Growing Your Existing Accounts: Meet The "Land And Expand" Strategy.
Are You Leaving Money on the Table?
In the world of B2B sales, landing an initial deal within a large organization is an achievement worth celebrating. However, many sales professionals make the critical mistake of stopping there.
This is a big mistake.
They miss out on the golden opportunity that lies within the same account: expanding their footprint by moving into other departments, business units, or geographies, within the same customer organization.
You see, large organizations often operate in silos, with different departments working independently and to different KPIs from each other, even when they share common business goals and challenges.
Let’s say you’ve closed a deal in one part of the organization, but other departments remain untapped. This is a common scenario, and it’s one that represents an opportunity for sellers to lift their sales results and hit their quota.
But, it also represents a challenge in terms of execution. You can’t just wing it.
Without a structured approach to account expansion sales teams frequently:
Struggle to demonstrate their relevance to the organization as a whole, beyond the initial buyer.
Instead, rely on cold outreaches to other business units in the same organization, neglecting the trust and credibility they’ve already established.
Miss the opportunity to grow the account and the chance to create broader value for the client organization.
The result…? Stalled growth and underutilized revenue potential.
Turn That First Account Success Into A Cascading Wave Of New Business!
By leveraging the trust and credibility you’ve already built with your initial buyer, you can gain access to new decision makers, influencers, and stakeholders across the same organization.
How do you do it?
The answer lies in mastering the "Land & Expand" strategy. This particular version is based on leveraging Referral Selling principles.
Referral Selling, traditionally used for generating leads outside of an account, is also a powerful tool for expanding within one.
However, this approach isn’t merely about closing more deals; it’s also about building bridges within your account and positioning yourself as a trusted long-term partner to the business as a whole.
The Keys To Making Your “Land and Expand” Strategy Successful
There are a few steps to implementing your “Land and Expand” strategy.
1: The Prerequisite: Deliver Outstanding Results
Before you can expand, you need to ensure your initial buyer is delighted with your product or service!
Delivering measurable outcomes - whether it’s increased efficiency, cost savings, or other business benefits - and delighting the individual stakeholders personally - be it through demonstrating success within their employer organization, gaining recognition within their industry, or winning praise from their leadership team - sets the stage for referrals.
Pro Tip: Positive outcomes become the foundation for your referral request. Regularly check in with your buyer to measure mutual success and gather their candid feedback.
2: Capture Your Buyer’s View Of The Benefits
This part is super important.
Don’t just assume you know what it is that your buyer values about your solution. Let your buyer articulate the value they perceive from your product or service. Ask them what difference your solution made to the business, and what difference it’s made to them, personally.
You may be surprised at their answer. Plus, knowing these details will massively help you when you’re being referred to other parts of the business.
3: Identify Your Expansion Opportunities
Map the organizational structure of your client. Identify other departments, business units and individuals that could benefit from your solution.
4: Engage Your First Buyer as Your Champion
Your initial buyer is your most valuable asset when expanding within an account. They can act as your advocate, opening doors to other decision-makers, paving the way to new opportunities. Ask the right questions to gain their approval.
5: Use Storytelling to Connect and Build Credibility With Your New Contact
When meeting new stakeholders, share stories that resonate on a business level, as well as on a personal level.
6: Don’t Forget To Close the Loop with Your Referrer!
This is an important but often overlooked action. Your buyer will feel that they’re doing you a favour, introducing you to peers in other parts of their organization. Do not skimp on this step, otherwise your referrer will feel under-appreciated and think of you as ungrateful.
Keep your initial buyer informed on the progress of their referrals. Believe me, they want to know.
Thank them for their support and share any outcomes to reinforce their decision to advocate for you. Position your success in connecting with other parts of the business as their success, having made a great introduction.
Enhancing Your Account Expansion Strategy with Emotional Intelligence
When expanding within an account, remember your buyers are only human. They are having these emotional drivers:
Fear of Risk: New stakeholders may hesitate to engage with you due to fear of wasting their time and potentially making a poor decision.
Allay their fears by demonstrating your empathy and your understanding of their challenges. Highlight the great things that will come their way if they make a great decision.Desire for Validation: Be mindful of your buyers’ egos. By all means, flatter them, but also highlight how your solution aligns with their professional goals, as well as with their personal objectives. Then use your initial buyer’s success story as validation for their success.
Need for Confidence: Be transparent about your process and outcomes. Instil confidence in your new stakeholders.
In short:
Make your buyers feel that you’re on their side, that you’re there to help them make great buying decisions. We’re here to help.
But, There’s a “But” - The Benefits and Pitfalls
Just like any solution, the “Land and Expand” strategy has pros and cons. Here’s a quick list.
Pros:
Warmer Leads: Internal referrals come with built-in trust, reducing resistance and scepticism.
Shorter Sales Cycles: Familiarity with you and your already-proven solution accelerates decision-making.
Higher ROI: Expanding within an account is vastly more cost-effective than acquiring entirely new customers.
Cons:
Dependence on Initial Success: If the first engagement doesn’t go well, expansion becomes challenging. Make sure your initial buyer is super happy with the results. We’re here to help you with that.
Internal Politics: Navigating organizational dynamics and individual personalities requires tact and patience. Be mindful of internal politics and individuals’ egos. Ask us for advice on how to handle these tricky situations.
Risk of Overreach: Trying to expand too quickly can create poor customer perceptions , jeopardize your professional reputation, and strain relationships with your first buyer. Make sure you walk before you sprint. We’re here to help you get it right.
Case Studies: Account Expansion in Action
Case Study: Expanding from IT to Marketing
A SaaS company provided a workflow solution to an IT department, reducing approval times by 40%. The IT manager referred the vendor to the marketing team leader who faced similar challenges with their campaign approvals.
Within six months, the vendor had doubled their footprint within the organization.
Case Study: Breaking into Regional Offices
A logistics company initially partnered with the leadership team at a client’s headquarters. After delivering measurable cost savings, the logistics manager referred the vendor to their regional offices.
This led to a 30% revenue increase for the vendor over 12 months.
What’s Next For You?
The "Land and Expand" strategy isn’t just about growing your revenue.
It’s also about deepening your relationships and becoming an indispensable trusted partner to your client organizations. By leveraging Referral Selling principles within an existing client account, you can unlock new opportunities, accelerate revenue growth, and deliver greater value that will lead to happier clients and even more sales.