Account-Based Selling

MBA schools get one thing right. Frameworks. Consultants swear by them. And here's what most CSMs miss: Your job? It's consulting in disguise. Every customer meeting. Every QBR. Every escalation. You're solving problems. But where do you start? That's where frameworks come in. Your secret weapon. Your north star. Your problem-solving toolkit. Let me break down the top 10 that'll transform your CS game in 2025: 1. MECE Not just for consultants anymore. Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive. Perfect for segmenting your customers. Enterprise vs. Mid-market vs. SMB. No customer falls through the cracks. Every account has a home. 2. SWOT Your QBR's best friend. Analyze each account's: Strengths (feature adoption) Weaknesses (unused modules) Opportunities (upsell potential) Threats (competitor presence) Make every review strategic. 3. PESTLE Because your enterprise customers are complex. Political (stakeholder mapping) Economic (budget cycles) Social (team dynamics) Technical (integration needs) Legal (compliance requirements) Environmental (remote work impact) Miss one? Risk renewal. 4. 5 Whys Low product adoption? Ask why. Poor engagement? Ask why. High churn risk? Keep asking why. Root cause analysis saves accounts. 5. BCG Matrix Your portfolio management tool: Stars: Growth accounts Cash Cows: Stable enterprises Question Marks: New logos Dogs: Churn risks Prioritize your time accordingly. 6. Porter's Five Forces Not just for market analysis. Use it for customer health: User adoption strength Executive buy-in Alternative solutions Integration stickiness Budget competition The complete health score. 7. OKR Because "increase retention" isn't enough. Objective: 95% renewal rate Key Results: - 100% QBR completion - 90% feature adoption - 48hr response time 8. RACI Map your customer's journey: Who's Responsible for success? Who's Accountable for renewal? Who needs to be Consulted? Who stays Informed? Clear ownership = Clear success 9. SMART Goals Make every success plan count: Specific feature adoption targets Measurable usage metrics Achievable timelines Relevant to business goals Time-bound implementation 10. 3Cs Customer (their needs) Company (your solution) Competition (their alternatives) The triangle of customer retention. Here's what most CSMs miss: Frameworks aren't rigid rules. They're power tools. For discovering value. For driving adoption. For ensuring renewal. Master these. Apply them to your accounts. Watch your renewal rates soar. Because great CSMs? They're framework ninjas. ------------------ ▶️ Want to see more content like this and also connect with other CS & SaaS enthusiasts? You should join Tidbits. We do short round-ups a few times a week to help you learn what it takes to be a top-notch customer success professional. Join 1999+ community members! 💥 [link in the comments section]

Client: "We need to focus our ABM on the big names in the industry. You know, the Fortune 500 types." Me: "So, what makes them a good fit for your business?" Client: "Well, they're big and have big budgets." Me: "Okay, but do they need what you offer? Are they a good fit for your ideal customer profile?" Client: "Hmm, I'm not sure... We haven't looked at it that way." Me: "And what about potential value? Will those big names bring in the most revenue? Or are there smaller, faster growing companies with more potential?" Client: "That's a good point. We haven't considered that." Me: "And strategically, does it make sense to go after those giants? Or are there smaller companies that align better with your long term goals?" Client: "Hmm, I see what you mean." Me: "Let me put it another way: Have you ever seen a small company achieve amazing results with a product like yours?" Client: Thinking.. "Actually, yes! There's that one company..." Me: "Exactly. Account selection in #ABM isn't just about chasing big names. It's about finding the best fit for your business, potential value and strategic alignment." Client: "Tell me more..." Me: "Don't get me wrong, big accounts can be great. But those smaller accounts can sometimes bring surprising value and become your biggest wins." Client: "This is making me rethink our entire strategy." Me: "That's the idea. ABM is about finding the accounts that will benefit from your solution and align with your long-term goals." Client: "So, how do we find those accounts with potential?" Me: "Dig deeper. Look beyond size and revenue. Consider their needs, growth potential and their strategic fit. Sometimes, the hidden finds are the most valuable." Client: "This is eye opening. I'm excited to explore this further." Me: "Great. Think over quality over quantity." #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #marketingstrategy

𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗧𝗠 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 $𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗸+ 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀. The rules have changed—are you ready? It used to be exclusive—reserved for those massive, high-value accounts. Why? Because it was too manual, too expensive, and too hard to scale. But today, the game is different. With account data becoming more accessible (almost a commodity now) and AI tools automating deep account research, we can shift our focus. 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗥𝗠. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 *𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆* 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁-𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁—𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵. Sounds exciting, right? But let’s not sugarcoat it: pivoting to ABM is brutal. There are no real playbooks, and tactical resources are painfully scarce. But when we did, the results were jaw-dropping: → $350k in pipeline in just 90 days. → $7 in pipeline generated for every $1 spent. We are doubling down now—and shared the guide Here’s our ABM checklist: 1. Define your ABM goals & leading metrics. 2. Choose a level of personalization: 1:1, 1:few, 1:many. 3. Set up campaigns: account stages, scoring, and duration. 4. Select channels (LinkedIn was our starting point). 5. Build your target list: accounts, personas, etc. 6. Prep content, messaging, and ad formats. 7. Approve budget & resources. 8. Onboard tools/vendors to handle each ABM element. 9. Set up dashboards to track performance. Our unbundled tech stack? ~$1k/month across 8 tools: → HubSpot, Clay, BuiltWith, Apollo.io for list building. → Factors for ad pilot → ZenABM/Fibbler for intent recognition → Smartlead for prospecting. ABM isn’t easy, but the rules have changed. With the right tools, strategies, and mindset, it’s no longer just for the $100k+ deals. What’s stopping you from making the shift? #abm #marketing #gtm #saas

It’s time to stop thinking like it’s 2005. Correlation may flatter your GTM story, but only causation proves impact. More than 80% of companies missed their sales forecast in at least one quarter over the last two years (Gong, 2024). In H1 2024, 49% of companies missed their revenue goals (GTM Partners Benchmark Report, 2024). At the same time, executives keep putting faith in attribution models that only tell a sliver of the story. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺: too often, data is interpreted in ways that confirm existing assumptions rather than test them. Harvard Business Review found that sales leaders are frequently blindsided by overinflated forecasts driven by “all-too-human behavior” (Harvard Business Review, 2019). GTM Partners research shows that poor data quality can cost companies up to 25% of annual revenue, yet 60% don’t even measure these costs. That’s value leakage every CFO cares about. It’s time to fix this. Here are 5 ways to make GTM decisions actually data-driven: 1. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀: Harvard Business Review notes that “consistently accurate sales forecasts are rare because many companies fail to align their sales and marketing departments.” Assume your campaign 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 work—then try to prove yourself wrong.     2. 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀: Compare your marketing results to a control group to see the actual lift your efforts create. MIT Sloan warns that confirmation bias leads us to “interpret ambiguous facts in light of preexisting attitudes.” Stop crediting natural growth to your LinkedIn ads.     3. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: MIT Sloan recommends bringing together “different perspectives on the same issue” because organizational biases cloud interpretation. Create space for contrarians—the risks of blind spots are too expensive to ignore.     4. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: Research shows the average B2B buyer has ~31 touchpoints with a brand before deciding (Dreamdata, 2024). Your last-touch attribution is missing most of the story.     5. 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Record in advance your testing methodology and success criteria. This prevents “analysis after the fact” bias and ensures accountability when results don’t fit expectations. 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: If your data never challenges you, it’s not science; it’s storytelling. The companies that break through are the ones willing to let the data argue back. What’s the most obvious confirmation bias you’ve seen in GTM? #GTM #MarketingLeadership #causalinference  

Here's a breakdown of what an Account-Based Sales model looks like. Designed to drive up win % while landing logos at a higher ACV $ upfront. The big idea: every deal gets a tailored set of account-specific docs, guiding a customer's buying process from problem → outcome. _____ → STAGES & FRAMEWORKS: - BDR/AE's collab on a research-backed POV + draft account plan ↓ - Which drives tailored outreach to engage buying teams execs early ↓ - Buying group collabs on a problem statement, mapped to the priority ↓ - SE's get a pre-demo brief, with a storyline scripted around this ↓ - AE's customer inputs above into a full biz case with target outcomes ↓ - Sales leaders get a written deal brief to spot gaps in < 60 seconds ↓ - Go-live plan shows a path from commercials to customer outcome ↓ - CS gets a handoff doc to guide transition post-sales ↓ - AM's get a written case for expansion to drive upsells Here, you're capturing each customer’s journey in a set of “living” docs that evolve and flow into each other: POV ↓ Account Plan ↓ Demo Brief ↓ Business Case ↓ Leader's Deal Brief ↓ Mutual Success Plan ↓ CS Handoff Doc 100% tailored for each account. Grab a set of editable frameworks for these here: https://lnkd.in/gG3XRbT2 ______ → PRINCIPLES: Written docs are the “container” your process lives in, because: (1) Content = context. Think of it like those Russian nesting dolls — each doc has context from the last doc nested inside the next one. e.g. POV drives a problem statement, that sits in the full biz case, which is context for a go-live plan, etc. (2) Content is evidence. It’s concrete, not abstract: - Less, "It was a good meeting, they're interested." - More, "Here are redlines adding data to our problem statement." It’s how we see where, exactly, a customer is in the buying journey. While making it visible to everyone. (3) Content is influence. It's in the room when you can't be. Scripting internal convo's happening about you, without you. ______ → EXECUTION: This isn't just for key accounts. It scales downmarket, too. It's why Fluint's AI is built around the first "living doc" that writes, learns, and redlines itself inside every deal  (see it here: fluint.io ) Letting you treat every account, like a key account.

Most companies are wasting money on shallow execution with account based marketing. 87% of marketers say ABM outperforms other initiatives, yet many struggle to generate meaningful ROI. Here's why from what I've seen: 1. Pseudo-Personalization Theatre "Hello {firstname}" and mentioning company names in ads isn't personalization - it's lazy marketing dressed up as ABM. Real personalization means understanding: • Account-specific challenges • Internal stakeholder dynamics • Industry-specific context 2. Fear of Going Narrow Executives get nervous about targeting a limited set of accounts. "How can we grow market share with such a small focus?" But you can't be everything to everyone. The companies seeing 5X+ ROI from ABM are the ones willing to go deep with fewer accounts rather than shallow with many. 3. The Technology Trap I saw a recent 70M ARR company investing heavily in ABM tech, but had: • Only 4 marketing team members • Limited content production capability • Minimal distribution budget They bought a Ferrari without budgeting for fuel. Companies chronically under-invest in three critical areas: 1. Brand Building & Demand Gen: Without awareness, your personalized outreach falls flat 2. Account Research: Generic messaging masquerading as "targeted" 3. Sales-Marketing Alignment: Disjointed experiences between channels ABM isn't failing. Poor execution of ABM is failing. p.s. I go deeper on B2B SaaS marketing in my newsletter. Link on profile.

Why B2B companies lose big clients (and how to fix it) 3 Questions with Shawn Chan 1️⃣ What’s a surprisingly effective strategy you’ve used recently? Account-Based Marketing (ABM). Here’s the playbook: ✅ Deep research – Go beyond the usual LinkedIn stalking. Dive into annual reports, press releases, and earnings calls. Find out what keeps stakeholders up at night. ✅ Multi-stakeholder engagement – Don’t just talk to the decision-maker. The CFO, CIO, CMO, and Head of E-Commerce all have different priorities. You need to understand them all. ✅ Personalized interactions – Use a centralized database (CDP/CRM) to track insights and tailor outreach. No more generic messaging. The results? ✅ Higher engagement rates. ✅ Shorter sales cycles. ✅ Bigger deals closed. ABM works when you stop selling and start solving. 2️⃣ What’s a project that didn’t go as planned, and what did you learn? Losing a key enterprise client in the Philippines. The mistake? ❌ We focused too much on features. The client cared about AI-driven automation, not just a better dashboard. ❌ We ignored the CFO’s influence. Our competitor positioned a lower-cost solution, and we weren’t in the conversation early enough. The fix? ✅ Expand stakeholder engagement – Don’t rely on a single champion. ✅ Build relationships across finance, IT, and operations. ✅ Shift to value-based selling – Highlight business impact, not just features. ✅ Start renewal discussions early – Don’t wait until contracts are up. Stay ahead of procurement. Losing the deal hurt. But it forced us to refine our retention strategy. And that made all the difference. 3️⃣ What key lesson have you learned from a peer or influencer? From Piyush Goel, I learned the power of leading with intent. His approach to leadership? ✅ Understand individual aspirations – Every team member has different motivations. He took the time to figure them out. ✅ Prioritize mentorship and coaching – Regular 1:1s weren’t just status updates. They were opportunities to help people grow. ✅ Follow up relentlessly – He didn’t just offer advice and move on. He made sure you executed. Beyond work, he emphasized personal development. He recommended books like Atomic Habits and advocated continuous improvement. Lesson learned: Great leaders don’t just manage. They invest in people. And that investment always pays off.

Dear Marketing - You can't give everyone the VIP treatment. It doesn't matter how "scalable" or "AI-first" your strategy has become. It's a trap many marketers fall into (or dive into depending on your mood), and it greatly affects ABM strategy. "Let's give everyone a highly-personalized marketing HUG." It's so important to structure all marketing efforts (ABM mainly) on the right accounts. Priorization is everything. I'll type it again... prioritization is everything! HockeyStack has been one of my main resources recently to up-level my understanding of how to THINK about prioritization in a meaningful way. Because it may seem easy, but it is damn hard. Spewing “let’s focus on the best-fit accounts” is one thing, but actually aligning sales and marketing on which accounts matter, why they matter, and how to engage them is where things get damn messy. The best teams I've come across have built a scoring framework to help build a foundation around the gut feel. They assign scores based on: Fit – How well does the account match your ICP? Intent – Are they actively researching solutions like yours? Engagement – Are they interacting with your content, attending events, or engaging with sales? "Kyle, c'mon. We were talking about this in 2018." "Well, fictional marketing leader reading this post. We are still lost and haven't advanced from spray and pray. I'm sorry." This is OLD NEWS but it still amazes me how many marketers do not take this approach to building clear account tiers: High-score accounts get custom content, executive involvement, and deep sales engagement. Mid-score accounts get automated nurtures and light-touch outreach. Low-score accounts? They wait until they show stronger intent. Scoring models and frameworks are important, but the alignment between GTM leadership is even more important. If sales is chasing one set of accounts while marketing invests in anything, y'all are screwed. And even MORE importantly, the best teams constantly adjust because if you do it correctly, the tiers will change based on actions. ABM isn’t about reaching more accounts. It’s about reaching the right ones at the right time.

When negotiating, do you think the big wins happen at the table? They don't! The real magic happens before the first word is spoken. Success in 80% of negotiations is due to preparation. It's taking small steps to control the process, foresee challenges, and set small goals. I coached a procurement manager stuck in a deadlock with a supplier. Both sides had drawn firm lines: • The supplier demanded upfront payments. • The procurement team refused. • They feared cash flow issues. For weeks, the talk had gone in circles. It made no progress. When I stepped in, I asked one question: “𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙?” The team realized the supplier's main concern wasn't money. It was to reduce delivery risks. By focusing on interests, not positions, we found a solution: 𝗔 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝗽𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗽𝗹𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀. The result? The deal closed in two days, with terms that worked for both sides. That negotiation taught me this: →  Preparation isn't just logical. → It's also strategic and emotional. I'm happy to share here how I prepare for a negotiation: 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲. • Be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. • No vague goals like “get the best deal,” aim for concrete outcomes: → Add a long-term partnership clause → Reduce delivery timelines by 10% → Secure flexible payment terms 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. • Ask, why does the other side want this? • When you negotiate based on interests, you create options that meet both parties’ needs. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 (𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗢𝘀) • Successful comes with always having options ready. For example: → Offer A: A 5% discount for upfront payments. → Offer B: Standard payment terms and extended service coverage. If you present choices, you reduce deadlock and keep control of the conversation. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰—𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. • Practice self-awareness to stay composed under pressure. • Show empathy to build trust. • Use "Feel, Felt, Found" on objections, and it'll guide decisions. Negotiation is like a dance. Both sides need to move in sync, adjusting their steps as they go, to create a harmonious outcome. And the best dances are choreographed long before the music starts. So, what’s been your biggest negotiation breakthrough? Have you ever unlocked a deal by shifting focus from demands to solutions? Found success by preparing better than your counterpart? Drop your story in the comments—I’d love to hear it. Or DM me if this resonates with a challenge you’re navigating. Let’s talk about what works.

Teams who take a “boil the ocean” approach to outbound will fail. Here’s how to fix it and build sequences that actually drive results: Step 1: Focus your team on accounts most likely to buy now, invest at a premium, and become long-term customers or referral sources. This means moving beyond “anyone who fits the ICP” and zeroing in on high-priority targets. Step 2: Create deeper, more meaningful segments from that refined group. Traditional segments are great for organizing territories but fall short for crafting sequences that resonate. Instead, you need segmentation that helps your team speak the language of specific sub-groups. Use multiple layers of data—firmographics, intent signals, and contact-level insights—to break your TAM into smaller, actionable groups. Step 3: Launch micro-campaigns that target those precise segments with messaging designed to feel tailor-made. When you take this approach, personalization becomes scalable because it’s rooted in segmentation. Your reps don’t waste time on one-off customization, and your messaging feels 99% relevant to the prospect. I've been teaching this process as #ValueBasedSegmentation for the better part of a decade. It’s the key to building sequences that drive higher CTRs, replies, and engagement without tedious manual effort. ➡️ With this approach, you’ll: - Improve email performance - Write copy that prospects actually care about - Give your team a clear roadmap for focused outbound 📌 How are you helping your team build relevance into their outbound sequences?