Upselling – encouraging customers to purchase a more expensive version of a product, or to add on extra features – is a powerful growth lever for Australian SMEs. But too often, it’s treated as a sales tactic, pushed onto customers at the point of purchase. We believe a far more effective approach centres on customer success. It’s not about *selling* more, it’s about helping customers get *more value* – and then naturally guiding them towards options that deliver that increased value.
Customer success teams are uniquely positioned to identify upselling opportunities. They’re the ones building relationships, understanding customer goals, and monitoring product usage. This insight allows for a proactive, value-driven approach, rather than reactive sales pitches. Here’s how it works in practice:
- Understanding Value Realisation: Customer success focuses on ensuring customers achieve their desired outcomes with your product or service. When they’re consistently realising value, they’re more receptive to exploring upgrades or add-ons that enhance that value.
- Proactive Opportunity Identification: Through regular check-ins and data analysis, customer success can pinpoint customers who are nearing limits on their current plan, or who could benefit from features they aren’t currently using. This isn’t about finding a ‘need’ to create, it’s about recognising existing potential.
- Personalised Recommendations: Generic upselling rarely works. Customer success can tailor recommendations based on individual customer needs and usage patterns. For example, suggesting a higher tier plan to a growing business, or a specific add-on to address a particular challenge.
- Building Trust & Advocacy: A strong customer success function builds trust. Customers are far more likely to consider upsells from a team they perceive as genuinely invested in their success. This also fosters advocacy, turning satisfied customers into powerful referral sources.
The key difference is shifting the conversation. Instead of “Would you like to upgrade?”, it becomes “We’ve noticed your team is growing rapidly. Have you considered how our premium features could streamline your workflow and save you time?” This consultative approach, driven by customer success, yields significantly higher conversion rates and improves customer lifetime value. As we move into 2026, this focus on value will only become more critical as customers demand more from their investments.
To unlock the power of customer success in upselling, start by aligning your customer success and sales teams. Share insights, define clear handoff processes, and focus on a shared goal: helping customers achieve exceptional results. A small investment in customer success now will deliver substantial returns in increased revenue and customer loyalty.
