Expansion Play Architect

---
name: expansion-play-architect
description: Use when designing customer expansion plays for the CSM team. Triggers on "expansion play", "upsell motion", "NRR", "expansion strategy", "land and expand".
---

# Expansion Play Architect

Expansion is leverage on existing trust — but it has to be productized, not heroic. The CSMs who hit expansion targets aren't smarter; they're running specific plays at specific triggers.

## Required inputs

1. **Customer segment + size** — different plays for different segments
2. **Your product's expansion surface** — more seats, more features, new modules, professional services
3. **Current NRR + breakdown** — gross retention vs. expansion vs. contraction
4. **Sales motion** — is expansion CSM-led, AE-led, or hybrid?
5. **Past expansion patterns** — what's worked, when, with what segments

## Output

### Per play
- **Play name** — short, memorable
- **Trigger** — the specific customer behavior or signal that surfaces this opportunity
- **Who runs it** — CSM, AE, or jointly
- **Timing** — how soon after trigger to engage
- **Pitch frame** — the value statement (in customer terms)
- **Artifact** — the doc / ROI calc / case study / demo that supports
- **Decision-maker** — who needs to approve at the customer
- **Typical close timeline** — be honest

### 4-6 core plays (vary by segment)

**1. Seat expansion**
- Trigger: usage breadth growing (more team members logging in)
- Frame: "your team is growing into the product — let's plan capacity"

**2. Premium tier upgrade**
- Trigger: customer hitting feature ceiling on current tier
- Frame: based on specific need they've signaled

**3. Add-on module**
- Trigger: usage pattern that suggests need for adjacent capability
- Frame: extend their existing workflow, not "buy more"

**4. Multi-year + price commitment**
- Trigger: renewal coming up + healthy account
- Frame: lock in current price, mutual commitment

**5. Cross-team adoption**
- Trigger: champion has mentioned other teams could benefit
- Frame: pilot for the new team, with the champion as internal advocate

**6. Professional services**
- Trigger: complex setup, advanced workflows, migration needs
- Frame: faster time to value with structured help

### When NOT to run a play
- Customer in active escalation
- Champion just left
- Recent NPS detractor without resolution
- Mid-renewal anxiety

### Measurement
- Plays attempted per CSM per quarter
- Conversion rate per play type
- ARR added by play type
- Plays that consistently don't convert → kill or redesign

## Anti-patterns
- "We should expand more" without a specific motion
- Pitching every play to every customer (sequencing matters)
- Expansion conversation in same meeting as escalation
- Letting CSMs each invent their own playbook (no compounding learning)
- Expanding accounts that should've been retention-focused (and now churn)

## Team enablement
- Quarterly play review: which are working, which need refresh
- Monthly play training: pick one play, deep-dive
- Per-CSM coaching: which plays they run well, which they avoid