Most CSMs wait for customers to ask about additional capabilities. They sit in quarterly business reviews, watch usage patterns, hear about new initiatives, and then... nothing. They document it. They update Gainsight. They move on.

And then six months later, they find out the customer bought a competitive solution for that exact use case they mentioned back in March.

In this episode, Mark Bernardin breaks down the systematic approach he built managing enterprise portfolios worth over $8M in ARR - the same framework that helped him identify over $1M in expansion opportunities across customers like Ernst & Young, Lowe's, and The Home Depot.

This isn't about luck. It's about building a repeatable system that generates predictable expansion revenue quarter after quarter.

In this episode, you'll learn:

THE 4-STEP EXPANSION REVENUE SYSTEM

• Step 1: Weekly Signal Detection FrameworkMark walks through his Friday 15-minute review process, covering three signal categories: usage patterns, organizational changes, and business context shifts. He shares exactly what to look for and how to document signals before they lose context.
• Step 2: IMPACT Qualification Not every signal is worth pursuing. Mark explains his 6-criteria framework: Immediate need indicators, Money/budget accessibility, Person/decision maker access, Authority/approval process understanding, Coupling event timeline, and Technical feasibility. Opportunities scoring strong in 4-5 categories represent immediate potential.
• Step 3: Expansion Conversation StructureMark shares his 5-part conversation framework that positions CSMs as strategic partners: Context Setting → Situation Exploration → Impact Discovery → Solution Connection → Next Steps. Product discussion happens at the END, after earning the right through discovery.
• Step 4: Business Case ToolkitMany expansion opportunities stall because customers can't build internal justification. Mark demonstrates how to help customers sell internally with ROI calculations covering cost savings, revenue impact, and risk mitigation. When CSMs facilitate their decision-making process using the customer's numbers and context, they transform from vendor to strategic partner.

REAL EXAMPLES WITH DOLLAR OUTCOMES

Mark shares three concrete examples from his portfolio management experience:

• Swimlane: $400K expansion identified through Friday signal review when most CSMs would have missed a throwaway comment about hiring 12 analysts
• Palo Alto Networks: $350K healthcare expansion using IMPACT qualification and consultative conversation structure
• Deepwatch: $300K timing-based opportunity aligned with customer success milestone

Total: Over $1M in expansion ARR from systematic process, not luck.

WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENTThis episode shows listeners how to:

• Identify opportunities months before customers formalize evaluation processes
• Build expansion pipeline that leadership can forecast and rely on
• Execute consultative conversations that strengthen relationships even when customers don't buy immediately
• Create systematic processes that generate predictable expansion revenue

Whether managing a first portfolio or scaling a CS team, this framework transforms expansion from reactive hope to proactive revenue generation.

EPISODE RESOURCES

Download the complete Expansion Revenue System Worksheet at ClearPathCX.com - includes signal detection categories, IMPACT qualification scorecard, conversation framework template, business case toolkit, and 4-week implementation plan.

Ready to stop missing expansion opportunities hiding in plain sight? This episode delivers the exact system to find them, qualify them, and convert them - starting this Friday.

Host: Mark Bernardin, Customer Success expert, author of "The Path to Green" and "The CSM's Personal Playbook," and founder of ClearPath CX.