Assigning expansion quotas to Customer Success (CS) is a critical mistake. CS should focus on implementation, adoption, and value realization, creating the conditions for growth. However, the act of selling the expansion is a core sales responsibility that requires a sales skillset and incentive structure.

Don't wait for a formal QBR to discuss expansion. The immediate post-sale period is a golden window for additional sales. The customer's excitement and trust are at their peak. With their most urgent need solved, they are highly receptive to addressing other business challenges.

At ElevenLabs, top-performing account executives refuse salary increases, preferring equity instead. A higher base salary would increase their 20x quota, making it harder to reach the lucrative 1.5x and 2x commission accelerators for overperformance. This is a powerful, non-obvious incentive alignment.

A one-size-fits-all sales role fails in consumption models. Success requires segmenting the team into specialized roles—new business acquisition, customer onboarding, and account management—each with distinct incentives aligned to their specific function, from initial sign-up to value realization and expansion.

To ensure sales reps focus on long-term value (LTV), structure compensation to reward customer success. Pay half the commission on contract signing and the other half only when the customer hits a predefined activation metric, known as the Leading Indicator of Retention (LIR). This forces reps to sell to right-fit customers.

Google's Ads team structured its sales force into three specialized units. The acquisition team was paid on getting a customer to start, the onboarding team on setup success, and the account management team on growing spend beyond a predicted baseline. This aligns incentives with each stage of the customer's consumption journey.

Sales playbooks are common, but the same rigor should be applied to customer success. Create a dedicated playbook for account managers covering onboarding, user adoption, quarterly business reviews (QBRs), and proactive upsell/cross-sell techniques. This is a significant and often overlooked revenue opportunity.

StackAI found the bulk of enterprise revenue comes from expansion, not the initial deal. They operationalized this by creating a team of "AI strategists" who work with customers post-sale to proactively identify and build new use cases, driving deep account penetration and growth.

Sales compensation is the most powerful lever for changing a sales team's behavior quickly. More than training or directives, incentives tell reps what they are supposed to do and why, directly shaping their daily actions and strategic focus.