Upselling is becoming increasingly important for Australian SMEs. It’s far more cost-effective to grow revenue from existing customers than constantly acquire new ones. But timing is everything. Pushing an upsell too early, or to the wrong customer, can damage relationships. So, what customer success metrics will reliably signal upsell readiness as we move into 2026?
We’ve been analysing trends in customer behaviour and the evolving capabilities of customer success platforms. Here are the key indicators we’re seeing that will be crucial for predicting upsell potential.
- Value Realisation Time: This measures how quickly a customer achieves their desired outcome from your product or service. Shorter realisation times indicate a customer is actively engaged and experiencing benefit – a prime signal for exploring additional features or higher tiers.
- Feature Adoption Rate: Are customers using a broad range of your product’s capabilities? High adoption suggests they’re invested and likely to benefit from more advanced features offered in upsells. We’re seeing a shift towards focusing on ‘depth’ of use, rather than just breadth.
- Customer Effort Score (CES): A low CES – meaning customers find it easy to do business with you – is a strong predictor of positive future engagement. Customers with minimal friction are far more receptive to considering additional offerings.
- Net Promoter Score (NPS) Trend: While a single NPS score is useful, the *trend* is more telling. A consistently increasing NPS demonstrates growing customer loyalty and satisfaction, making them ideal candidates for upsells.
These metrics aren’t isolated. We recommend combining them for a more holistic view. For example, a customer with a short value realisation time *and* a consistently improving NPS is a very strong upsell prospect. The sophistication of customer success platforms will continue to improve, allowing for more accurate predictive modelling in 2027 and beyond.
To prepare, Australian SMEs should prioritise tracking these metrics consistently. Invest in tools that integrate data across your customer journey. Then, segment your customer base based on these indicators and tailor your upsell messaging accordingly. A data-driven approach to upselling will deliver significantly better results than relying on guesswork.
