Land and expand is a business strategy focused on landing a small deal then using that success to nurture the customer relationship through excellent service. A company then expands its presence by upselling and cross selling the same client on other services and products. It is an effective strategy because it allows focused attention on a single value proposition, to get a foot in the door with a new client.
The land and expand strategy takes advantage of the relationship developed with a key customer decision-maker, then increases the number of customer touchpoints, or what I call stickiness. The strategy requires investing time getting to know and serve customers at extraordinary levels to build trust. Exceptional service needs to be the norm. It is about making customers feel like the priority.
I used this strategy several times in my sales career. I was once even measured on the metrics of cross-sell and upsell rates. After getting the initial order, or foot in the door, I could sell the same product to different people across multiple areas. I could also sell different but related products using the first sale as a launching point.
Working for a startup company that was selling technology into an ‘old
school’ market required landing some initial deals that could be used as references within that customer base. I focused on a small group of potential early adopters, who were viewed as innovative and forward-thinking leaders. This positioned us to gain more customers willing to try out our offering. In my current role we continue to land and expand with small trials of new products.
Land and expand is also a great way to achieve company-wide transformation. Focus on early adopters who can then help drive change and deliver results early on to bring others on board.
Networking is a form of land and expansion. We can build a network or an ecosystem by first connecting with someone, then discovering who they are connected with and building relationships with those contacts as well. This strategy is often used in social circles where you make one connection and then leverage that connection to foster additional connections. When we joined our new church after the move it was at first glance an overwhelmingly large parish, with 3500+ families and 8,000+ parishioners. Having been very active in our prior church we were looking for a similar experience, but we could not ‘dive right in’ with such a large community. We got our feet under us starting with small groups.
I have been using this approach with my Coach Mahr brand. I started small with an article, then grew into consistent blogging, and now into podcasting, while also doing some speaking. The effort is around building awareness and credibility. The goal is to land with new thoughts and insights, growing a complete stranger into an advocate.
Landing requires a leap, or at least a step. We must initiate the act of creating a landing. It is also extremely important we land in a place where there is a foothold for viable expansion. Having no sustainable chance of expansion can cause the demise of start-up companies, new product launches, and even social networking. Even landing a thought can be challenging. I read where “ideas are like soap bubbles floating in the air close to jagged rocks on a windy day.” These ideas, concepts, or changes need to be handled with intention, love and reverence.
My faith journey has been a land and expand one. Seeds of faith were
planted in me that have grown. I use a similar analogy in my testimony about having a door cracked open a sliver and letting in light. This light lands in a darkened room and allows me to expand my view by seeing more things with greater clarity. Next the crack in the door expands and opens a bit wider, again expanding my view, shedding light over darkness. Over time and repeating this process, the whole room becomes lit.
Land and expand should be our strategy in leading others to Christ. It may start with simply landing a thought, which then over time leads to other thoughts, which leads to action. We should not push the entire Christian faith at once, it is too rich and deep. Remember our job is to establish a foothold through support, love, and guidance; the expansion part is up to Holy Spirit and God. (1 Corinthians 3:6)
We must initiate the act of creating a landing to get a foot in the door. Let’s focus attention on the single value proposition Christ offers, His love. There is no better way to create stickiness and set the stage for His expansion.
