Account-Based Sales
💡TL;DR
ABS is few targets, deep engagement. Run a 5-step loop: target selection, buying-committee mapping, personalized value pitch, multi-threading, measurement. SMBs should narrow to 30-80 accounts and prioritize those showing signals. Share scores and playbooks between sales and marketing; visualize key invites and proposals on a timeline.
Definition
A strategy focusing sales efforts on a defined list of target accounts with multi-threaded outreach, personalized value propositions, and coordinated marketing/CS support. Success depends on accurate account scoring and stakeholder mapping.
🏢What This Means for SMB Teams
Even SMBs with few leads can raise win rates significantly by narrowing targets.
📋Practical Example
A 65-person aerospace components supplier ($38M revenue) targeted 60 airframe manufacturers and MRO shops. They mapped buying committees (engineering, procurement, quality), personalized ROI by weight reduction per part, and required two contacts per account before quoting. Before: win rate 17%, sales cycle 142 days. After 5 months of ABS with multi-threaded outreach and quarterly executive demos, win rate reached 27%, cycle time dropped to 104 days, and average deal size increased from $210k to $260k—adding $2.4M in annualized revenue.
🔧Implementation Steps
- 1
Select 30–80 target accounts and map buying committees with names, roles, and influence.
- 2
Build account dossiers (initiatives, tech stack, financials) and personalize value hypotheses per account.
- 3
Design multi-threaded plays (ops, finance, technical) with channel mix and timing rules.
- 4
Set engagement thresholds (e.g., 3 contacts engaged or 2 meetings) before moving to proposal.
- 5
Run quarterly executive reviews on target list performance and rotate out bottom 10%.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
How many accounts can one rep handle in ABS?
For SMB teams, 15–25 accounts per rep is sustainable for true personalization. Above that, engagement quality and research depth drop quickly.
Do we still run inbound while doing ABS?
Yes. Keep inbound always-on; use ABS to focus outbound resources. Share signals between motions so high-intent inbound accounts get ABS treatment immediately.
⚡How Optifai Uses This
Optifai aggregates signals for target accounts and rolls out multi-thread plays in the Action Feed.
📚References
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Related Terms
Buying Committee Intelligence
Identifying roles, influence, and engagement levels of all stakeholders in a deal, then tailoring outreach and content to each persona.
Outbound Sales
Proactive outreach to prospects who have not raised their hand, using targeted lists, enrichment, signal-based prioritization, and sequenced touches across email, phone, and social.
Inbound Sales
Responding to hand-raising prospects from forms, chat, or product activity with rapid, personalized follow-up. Strong inbound motions use routing, SLA timers, and templated first-touch to secure meetings quickly.
Sales Cadence
A scheduled sequence of touches (email, call, social, SMS) used to engage prospects over time. Modern cadences blend fixed steps with signal-based branching to avoid over-contact and improve timing.
Experience Revenue Action in Practice
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