In a recent LinkedIn post, Jim Tincher, CCXP discusses the often-misunderstood nature of growth for B2B executives, highlighting how customer experience (CX) can be a powerful, yet underutilized, driver across three distinct avenues. Tincher, CCXP emphasizes that while growth is a top priority for most B2B leaders, their definition of growth often centers on expanding relationships with existing clients rather than solely acquiring new ones. He then breaks down how CX contributes to this goal in ways that are frequently overlooked.
Understanding the Three Tiers of CX-Driven Growth
Tincher, CCXP outlines three primary ways customer experience can foster growth within existing accounts, differentiating them by their potential impact and the personas involved. He begins by describing the most common, yet often least impactful, method: increasing the volume of existing purchases.
“The first is buying more of what they already buy from you. If your customer has three suppliers for a product, you’re fighting to take a bigger slice. Customer experience plays a role here — when you build confidence through consistent delivery and reliability, procurement consolidates a higher percentage of purchases your way.”
According to Tincher, CCXP, this first path involves influencing procurement departments by demonstrating operational credibility and reliability. While CX plays a role in building this confidence, the decision-maker is primarily focused on supply chain risk and operational efficiency, not necessarily on exploring new product avenues.
Expanding Product Offerings Through Trust
The second avenue Tincher, CCXP identifies is selling more diverse products to the same customer. This stage involves a shift in focus towards different decision-makers and leverages the trust built through positive experiences. He introduces the concept of a “plus one brand,” citing an example from Legrand where improved customer experience led clients to expand their purchases from one brand to multiple brands within the company’s portfolio.
“This is where the experience shifts to an entirely different persona. My friend Laurie Englert at Legrand introduced me to a metric they call the ‘plus one brand.’ Legrand’s AV division sells multiple brands — TV mounts under Chief, projector screens under Da-Lite, camera solutions, and more. What they found is that when the customer experience improves, customers expand from one brand to two, then to three.”
As Jim Tincher, CCXP explains, this strategy hinges on the customer believing the company can deliver value in new product categories. This trust-based expansion moves beyond procurement conversations and involves engaging with individuals who are looking to innovate and diversify their own offerings.
The Pinnacle Opportunity: Co-Creating New Products
The most significant growth opportunity, Tincher, CCXP argues, lies in the development of entirely new products, often initiated by the customer themselves. This signifies a deep, trust-based relationship where the client proactively seeks the company’s expertise for novel challenges.
“This is when your customer picks up the phone and says, ‘I don’t know if you do this, but…’ When they say that, you’ve won. It means you’ve built such a strong relationship that they’re calling you first with a new opportunity — before they even know if you can help.”
Tincher, CCXP illustrates this point with an example from his book “Do B2B Better,” referencing Dow’s success in generating revenue from new-to-the-world innovations. He notes that customers who describe their experience with Dow as “enjoyable” are more likely to co-create new products. These new products, as Tincher, CCXP points out, typically carry higher profit margins and are more resistant to competitive pressures due to the co-creation aspect.
Strategic Focus for Sustainable Growth
Concluding his analysis, Jim Tincher, CCXP observes that many businesses mistakenly focus their efforts on the first, most challenging path of increasing volume through procurement. He advocates for prioritizing the creation of exceptional customer experiences that naturally lead customers to bring their future challenges and opportunities to the company first.
“The irony is that most manufacturers focus almost all their energy on that first bucket — winning more volume through procurement. That’s the hardest path to growth. The easiest? Build an experience so good that your customers bring you their next problem before anyone else even gets a chance.”
In Tincher, CCXP’s view, cultivating deep, trust-based relationships through superior customer experience is the most effective and sustainable strategy for achieving significant B2B growth.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Jim Tincher, CCXP on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on March 12, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →