Account-Based Prospecting Playbook
A coordinated multi-threading toolkit for outbound teams working named enterprise accounts — account scoring, buying-committee mapping, persona-sequenced messaging, and an internal RACI so AE/SDR/marketing move together instead of colliding.
What's inside
- Account selection & scoring criteria (fit, trigger, whitespace, strategic value)
- Buying Committee Mapping Template (5 roles)
- Multi-thread minimum-contact rule (4-contact threshold)
- Channel sequencing matrix by persona
- Trigger-event tracking sheet
- Internal orchestration RACI (AE/SDR/marketing/exec sponsor)
- 3-week simultaneous multi-persona sequence with sample copy
- Meeting-multiplier play (champion to EB expansion)
- One-page account plan template
For teams targeting a named list of enterprise accounts instead of an open territory. The unit of work is the account, not the contact.
1. Account selection scorecard
Score each candidate account 1–5 on each dimension. Only pursue accounts scoring ≥ 16/25.
| Dimension | 1 (weak) | 5 (strong) |
|---|---|---|
| ICP fit (industry, size, tech stack) | Poor match | Exact match |
| Active trigger event (funding, leadership change, expansion, tech migration) | None known | Confirmed this quarter |
| Whitespace (no competitor entrenched) | Competitor is systemic | Greenfield or displaceable |
| Strategic value (logo, expansion ceiling, reference-ability) | Low | High |
| Reachability (existing thread — alumni, investor, customer overlap) | Cold, no path in | Warm path exists |
2. Buying Committee Map (build one per account)
| Name | Title | Role in deal | Engagement status | Last touch | Next action | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Buyer | Not engaged / Engaged / Meeting booked | |||||
| Champion | ||||||
| Influencer | ||||||
| End User | ||||||
| Blocker/Skeptic |
Rule: an account is not "worked" until you have logged outreach to at least 4 of the 5 roles. Single-thread accounts (1 contact) are the #1 cause of stalled enterprise deals — treat one contact as a lead, not a qualified account.
3. Channel sequencing by persona
| Persona | Primary channel | Message angle | Cadence pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Buyer | Executive email + exec-to-exec LinkedIn | Business outcome, trigger-event tie-in, brief | Slow, high-signal only (2–3 touches/month) |
| Champion | Call + LinkedIn + email | Peer-level, "how are you solving X today" | Standard cadence (2–3 touches/week) |
| Influencer | LinkedIn content engagement + value-add email | Insight, benchmark data, no hard ask | Light touch, nurture pace |
| End User | Email + community/forum where relevant | Practical, workflow-level pain | Light touch |
| Blocker/Skeptic | Indirect — via champion, or neutral value content | De-risk, third-party proof (case study, analyst mention) | Minimal direct outreach |
4. Trigger-event tracking sheet
| Account | Trigger type | Source | Date detected | Owner | Outreach sent? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funding / Leadership change / Expansion / Tech-stack change / Job postings surge |
Set a standing weekly block to check: funding databases, LinkedIn "changed jobs," company press pages, and job boards for the target account list.
5. Internal orchestration RACI
| Activity | AE | SDR | Marketing | Exec Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account selection & scoring | C | R | C | A |
| Buying committee research | C | R | I | I |
| Persona-sequenced outreach execution | C | R | C | I |
| Executive-to-executive outreach | R | I | C | R |
| Account-specific content/ABM ads | I | C | R | I |
| Meeting-to-opportunity handoff | R | C | I | I |
R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed
6. Sample 3-week simultaneous sequence (3 personas, same account, same week)
Week 1
- Champion — Email: "Saw [Company] just [trigger event] — curious how that changes the priority on [process]. Worth 15 min?"
- Influencer — LinkedIn comment/engage on their recent post + connection request, no ask
- Economic Buyer — Nothing yet (earn the right via champion first)
Week 2
- Champion — Call attempt + LinkedIn message
- Influencer — Share a relevant benchmark/insight via LinkedIn DM, still no ask
- Economic Buyer — Executive email referencing the trigger event and a named peer-company outcome, low-pressure ask for 15 minutes
Week 3
- Champion — Video message (see Video Prospecting Script Templates) if no response
- Influencer — Direct but soft ask: "Would this be useful to loop in [Champion] on?"
- Economic Buyer — Breakup/close-the-loop email if no response
7. Meeting-multiplier play
Once the Champion meeting is booked: before the call, ask the champion via email — "Would it be useful to have [Economic Buyer / Influencer] join for 10 minutes of this, or should we keep it just us first?" This converts a single-thread meeting into a multi-thread one without you having to cold-outreach the EB directly.
8. One-page account plan
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Account name | |
| Score (from scorecard) | |
| Trigger event | |
| Buying committee (link to map) | |
| Current thread count | |
| Champion hypothesis | |
| Economic buyer hypothesis | |
| Competitive incumbent (if any) | |
| Target meeting date | |
| Owner(s) |
How to use it
Score and select accounts with the scorecard, build a Buying Committee Map for each one, then run the persona-sequenced 3-week play so at least four stakeholders are in motion simultaneously instead of waiting on one contact to reply.