Account-based selling
Quick answer
Working the target account, not the individual lead, with a dedicated plan and team per account.
Key takeaways
- A short target list chosen on potential, not accessibility
- A decision map: who signs, who influences, who blocks
- An account plan with objective, message and steps per role
Used when you have few large accounts, multi-stakeholder decisions and long cycles.
In practice
- A short target list chosen on potential, not accessibility
- A decision map: who signs, who influences, who blocks
- An account plan with objective, message and steps per role
What you track
- Active contacts per account (a single contact is high risk)
- Progress against the account plan, not just deal value
Real-world example
A supplier working 30 target accounts raised average active contacts per account from 1.3 to 3.1 in six months, lifting win rate from 18% to 29%.
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Frequently asked
Does it suit every company?+
No. It fits when one account is worth dozens of small customers.
What does it need from the CRM?+
Account records with hierarchy, decision roles, plan and full touch history.
Where CRMconnect fits
Related terms
CLV (customer lifetime value)
Total margin a customer generates across the whole relationship, not just the first order.
SalesMQL and SQL (lead qualification)
An MQL has shown interest; an SQL has been checked and accepted by sales as a real opportunity.
SalesSales cycle
The average time from first qualified interaction to a signed order - the metric that determines how fast commercial effort turns into cash.