6 steps to build a winning account-based selling strategy

You might have seen sellers talking about ABS (short for account-based selling), but do you know what it means? Could it be the perfect go-to-market (GTM) strategy for your team?

From the basics of ABS to ideal use cases, strategies, and tactics, consider this your ultimate guide to targeting B2B accounts!

‍

What is account-based selling?

You might also see account-based selling referred to as account-based marketing (ABM) or account-based sales development (ABSD).

Essentially, account-based selling is a strategic GTM approach that means you focus on targeting and winning business from specific high-value accounts. 

Traditionally, B2B sellers cast a wide net to attract as many prospects as possible (within their target audience, of course) into their top-of-funnel.

ABS means zeroing in on select groups of potential customers within specific accounts. Every step of the sales process is tailored to these target accounts and the specific decision-making personas within them.

It’s easy to see why sellers often turn to ABS when approaching big organizations or complex, high-value deals: ABS demands more time and resources for hyper-personalized approaches that might not be feasible or worthwhile for smaller deals.

‍

Why and when should you consider account-based selling?

We all know that in B2B sales, personalization is key. ABS stands out because it allows sales teams to build stronger, more meaningful relationships with key accounts. 

This not only increases the likelihood of closing deals but also ensures that the sales team’s efforts are concentrated where they matter most. 

ABS is especially effective for teams selling:

• Complex or highly integrated solutions that require cross-departmental collaboration
• Highly customizable solutions that need tuning to the customer company’s needs
• More expensive solutions where buyers want to be assured of good ROI
• To a smaller number of large organizations

Another benefit of account-based selling is that it promotes better coordination between sales and marketing teams, ensuring a consistent and cohesive approach to your accounts. When both teams are aligned, it’s easier to build and sustain a compelling narrative that resonates with buyers and gives them a clear picture of your value.

‍

How to implement an account-based sales strategy

1. Identify your target audience

The first step in an effective ABS strategy - or indeed, any sales strategy! - is identifying your ideal customer profile (ICP). 

To do this, you’ll look for the common characteristics of your most valuable customers - such as company size, industry, location, and revenue potential - and use this to build a profile of the ideal buyer of your solution. 

This approach ensures you’re consistently targeting the best-fit prospects for your solution, and it also means you can refine your strategies over time as you learn what works best when selling to your ICP.

‍

2. Research target accounts

With your ICP fleshed out, the next step is to research and compile a list of target accounts that fit your profile.

Within each account you identify, you’ll also map out the decision-makers and key stakeholders for each company.

‍

3. Create personalized content and messaging

One of the hallmarks of ABS is the creation of personalized content and messaging. Having pinpointed the decision makers in each of their target accounts, sellers can adjust their outreach so they’re always pitching to each individual’s interests.

Of course, marketing should be involved too! The more closely aligned your sales and marketing messaging to your target stakeholders, the more convincing your value proposition will be.

ABS outreach can include everything from customized emails to personalized landing pages, and targeted case studies or custom trial experiences. 

The goal is always to show that you understand the account’s specific issues and that you have the expertise to solve them.

‍

4. Build dedicated account-based selling teams

Many companies opt to create specialized ABS teams that focus on selling to and managing large accounts. 

ABS teams will be made up of sellers, account managers, marketers, and customer success managers with a deep understanding for their target accounts and stakeholder personas.

This especially makes sense for larger sales organizations that are targeting accounts of various sizes. Having separate ABS teams allows reps to focus on their longer sales cycles and relationship-building, leaving other teams free to operate on faster timelines.

‍

5. Monitor your account-based success metrics

Having access to detailed account-based metrics will allow you to see what’s working - and what’s not - in your campaigns. 

It helps to look at metrics across your full sales funnel to measure the success of your customer relationships. That means assessing everything from Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) to win rates, average deal size, Customer Lifetime Value, Churn Rates, and Net Promoter Scores.

‍

6. Turn relationships into more revenue

ABS isn’t just about closing the original deal. Building empathetic connections with each of the stakeholders in your target accounts means you have more opportunities to expand your customer engagement - whether it’s to collect feedback, create case studies around specific use cases, record testimonials, or ask for referrals.

‍

Creating content to support account-based selling

As mentioned above, ABS works best when sales and marketing efforts are aligned to keep target accounts engaged with your brand’s messaging.

Here are some elements that will help you build a coherent and consistent ABS outreach strategy:

‍

Multichannel personalization

One-size-fits-all content won’t cut it, especially in ABS!

It’s crucial that every piece of content you share addresses the specific needs, pain points, and interests of each target account. This could include:

• Customized emails: Use personalized subject lines or nurturing flows to grab stakeholders’ attention.
• Dedicated landing pages: Create landing pages that speak directly to the target account or persona’s challenges and showcase relevant solutions, case studies, and testimonials.
• Tailored case studies or whitepapers: Share success stories from similar companies within the same industry or with similar challenges. Remember to highlight how your solution provided measurable benefits!

‍

Utilizing multi-format content

Different stakeholders prefer different forms of content. 

The best way to maximize your chances of engagement is to diversify, for example:

• Blog posts and articles: Write informative and Make sure these are optimized for SEO to attract relevant traffic, and use thought leader contributions to reinforce your brand’s authority.
• Infographics: Use visual content to simplify complex information and make it more digestible for stakeholders.
• Videos and webinars: Create engaging video content and webinars that offer more in-depth explanations of your products and their benefits. Live Q&A sessions or demos are great for interacting with prospects in real-time.

‍

Reading data and insights

Data-driven content can be incredibly persuasive - prospects love to see the latest benchmarks, trends, and other statistics in their industry. 

If you have the bandwidth to create this kind of content, it will go a long way in boosting your company;s credibility as a thought leader:

• Industry reports and market research: Share reports and insights that provide value to your target accounts in specific segments. 
• Personalized recommendations: Use your data research to offer customized recommendations for each target account, so they feel you’re building a custom solution just for them.

‍

Integrating interactive content

Interactive content makes your target prospects feel engaged and listened to. It’s also allows you to close the feedback loop so you can keep building better buyer experiences:

• Quizzes and calculators: Develop interactive quizzes or ROI calculators to help target accounts evaluate their needs and see how your solutions can meet them.
• Interactive demos and product tours: Provide hands-on experiences with your product through interactive demos and virtual tours tailored to specific use cases.

‍

Maintaining consistent communication

Consistent communication is key to developing trust and credibility with your target accounts. This includes everything like:

• Regular newsletters: Keep your target accounts informed with newsletters that provide valuable insights, updates, and personalized content.
• Follow-up touch points: Whether it’s via phone, email, LinkedIn message, or text - always make sure you follow-up with target accounts! Remember not to be pushy or aggressive - successful ABS hinges on developing trust, understanding, empathy, and playing the long game.

‍

Power your account-based selling with top-quality data

Effective account-based selling means knowing your ICP and individual target accounts inside out - and that’s impossible if you don’t have access to reliable and detailed B2B data.

Better data means better personalization - which means more effective and convincing customer engagement! To see how Amplemarket can help you uncover exclusive account insights and streamline your multichannel outreach,  sign up for a demo today!

‍