Account based sales is focusing on a focused number of target organizations. I wrote a few years ago that account based sales was a new idea, that was really an old idea. Back in my early sales days at Lexmark Canada we called this enterprise sales. Account based sales works if there are a finite number of organizations that are the best fit, in some cases, they could be the only real fit based on your solution and the costs/benefits. Here are some tips for organizations that are using an account based sales strategy.
Use a CRM: A “Customer Relationship Management” system is a must for modern sales organizations. This is especially true for organizations pursuing an account based sales strategy. These organizations can often be large and may have multiple decision makers and influencers.Your organization may also have multiple customer facing contacts that may interact with your target account. Keeping track of information collected and future plans is a must. The CRM can be used as the central tool for reviews on progress with these target accounts.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a key account based sales tool. It can be used to discover connections into the target organization. One of the best things is to look for hidden connections. This is where you may have a 1st connection that has a 1st connection with a target contact. This is of course a 2nd connection on LinkedIn. Your first connection could help by making an introduction or providing some background on the prospect. Worst case you can reach out to the target contact and reference the number of common connections.
Leverage the Team: There may be team members that are not tasked with sales directly. You should leverage the team whenever possible. They could help with a LinkedIn strategy. They may also be attending conferences or in industry groups with target account employees. It is important that employees know the organizations that are part of your account based strategy so they can be actively supporting it.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator: LinkedIn Sales Navigator can take the work that is done within LinkedIn to the next level. It is very helpful when looking for decision makers and influencers. You can search and use a number of filters including, but not limited to, company, geography, title, role, former company, and even key words in their LinkedIn bio.You can create email or LinkedIn campaigns out of the information you find. Where do they get information: You can use an outbound sale effort as a key component of your account based sales work. Don’t forget about the marketing component. You can create content specifically
Where Do They Get Information: You can use an outbound sale effort as a key component of your account based sales work. Don’t forget about the marketing component. You can create content specifically targeting them, determine what trade shows they attend, and join where they hang out digitally. Look for opportunities to engage with them.I
f you would like to know more about account base sales and how VA Partners can help you with your efforts connect with me.
