Identify Companies That Have Announced Expansion Plans

Trigger events are key moments in a company’s journey that indicate they may be more open to exploring new products or services; they are very often the first public buying signal a company will give. By recognizing and acting on these signals, you can engage with prospects at the very moment they become most receptive to sales outreach.

One of the most significant trigger events is when a company announces their expansion plans. Expansion signals growth, opportunity, and often a need for new resources to support that growth. Whether it’s opening a new office, expanding into a new market, or growing their workforce, companies in expansion mode are typically seeking solutions that can help them scale effectively and sustain their momentum. For sales teams, this is the best time to connect as businesses in growth mode often have increased budgets and are eager to invest in tools or services that will enhance their expansion efforts.

In this play, we’ll explore how to capitalize on the “Expansion Plans” trigger to craft timely, relevant outreach. By understanding the importance of this event, you’ll be able to approach prospects at a moment when they are actively preparing for change, giving you a better chance of building meaningful connections and winning new business.

What are trigger events?

Trigger events, sometimes called buying signals or sales triggers, are key milestones or changes in a company’s lifecycle that signal a shift in their priorities or needs. These moments offer valuable insight into when a business may be more receptive to exploring new products or services, making them a vital aspect of prospecting. By spotting these triggers, sales teams can approach potential clients at the right time, when they’re most likely to consider new opportunities.

One powerful trigger event is when a company announces expansion plans. Whether they’re opening new offices, entering new markets, or scaling operations, expansion often means the company is gearing up for significant growth. With growth comes new challenges and needs, which makes it the perfect moment for sales teams to offer solutions that can support their expansion efforts.

Expansion signals not only indicate a business is in growth mode, but they also reveal that the company is likely seeking tools, services, and partnerships that can help them sustain their progress. This is a great opening to position your product or service as a critical part of their expansion strategy, helping them overcome new challenges or optimize operations for their next phase.

The announcement of expansion plans often generates a sense of excitement and forward momentum which you can capitalize on too. Not only is this a great reason to reach out to prospects or existing customers, but by acknowledging their expansion efforts, you also show that you’re paying attention to their growth and are interested in the success of their company. It provides a natural opening for you to reach out to them and offer solutions that align with their new direction, which helps build (or reinforce) a positive connection early on in their scaling journey.

When monitoring for expansion-related triggers, look out for signals such as:

• Announcements of new office locations or facilities

• Expansion into new geographic markets or industries

• Mergers and acquisitions

By keeping a close eye on these expansion signals, you can identify businesses poised for change and tailor your outreach to meet their evolving needs, giving you a better chance of meaningful engagement at a pivotal time.

How to identify companies with expansion plans

We know that identifying companies with expansion plans can give you a competitive edge, allowing you to reach out when they’re actively preparing for growth. There are several ways of doing this, but with Dealfront, you can easily track and automate notifications when your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) companies announce their expansion plans.

Traditionally, keeping tabs on expansion plans was a slow, manual effort. Salespeople would often dig through news sources, industry reports, and press releases for updates, or even contact companies directly to gain insight into their growth plans. This painstaking approach not only took considerable amounts of valuable time but also made it hard to capture timely and accurate information.

Tools like Google Alerts and the rising popularity of networking platforms like LinkedIn have offered some improvement to the process, but they often produce limited and sometimes irrelevant notifications, leaving teams still having to sift through noise to find specific, actionable insights that are relevant to them.

With Dealfront, you can replace these outdated processes with an automated approach, instantly alerting you to any expansion announcements among your ICP. This gives you immediate, targeted insights so you can engage prospects right when they’re primed for growth.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set this up and ensure you never miss an opportunity.

1. Search with Dealfront Target

• Click on ‘Add filter’ and select, ‘News & Trigger Events’. Click on ‘Trigger Events’

  

• Click on ‘Expansion’. You can then choose if you want to target companies that have plans for an ‘Expansion abroad’ and/or if you’re looking for ‘Merger & acquisitions’. You can then filter your results by adding criteria in the ‘Search options’ box on the right where you will see you have the option to select factors such as a publication period or event date. You can also define more search criteria by entering certain information. Finally, click on ‘Show Companies’.

  

• You can also filter for companies that are building or opening new offices and indicating growth and expansion through new property assets. To do this, simply select ‘Construction projects’ and choose the option, ‘New buildings and expansions’. Finally, click on ‘Show Companies’.

  

• Using trigger events is a great way of searching for new potential customers, and results matching with existing customers also indicate potential for cross-/upsell opportunities for existing contacts. Simply use your CRM integration to see at first glance if the company in your list in Target is already a customer of your business. This is a great way of expanding on existing relationships, or providing a reason to get back in touch with a prospect who has gone cold.

• By clicking on the number of trigger events a company in your results has, you can see more details about that particular trigger and can also get the original source:

  

2.  Set up alerts

• For example: Use your ICP list that you created in Target and create an alert in Connect to get notified if the Trigger Event for expansions are flagged.

  

• Here’s how you can setup this alert:

  • Select one list you created in Target in section “Your company lists”

  • Set up an Alert configuration by clicking on “Configure alert”

  • Select “Signals” + “Awards” and your preferred frequency. You’ll get notified via email with the latest updates and be up-to-date with the newest award announcements from your ICP list

• This opens a great opportunity for you to reach out with personalized messaging, and the offer of help or a relevant service.

  

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What to do next?

Once you have defined the companies that have recently announced expansion plans, the next steps are essential for turning these insights into actionable business growth. Here’s a breakdown of what you should do next:

1. Research and qualify leads

• Deep dive into your companies - start by looking into the companies on your list, in detail, and build a strong understanding of their goals, challenges, and key stakeholders. Identify pain points and business challenges to create a targeted approach that demonstrates how your solution addresses their specific needs.

• Prioritize high-intent leads - focus your efforts on the most promising leads based on engagement signals. For example, if a company from your ICP shows interest by visiting your website, it’s a clear indicator they’re open to solutions like yours. Prioritizing leads in this way boosts the relevance and timeliness of your outreach.

2. Develop tailored outreach strategies

• Craft personalized communication - when a company announces their expansion plans, reach out with a congratulatory message. Recognizing their growth is a great way to open the conversation. Ensure your messaging is specifically crafted to address their current needs and challenges, showing how your solution supports their continued success.

• Engage through multiple channels - to maximize visibility and foster engagement, connect with your prospects across a variety of platforms such as email, LinkedIn, phone, and even direct mail. A coordinated, multi-channel approach improves the chance of sparking meaningful conversations.

3. Engage and nurture relationships

• Focus on relationship building - after the first contact, aim to consistently add value in each interaction. Share relevant insights on scaling effectively, offer solutions aligned with their growth goals, and position yourself as a trusted partner committed to supporting their vision.

• Nurture long-term prospects - recognize that not every prospect is ready to buy immediately. Use a nurturing strategy to maintain your presence and relevance throughout their expansion phase, offering valuable content, updates, and regular check-ins to stay top-of-mind and build trust over time.

4. Measure your approach

• Track engagement and refine your approach - monitor how companies respond to your outreach, using this data to evaluate the effectiveness of your approach and adjust as needed. Tracking engagement provides insight into what resonates, allowing you to refine your strategy for even better results.

By following these steps, you’ll turn companies with active expansion plans into loyal customers, driving sustained growth and maximizing the impact of your marketing and sales efforts.

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Crafting the perfect congratulations message

When a company announces expansion plans, it’s an indicator of a key moment in which you can make a meaningful connection by sending a well-timed message of support. The key to successful outreach is making it genuine, personalized, and relevant to their specific growth strategy. Instead of using generic language, take the time to mention the nature of their expansion. Highlighting your awareness of their growth plans shows that you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in supporting their journey.

To stand out from the typical outreach messages, consider going beyond email by sending a physical direct mail piece. We live in a world flooded with digital communication, so a thoughtful card or package delivered to their office can leave a lasting impression.

As always, ensure compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR and US direct marketing laws. Before sending any direct mail, confirm you have the necessary permissions or are using compliant methods for B2B outreach.

Expected results

By implementing the ‘company announces expansion plans’ event trigger and automating notifications for your ICP, you can significantly enhance your sales strategy.

Here’s what you can expect:

• More targeted Marketing and Sales efforts – automated notifications ensure you’re directing your outreach toward companies that are actively preparing for growth, making your efforts more relevant and timely.

• Opportunities for cross-selling and upselling – companies in expansion mode often need additional resources and solutions, presenting an ideal opportunity for cross-selling complementary products or upselling advanced services.

• Perfect timing for outreach – with real-time notifications, you’ll know exactly when to engage, reaching out as companies are gearing up for expansion, when they are most likely to be open to new partnerships and ideas.

By integrating this trigger into your sales process, you can optimize your efforts, delivering timely, personalized, and impactful outreach that connects with prospects when they’re primed for growth.