Practice Growth and Expansion Strategies

Elena Verna has written and recorded >500 hours of content on PLG Growth in B2B - here is EVERYTHING you need to know, save, and implement in 10 bullets: 𝟭𝟬-𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝟮𝗕/𝗣𝗟𝗚 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 1. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 “𝗮𝗵𝗮” 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲. Every growth model starts by proving value fast through a self-serve flow that walks the user straight to the core outcome, minimizing time-to-value and instrumentation gaps. 2. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀. Replace linear acquisition funnels with compounding growth loops where each cycle of usage creates new input (content, invites, referrals or data) that feeds the next cycle and lowers marginal CAC. 3. 𝗦𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲. Identify your highest-retention ICP(s), double-down on them, and expand only to “adjacent users” once growth in the core segment saturates; one size never fits all. 4. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 → 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁 → 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲. Don’t gate value too early; wait until the product habit is forming, then intersect upgrade triggers (usage limits, collaboration, security, etc.) with clear pay-offs to convert. 5. 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀. Iterate on paywalls, tiers, and thresholds the same way you iterate on product - continuously, with clear hypotheses and measurable upgrade metrics. 6. 𝗕𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗟𝗚 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀-𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁. Use product-qualified leads (PQLs) to hand warm, usage-validated accounts to Sales; PLG and SLG complement each other rather than compete, especially in enterprise. 7. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀. Drive email, in-app and human touchpoints off real usage, not calendar dates - to accelerate activation, expansion and resurrection. 8. 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 ~𝟭𝟴 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀. Expect channels to plateau; dedicate ~20-25 % of resources to testing new growth loops long before the current ones top out. 9. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝘀. Small squads of product, design, eng, data and marketing own a single North-Star metric and operate with rapid experiment cycles: no hand-offs, no silos. 10. 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 & 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. “Growth at what cost?” is Elena’s constant refrain, CAC payback and cohort retention trump vanity metrics, and sustainable, defensible growth beats short-lived spikes.

The biggest value of ABM over time isn’t new logo acquisition, it’s expansion (NRR). Here are the top 5 ways to use your Account Based GTM to cross-sell, upsell and retain your existing customer base: Most businesses start their Account-Based GTM by focusing on new logos. That makes sense, of course. That’s where early revenue growth comes from. Knowing what new accounts to target, with what message, and understanding account signals is vital to early growth, etc. However, eventually, if you keep growing, there will be more revenue in your customer base than in new logo sales and customer expansion becomes as important (and eventually more important) than new logo acquisition. It seems intuitive, but organizational awareness and willingness to apply the same rigor from new logos to the customer base takes time. I’ve seen many companies with strong new logo motions fail to align Sales and Marketing across their customer base. If you find yourself in that situation… Here are 5 ways to increase NRR by applying account-based GTM to the customer base: 1. Align Sales and Marketing on white space in your ICP Just as in new logo acquisition, account-based expansion starts with a map of what accounts to target across Sales and Marketing. This map should be based on a white space analysis of your customer base, the accounts that have the most potential upside in your ICP. These accounts should be used as the basis of territory and demand planning in the same way net new accounts are. 2. Score by propensity to buy by product Too often I see accounts have one overall propensity to buy score, while product level propensity scoring is critical to using an account-based approach to scale net retention. 3. Focus on buying group engagement Buying groups within accounts should be thought of as the fundamental units of revenue of expansion. Marketing and Sales should have a joint focus on engaging the key personas for every product opportunity. 4. Orchestrate expansion journeys Orchestration, the automation of Sales and Marketing actions based on journey stage, is another powerful tool that is too often limited to new logo acquisition. It’s incredibly effective to map expansion journeys, the actions an account needs to take to expand from product x to product y, and automate those actions as the account progresses. This is a huge unlock for net retention. 5. Use competitive intent to trigger retention plays You can’t expand an account if it churns. Running specific account level Sales and Marketing plays when a customer shows competitive intent is an effective way to get ahead of customers evaluating other solutions. Remember: An Account-Based GTM is not a tactic. If you sell a complex solution, it’s critical you align Sales and Marketing across accounts that have the greatest lifetime value potential. As you grow this means more alignment across your customer base. Not just new logos.

I need more leads. I need more relationships. I need more activity. The quest for more is common among lawyers struggling to build a legal practice. But "less" is almost always the better way. Let me tell you a story (from my forthcoming book) that drives this point home. When Chet Holmes started working for a small magazine owned by Charlie Munger, he was put in charge of selling ad space. He was given a database of more than 2,000 potential advertisers. His job description was to make as many cold calls as possible in order to generate more leads. But Holmes took a different approach, which emphasized quality over quantity and allowed him to focus his finite time on the most promising opportunities. He got his hands on past issues of hundreds of competitor publications and analyzed the ads. He found that a mere 8% of advertisers purchased 95% of the ad space. This insight led Holmes to focus almost all of his sales efforts on this small target market—what he called his “Dream Buyers.” Instead of trying to reach the masses, Holmes tailored his approach by sending direct mail to each Dream Buyer twice a month, followed by 2 phone calls. The first 4 months of effort didn’t produce any results. But in the 5th month, Holmes closed his first deal, which was huge—a 15-page full-color spread for Xerox. He then closed deals with 28 additional Dream Buyers over the next 5 months, and his efforts compounded over the next several years. As revenue continued to grow, Munger called Holmes into his office: “Now Chet. In all my years, I've never seen anybody double sales three years in a row. Are you sure we're not lying, cheating, and stealing?” They weren’t. Holmes was just focusing on "less but better"—picking a relatively small number of high-potential customers to consistently focus on with a customized sales approach. The lesson here for lawyers is that expanding your practice through business development isn't simply about adding more contacts and clients; it's about continually ascending the value chain. Now let's get practical: If you're hoping to build a practice, instead of focusing on developing hundreds of superficial connections, choose a select group of about 20 to 30 key contacts—your VIPs—and consistently remain visible to them in ways that they perceive as valuable (e.g. send insights, make intros, extend invitations). This number isn't random—it's a manageable figure that reflects the approximate number of business days in a month. If you have a list of approximately 25 key contacts and reach out to one person every business day, you can maintain meaningful connections with all your key contacts on a monthly basis. This approach ensures that each of your most important contacts gets the attention they deserve, and that they're thinking of you when unpredictable opportunities arise. The moral of this story: Focus on less, obsess over quality (relationships, responsiveness, etc.), be consistent and you can't help but succeed.

The hard truth? 65% of international expansions don’t succeed. Scaling globally is an incredible opportunity… But it’s complicated. As CEO of a fast-growing global company serving clients across 5 continents, here’s what I’ve seen separate success from struggle. 11 critical don'ts for global expansion (and what to do instead): 1) Don't expect what works at home to work abroad ↳ Study local preferences and behaviors in  detail before entry. 2) Don't guess about legal requirements ↳ Partner with local experts to navigate  regulations and tax laws. 3) Don't just translate your materials ↳ Adapt your entire brand story for the local culture. 4) Don't enter markets alone ↳ Build strong local partnerships that open doors. 5) Don't import your entire team ↳ Balance global expertise with local talent. 6) Don't underestimate costs ↳ Plan for higher costs. Unexpected expenses add up quickly. 7) Don't assume one communication style fits all ↳ Adapt your approach to match local norms and business etiquette. 8) Don't copy-paste strategies ↳ Create market-specific approaches based on local insights. 9) Don't scale without validation ↳ Test small, learn fast, then expand with confidence. 10) Don't expect instant results ↳ Commit to steady, sustainable growth. 11) Don't ignore local preferences ↳ Let customer feedback shape your local offering. The biggest risk? Treating international expansion like a short-term project instead of a long-term commitment. Expanding globally requires flexibility, foresight  and the right partnerships. Agree? Disagree? What's your experience with international expansion? ♻️ Find this helpful? Repost for your network. 📌 Follow Amy Gibson for practical leadership tips.

Stop launching your dang Ag biological product everywhere all at once. Start in a small geographic region. And by small, I mean REALLY small. Like one state small. One county small. Launch your MVP (minimum viable product) in that region ONLY. Test your product concept in real time, tweak the things that need to be tweaked, and grow your credibility through time. Win in that tiny region before you expand. And then chose only ONE expansion strategy: add another use case OR additinal geographies. You don't have time or money to do both. What do I mean by use case? For bio-yield, biostumulants, or soil amendment type products, that looks like expanding into another crop or going from in-furrow to seed applied. For cattle supplements or feed additives, that looks like expanding from milking cows to calves, or from Holstein to Jersey operations. Or from confined operations to grazing operations. Or cow/calf operations to backgrounding. Ag isn't one market, its many many different segments. And each segment operates differently based upon geography. Launching in all locations in all crops is a sure fire way to tank in the marketplace. Add the complexities of biology to the mix, and there is zero chance you understand your product enough when you go to launch broadly. So stop wasting everyone's time, and take it one step at a time. Stop chasing the money, and start chasing customer experience, robust science-forward expansion, and test cases that show off your product. This strategy also gives your applied science team (product development) a chance to create a robust science story for each expansion event. No more extrapolation. You will have the data and sales materials to present to your customer at each stage of company growth. Now doesn't that feel much better than always playing catch up? It's time to be proactive, not reactive. It's time to respect farmers' time and budget. It's time to stop insulting farmers' intelligence by trying to convince them to try something that was never developed with their enterprise in mind. Lastly, it's time to level up your product development strategy. You don't have the time or budget to wait another day, week, month. What else is it time for? Leave a comment with your suggestion. #agriculture #livestock #cattle #productdevelopment #biologicals #feedadditives

When launching growth initiatives, we often aim for their Total Addressable Market (TAM)—the largest potential market we can reach. However, this can lead to spreading our efforts too thin and disappointing results. Instead, focusing on the Service Obtainable Market (SOM)—the segment we can realistically serve with current capabilities—provides a more achievable target and smarter resource allocation. Concentrating on SOM allows us to create strategies tailored to the specific needs of the customers we are prepared to serve right now. This approach aligns better with current market demands and increases the potential for sustainable growth. Starting strong in a smaller area can pave the way for broader success later. Examples: • 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: A dessert brand focuses on introducing its new frozen treat in warmer temp regional markets with a known appreciation for frozen desserts before planning a nationwide launch. • 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲: A beverage company launches a new line of organic juices in cities known for health-conscious consumers to test market reaction before rolling it out to broader markets. • 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹: A gourmet snack company begins selling its new artisanal chocolates in upscale grocery stores, aiming to establish a premium brand image before expanding to more general supermarkets. To do this... 1. We have to say 'NO' to the allure of being opportunistic 2. We have to say "YES' to winning where we've already got strength 3. We have to niche down into our SOM until it hurts (especially for visionaries) Last year, we were winning new clients at Schaefer in many categories. Sidnee and I were saying "yes" a lot. We saw opportunities everywhere, and we doubled our revenue year over year. That sounds like a win, right? Wrong. Not all growth is healthy. In the process, we discovered that our win rates were far lower outside of our niche (food & beverage). We were expending far more energy into these other deals than when we showed up to a new opportunity with the deep experience we have in food and beverage brands. The difference was stark! By conserving more energy and resources during the sales and operations process, we've found that we win more work, have better output across all clients, and are carving out a leadership position as a boutique research and marketing strategy firm helping food, beverage, and nutrition brands nail their next expansion. How can being more focused on the customers you currently serve help you find more success? --------------------------------------------------------------- 🤔 Poor strategy kills even the greatest effort --------------------------------------------------------------- Need help entering a new market? Geography | Verticals | Product | M&A We can help you make the right decisions. Backed by strategy.

If you haven’t been following ŌURA’s numbers lately, here’s what’s worth knowing👉🏻the smart ring maker is raising ~$875M in a Series E at a valuation of $10–11B. Just last year it closed a $200M Series D at $5.2B. Why does this matter to private practice owners? Because health-tech valuations like this ripple into what patients expect and how business models evolve. What Ōura’s Growth Signals👇🏻 1. Wearables + Data + Subscriptions = power. Ōura doesn’t sell a ring alone. It monetizes membership, identity, and belonging (sleep, recovery, readiness, women’s health insights) layered with analytics. Translation👉🏻predictable, sticky revenue. Practices that build recurring value, not just one-off visits, mirror this advantage. 2. Patients expect feedback loops. Readiness scores and recovery metrics train people to want continuous insight. Episodic care feels reactive; proactive practices that offer ongoing touchpoints and tracking stand out. 3. Scale + outcomes are what investors bet on. Ōura’s revenue is doubling, partners like Dexcom are signing on, and expansion is global. That signals outcomes, retention, and performance data will be currency for all healthcare players, including small practices. 4. Competition is coming sideways. Tech and wellness brands are expanding into recovery, sleep, metabolism, and prevention. Clinics that only compete on in-person procedures risk margin erosion against lighter, tech-augmented options. Implications for Private Practice • Develop sticky offerings. Think subscription wellness plans, remote monitoring, data-driven follow-ups. • Collect outcomes data. Track retention, treatment results, sleep/metabolic metrics, QoL improvements, and use them in care and marketing. • Invest in tech/partnerships. Integrate wearables or partner with fitness/metabolic apps to extend value between visits. • Rethink the model. Fee-for-service isn’t enough; recurring revenue drives resilience. Add ancillary services or equipment to drive membership model. • Prioritize personal brand + experience. Trust, communication, and simplicity will set you apart as competition grows. Ōura’s valuation shows what the market, and people, value👇🏻 Ongoing engagement, measureable outcomes, and predictable revenue. Patients aren’t just looking for treatment anymore; they expect continuous progress, feedback, and measurable results. Follow me at Carmen Stansberry FNP-C, WHNP-BC for more on the business of wellness.

Scaling A GP Practice Is A Balancing Act. Build Too Fast Or Too Slow And You Pay For It. How Much Should You Build For A Future That Hasn’t Arrived Yet? That’s the tension in every growing GP practice. Equip too little, you choke growth. Equip too much, you drown in cost. So where’s the balance? We’ve grown from 5,000 to over 18,500 patients at Elm Tree Medical Centre Growth sounds exciting. Until you’re deciding: 1. Do we recruit ahead of demand? 2. Do we expand estates now or later? 3. Do we invest in systems before the pressure hits? In business, over-scaling too early can sink you. In general practice, under-preparing can break your team. Capacity feels reactive. Demand feels unpredictable. Finances feel tight. Waiting has a cost too. In a growing practice, you start to see patterns. 📊 Demand trends 📈 List growth 📞 Contact volumes 👩⚕️ Workforce strain The data rarely lies. The question is whether you act on it early or when it’s already painful. We’ve learnt that equipping for the future doesn’t always mean hiring ten people tomorrow. Sometimes it means: 🧠 Better systems before more staff 🏗 Estates planning before crisis 📋 Clear workflows before chaos 💻 Smart digital tools before burnout Over-expansion without funding is risky. Constant short-term thinking is worse. Growth should be: Deliberate. Data-led. Culturally aligned. Not emotional. Not ego-driven. Not fear-based. Equipping for the future isn’t about size, It’s about resilience. Can your systems cope if demand rises 15%? Can your leadership absorb change? Can your culture stretch without snapping? If not, growth will expose the cracks. In a growing GP practice, you don’t build for today. Not recklessly, but intentionally. Healthcare isn’t just about surviving this winter. It’s about being ready for the next five years. 💬 If you lead a growing organisation, how far ahead do you plan capacity? And what’s the risk of getting it wrong?

Most medical practices don’t have a marketing problem. They have a clarity problem. Every practice I work with comes in with a “different” issue. Low patient flow. Poor conversions. No visibility. But when you look closely, the gap is almost always in the same four places. So I stopped building random strategies. And built a simple framework instead: CARE. Here’s how it plays out over six months. 𝐂 — 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 1–2) Make the practice easy to find and easy to trust. Google presence, local SEO, and a website that actually answers patient questions. Most clinics aren’t failing. They’re just invisible. 𝐀 — 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 (𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 2–3) Give patients a reason to choose you. Content, reviews, and a clear voice on what you treat best. Authority isn’t your degree. It’s how well patients feel understood. 𝐑 — 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 (𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 3–5) This is where real growth hides. Follow-ups, reminders, and simple touchpoints that keep you relevant. Retention is cheaper. And it compounds. 𝐄 — 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬 (𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 5–6) Happy patients become your growth engine. Referral prompts, GP connections, community trust. No ad budget beats a strong reputation. The framework isn’t rigid. But without structure, most practices just guess their way through growth. And that’s why results stay inconsistent. If you don’t know which stage you’re in, That's the real problem. Feel free to DM me on LinkedIn. #MedicalMarketing #HealthcareStrategy #PatientGrowth #ClinicGrowth