Primary Roles
AM
Secondary Roles
AE, CSM, Sales Manager
Hire With
Analytical orientation, customer empathy, communication clarity, ownership
Train For
proposal design, use-case packaging, scope clarity, outcome framing, commercial alignment
Certification Definition
A certified rep creates cross-sell and upsell proposals that connect the customer's new use case to clear outcomes, scope, commercial terms, and a credible path to value.
Why It Matters
Weak expansion proposals create confusion, stall internal buying process, and make negotiation harder because the customer cannot see exactly what is changing or why it is worth funding. Strong proposals help the buyer understand the use case, the commercial ask, and the expected outcome in one coherent package they can actually circulate internally.
What Good Looks Like
- The rep builds the proposal around a clear customer problem or opportunity, not a generic product catalogue.
- The rep shows the proposed scope in practical terms, including what is changing, what is not, and any key implementation assumptions.
- The rep links the expansion to expected business or operational outcomes in language the buying group will recognise.
- The rep presents pricing and terms consistently with the rest of the commercial conversation.
- The rep makes the proposal easy for the customer to share internally with a champion, approver, or procurement contact.
- The rep tailors the proposal to the account's maturity, stakeholders, and decision process rather than recycling a standard deck.
- The rep removes avoidable ambiguity that would otherwise create follow-up confusion, scope drift, or legal rework.
Red Flags
- The proposal reads like a feature dump with no clear use case or customer outcome.
- Scope is vague, inconsistent, or hard for the customer to evaluate.
- Pricing or terms appear without sufficient explanation or alignment to discovery.
- The rep uses a generic template without adapting it to the actual account situation.
- The proposal does not help the buyer build internal alignment, approval, or next steps.
- The artifact introduces inconsistencies that later create negotiation or contracting issues.
Evaluation Scorecard
| Area | Standard |
|---|---|
| Use-case clarity | The proposal makes the new use case and customer need easy to understand. |
| Scope definition | The rep defines what is included, what changes, and what the customer is buying. |
| Outcome framing | Expected value is clear, relevant, and tied to the account context. |
| Commercial alignment | Pricing, terms, and packaging are consistent with the overall motion. |
| Buyer usability | The proposal helps the customer socialise the ask internally. |
| Document quality | The artifact is clear, accurate, and ready for customer review. |
Real-World Scenarios
Cross-sell into a new department
The customer knows the product but not the new use case
Frames the proposal around that team's problem, scope, and expected result.
Upsell to a larger package
Customer needs to see why more capability and spend are justified
Shows the gap in the current state and the value of the expanded package clearly.
Proposal shared through a champion
Internal buyer needs a document they can forward with confidence
Creates a clean artefact that helps the champion explain the ask without extra translation.
Complex account with several stakeholders
Different groups care about different outcomes and risks
Packages scope, benefits, and assumptions in a way each stakeholder can follow.
Assessment Approach
Review 2 live cross-sell or upsell proposals alongside the discovery notes and commercial context that informed them.
Alternatives
- Review 1 live proposal plus 1 manager-led scenario when proposal volume is limited.
- Use 2 scenarios only during early ramp, then confirm the certification with the next live customer-facing proposal.
Verification Examples
- Expansion proposal linking new use case, scope, commercial terms, and expected outcome
- Customer-facing artifact reviewed against rubric
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