a customer asks for something and you deliver it, you become a partner, and that's worth more.

Going Global: 10 Questions to Ask Before Expanding Your Business Expanding internationally is an important lever for value creation, but it’s also a complex challenge. Here are 10 questions to consider as you prepare for global expansion: 1️⃣ Is your business ready for international growth? Global expansion demands significant resources—financial, operational, and human. Are your current operations stable & efficient? 2️⃣ Will your product resonate in the new market? Understanding cultural nuances is essential. Does your product align with local tastes, preferences & traditions? What adaptations are needed? 3️⃣ Have you conducted thorough market research? Do you know the demographics, purchasing habits, and behaviors of your consumer? If your product is unfamiliar to them, are you prepared to invest in educating consumers about its value? 4️⃣ Who are the competitors in the market? What sets your product apart? How saturated is the market? What is their customer experience like? 5️⃣ Do you have the team to support your expansion? Whether it’s hiring local talent, creating a JV or selecting a distributor, you need people who understand the language, culture, and business environment (esp. pricing, regulatory, shipping etc.)—and who can work seamlessly with you. 6️⃣ What are your KPIs for success? Is it revenue growth, market penetration, or customer acquisition? When will it be time to establish regional teams? 7️⃣ Which market should you enter first? What criteria makes a market the right choice for your business? Then select a "beta" market to test your strategy before scaling further. 8️⃣ What challenges might you face? Are you prepared for potential legal, cultural, or economic hurdles? From labor laws to tax structures and trademark issues, every country has unique complexities you’ll need to navigate. 9️⃣ How will you balance your U.S. & international business mix? What percentage of your revenue should come from the U.S. vs. global markets? Diversifying across regions can reduce risk, smooth out seasonal demand cycles & position your business for long-term resilience. 🔟 Have you thought about adaptation - so beyond translation? Localization is about more than just language. How might colors, images, scents, or icons be perceived in your new market? A well-adapted product or service creates a seamless experience for consumers. Plan & Execute Thoughtfully International expansion is more than just a growth strategy—it’s a transformation. You’ll need a detailed business plan, financial projections, marketing strategies & a realistic timeline. Even if you start small, the insights you gain from your first market will set the stage for bigger moves down the road. Every time I travel, I’m reminded of the creativity & care businesses put into adapting globally. It’s one of the most fascinating stages in a company’s journey. What’s been your experience with going global? 🌍 #valuecreation #globalexpansion

Expanding into adjacent markets can fuel growth—but only if done strategically. Many companies fall into the adjacency trap, assuming a new market is a natural fit without assessing the capabilities needed to succeed. The best expansions happen when companies leverage what they already do best. Take Amazon, which extended into bookselling through AbeBooks, aligning with its e-commerce and logistics strengths. On the flip side, airline budget brands like United’s TED failed because they lacked the cost discipline of true low-cost carriers. The key? Growth should reinforce your capabilities system, not stretch it too thin. Before expanding, ask: Does this move build on what we already do exceptionally well? Ps. If you like content like this, please follow me.

It's a big mistake to treat expansion like a second sale: New pitch. New deck. New push. Folks, expansion isn’t a sales motion. It’s the delayed payout of trust - earned in the first 90 days. If that trust never compounds? No amount of clever outbound from your AM team is going to save it. Think of it this way: expansion is a lagging indicator of onboarding quality. Most expansion failures aren’t messaging problems. They’re credibility problems that began at kickoff. Why, you may ask? Well, because your customer didn’t buy features. They bought a business case. And your team never delivered against it. So when you show up with a cross-sell pitch? They’re not ignoring you. They’re grading you. And you didn’t pass. If you want expansion, here's how to actually drive it: 1. Anchor onboarding to outcomes, not activity. - “Time-to-value” is too vague. - Instead, define “time-to-first-impact” in the customer’s words. - Tie early usage to measurable business outcomes...and track it publicly. - Don’t just walk through the product. Walk through why they bought it. 2. Build the expansion case during delivery. - Show them where the product is creating leverage: efficiency, insight, savings, speed. - Document it. Quantify it. Replay it. - Your QBRs shouldn’t be check-ins. They should be early business cases. 3. Train CS to think like pre-sales. - They’re not there to “support adoption.” - They’re there to earn renewal and expansion. - That means champion mapping, commercial awareness, and outcome fluency. The AM might close the deal. But CS sets the stage for whether that deal’s even possible. Expansion isn’t a cross-sell. It’s a credibility test. When your AM team pitches something new, the customer isn’t listening to the offer. They’re thinking: “Did they deliver on what I already bought?” If the answer’s yes? Expansion feels logical. If the answer’s no? Expansion feels insulting. tl;dr = you don’t grow accounts by showing up with more product. You grow them by showing up with proof.

In Customer Success, waiting until renewal to drive expansion is a missed opportunity. It’s easy to fall into the habit: "𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 — 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨." But that logic breaks down fast. Are customers only ready for more value every 12 months? Do they only have budget conversations once a year? Do their needs and momentum pause between contracts? Of course not. But when we treat expansion as a “post-renewal” bonus, we delay meaningful conversations about business value — and we miss the window where the customer is actually ready to grow. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: Stop asking, “𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯?” Start asking, “𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨?” That’s the real readiness signal. To unlock expansion at the right time — not just renewal time — you need to be able to answer four key questions: 𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲? You can’t lead them forward until you know where most of them start. 𝟮. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁? What actions would they have taken? What outcomes would they have hit? What metrics show success? 𝟯. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀? Is it 60 days? 90? 120? Knowing the timeline helps you spot who’s ready (and who’s at risk). 𝟰. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀? This is your value ladder — the path that leads from initial win to greater impact. When you know the answers to those questions, you can:  • Drive expansion earlier, with confidence  • Intervene faster when results fall short  • Lead your customers toward bigger outcomes — not just renewals Because when your focus is on increasing results, renewal and expansion stop being awkward sales motions… They become the natural next step. #customersuccess #expansion

When going global, picking the right market is critical. Yet, 85% of exporters get it wrong. Why? They rely on: ❌ Random overseas orders ❌ Gut feelings ❌ Recommendations from friends ❌ Falling in love with a vacation spot (I kid you not!) These shortsighted decisions will bleed your business dry. So, what should you do instead? ✅ Conduct proper market research: Dive deep into the economic, political, and cultural factors of your target market. Talk to people who’ve been there and learn from their experience. ✅ Assess market potential: How big is the market? Is there demand for your product? Study your competitors and figure out how to stand out. ✅ Identify entry barriers: Research the tariffs, regulations, and other obstacles that could hold you back. ✅ Understand your audience: Don’t assume what worked at home will work abroad. Get a clear picture of your new customer’s needs, pain points, and desires. ✅ Build a strategic plan: Create a time-based plan that maps out your marketing, sales, and distribution strategies, customized for the new market. You’ve worked hard to build your business. Don’t throw it away on a rash decision. Need help choosing the right market? Let’s connect and talk about how to make smarter, more strategic decisions for your global growth. #InternationalBusiness #MarketSelection #Expansion #Strategy #GlobalGrowth #MarketResearch

🌍 Every successful business that I helped with growth scaled significantly by launching into new regions. This is a step-by-step guide (with a bonus at the end): ✅ Market Analysis: - Identify the target market (segmentation, size, growth potential) - it might be different from the market in your “main” region - Competitor analysis (major players, their strategies, SWOT analysis) - Analyse any regulatory, legal, or cultural differences that may affect the business (!this is one of the most important aspects. I have seen startups that, even with a solid expansion plan, failed because they didn’t understand the culture of the new region. Things are done differently, and you have to understand the differences and adapt if you want to thrive) ✅ Entry Routes: - Direct entry (establishing a local presence, subsidiary) - Indirect entry (using intermediaries, i.e., distributors, agents, or resellers) - Partnerships (leveraging existing partnerships and exploring new strategic partnerships in the new region) - Licensing / Franchising ✅ Financial Planning: - Develop revenue and cost projections based on market analysis and the entry route you chose (this is important, work with an expert if you are not confident with numbers) - Identify possible funding sources (investors, loans, grants) ✅ Risk Assessment: - Analyse potential risks (e.g., regulatory, legal, financial, operational) - Develop contingency plans and mitigation strategies if you see any risk ✅ Strategy Design & Execution Plan: - If you launch directly, you are no one and you will go nowhere unless you have a detailed Go-To-Market strategy for the new region that is clear on: messaging, which media channels you will use, how you will create a marketing and sales funnel (including clear strategies to convert). This is important, get help if you are not confident  - Define key performance indicators to monitor progress (review, adjust if off track) 👉 This is a very high-level blueprint just to get you started when you’re thinking about your international expansion. There is much more to be said. Ask me questions in the comments if you want more details 👉 BONUS: When you have to start thinking about costs you will incur, I created a high-level cost planning document to give you a sense of what cost items you will have to consider. Link in comments 👇 #startups #founders #gotomarket

I have been getting asked about the international expansion of North American Teams to go global and European, Asian, & Oceanic teams expanding into North America...   Also vise versa of how to European teams are trying to grow their fanbase in North America... The first step is to embrace strategic partnerships. This strategy works internationally and locally with any property wanting to engage and cultivate new fans.   You can do this by collaborating with local media channels. For example, countries like England, Australia, and New Zealand might all converse in English, but their cultural nuances are remarkably distinct. Understanding and resonating with these local flavors is crucial.   Here's a playbook: - Forge alliances with digital agencies with a proven international and regional growth track record. They are your navigators in unfamiliar waters.  Speak the language, literally. Adapting your website to multiple languages isn't just polite; it's smart. It bridges gaps and builds connections. - Go local with your channels. Create country-specific platforms to enhance engagement and show your commitment to understanding each unique audience. - Think beyond digital. On-site activations and community events can be powerful tools to introduce your sport, product, or service with a personal touch. Work with governments, tourism boards, and local universities.    In summary, combining these strategies forms a robust approach to managing channel partnerships across borders and into new regions. You need your organisation to be aligned as you move forward. More questions, we're here ot help.    #sportsbiz #fancultivation #heretohelp