Terms

Account Mapping

Account mapping is the process of visually charting a target company's organizational structure, key stakeholders, and their internal relationships. Unlike a standard org chart, it captures both formal hierarchies and informal lines of influence to reveal how decisions are actually made. This detailed overview allows sales teams to identify crucial players, understand their roles and motivations, and develop a more strategic and personalized approach to engagement.

Benefits of Account Mapping

Account mapping provides a clear roadmap to navigating complex organizations, turning cold outreach into warm conversations. By understanding the key players and their influence, sales teams can significantly improve their effectiveness and close more deals, leading to a host of strategic advantages.

  • Insight: Gain a deeper understanding of a prospect's internal dynamics and decision-making processes.
  • Personalization: Tailor outreach and pitches to individual stakeholders' specific needs and pain points.
  • Relationships: Identify and connect with key decision-makers and influencers to build stronger partnerships.
  • Resilience: Mitigate the risk of deals stalling by engaging multiple contacts within an account.
  • Collaboration: Align internal teams like sales and marketing with a unified, customer-focused strategy.

Best Practices in Account Mapping

Effective account mapping is more than just creating a one-time chart; it's a continuous strategic process. To maximize its impact, teams should adopt a set of core best practices. These habits ensure maps remain accurate, actionable, and central to the sales strategy.

  • Strategize: Start by defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to focus mapping efforts on high-potential accounts.
  • Collaborate: Involve sales, marketing, and customer service teams to build a comprehensive map with diverse insights.
  • Visualize: Go beyond a basic org chart to map informal relationships and lines of influence within the company.
  • Update: Treat your account map as a living document, continuously refreshing it as roles and relationships evolve.

Account Mapping vs. Account Planning

While often used interchangeably, these two processes serve distinct but complementary strategic functions.

  • Account Mapping is a tactical process of visually charting relationships and key players within a target company. It excels at providing deep insights for personalized engagement but can be time-consuming to maintain. This approach is ideal for complex sales cycles where understanding internal dynamics is critical to success.
  • Account Planning is a broader strategic process for setting goals and creating a roadmap to manage and grow an account. It aligns teams on long-term objectives but can be resource-intensive. It's preferred when developing a comprehensive strategy for high-value enterprise or mid-market accounts.

Tools for Effective Account Mapping

A variety of tools can streamline the account mapping process, transforming raw data into actionable insights. These platforms help sales teams visualize complex organizational structures and manage relationships effectively, ranging from simple diagramming apps to sophisticated data enrichment services.

  • CRMs: Centralize contact information and track all interactions within target accounts.
  • Visualization tools: Create dynamic org charts and relationship maps to illustrate hierarchies and influence.
  • Data platforms: Enrich maps with accurate contact details and organizational data to fill in the gaps.

Challenges in Account Mapping

Account mapping is often hindered by incomplete or outdated data scattered across various platforms. Keeping maps current is a significant hurdle as organizational roles are constantly in flux. This makes maintaining an accurate view of an account a time-intensive task for sales teams.

Mapping informal hierarchies and influence is another major obstacle. Official org charts rarely reveal the true decision-makers within today's complex buying committees. This limited visibility can lead to misdirected efforts and stalled deals.

Frequently Asked Questions about Account Mapping

How often should I update my account maps?

Account maps are living documents that should be updated quarterly or whenever key contacts change roles. Regular updates ensure your engagement strategy remains relevant and effective as organizations evolve, preventing deals from stalling due to outdated information.

Is account mapping only for large enterprise accounts?

Not at all. While essential for enterprise sales, account mapping is valuable for any complex sale with multiple decision-makers. It helps streamline engagement and shorten sales cycles, regardless of the company's size or industry.

What's the difference between an org chart and an account map?

An org chart shows formal reporting structures. An account map goes deeper by illustrating informal relationships, influence, and the actual decision-making process, providing a more strategic view for sales teams to navigate complex buying committees.

Other terms

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Lead Qualification

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Outbound Sales

Outbound sales is when reps proactively contact potential customers through cold calls or emails to generate leads and build a sales pipeline.

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Customer Relationship Management Systems

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a tool that centralizes customer data to help manage interactions and nurture relationships.

Customer Relationship Management Systems

Data Enrichment

Data enrichment is the process of enhancing raw data by adding missing information from other sources, making it more complete and actionable.

Data Enrichment

Buying Signal

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Event Tracking

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API

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API

CRM Enrichment

CRM enrichment is the process of adding third-party data to your existing customer profiles to make them more complete and accurate.

CRM Enrichment

Demand Generation

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Sales Calls

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Sales Calls

Account-Based Marketing

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a focused B2B strategy where marketing and sales collaborate to target and convert high-value accounts.

Account-Based Marketing

Ideal Customer Profile

An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is a detailed description of the perfect, hypothetical company that would get the most value from your product.

Ideal Customer Profile

Single Page Applications

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Single Page Applications

Bounce Rate

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Account Development Representative

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Social Proof

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Big Data

Learn about big data, including understanding big data characteristics, benefits of leveraging big data, & challenges in managing big data.

Big Data

Customer Acquisition Cost

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Customer Acquisition Cost

Smile and Dial

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Smile and Dial

Technographics

Technographics is data that outlines a company’s technology stack, helping B2B teams identify prospects based on the software and hardware they use.

Technographics

Account Management

Account management is the post-sales practice of building and nurturing long-term relationships with a company's most valuable clients.

Account Management

Data Appending

Data appending is the process of adding new data fields to your existing database records to enrich and complete your information.

Data Appending

Logo Retention

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Logo Retention

Sales Lead

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Sales Lead

Sales Development

Sales development is the process of identifying and qualifying potential customers to create a pipeline of sales-ready leads for closers.

Sales Development

Channel Partner

A channel partner is a company that works with a manufacturer or producer to market and sell their products, software, or services to customers.

Channel Partner

System of Record

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System of Record

Lead Scoring Models

Lead scoring models rank prospects by assigning points for their behaviors and demographics, helping sales teams prioritize their outreach.

Lead Scoring Models

Marketing Mix

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Marketing Mix

Content Rights Management

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Content Rights Management

Sales Methodology

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Sales Methodology

Regression Testing

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Regression Testing

Lead Generation

Lead generation is the process of identifying and cultivating potential customers for a business's products or services.

Lead Generation

Accounts Payable

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Accounts Payable

Video Selling

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Video Selling

Pipeline Coverage

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Pipeline Coverage

Revenue Intelligence

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Contact Discovery

Contact discovery is the process of finding accurate contact details for potential leads, including names, emails, phone numbers, and job titles.

Contact Discovery

White Label

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White Label

Consumer Relationship Management

Consumer Relationship Management (CRM) is a strategy for managing all of a company's relationships and interactions with its customers.

Consumer Relationship Management

B2B Intent Data Providers

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B2B Intent Data Providers

Sales Enablement Content

Sales enablement content refers to the materials and tools that empower your sales team to engage prospects and close deals more efficiently.

Sales Enablement Content

Data Security

Data security protects digital information from unauthorized access, corruption, or theft throughout its entire lifecycle.

Data Security

Direct Sales

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Direct Sales

NoSQL

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NoSQL

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a premium tool helping sales teams find and engage with the right leads and accounts on the LinkedIn network.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Closed Opportunities

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Closed Opportunities

Email Marketing

Email marketing is a digital strategy where businesses send targeted emails to prospects and customers to build relationships and drive sales.

Email Marketing

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based model where affiliates earn a commission for promoting another company’s products or services.

Affiliate Marketing

SAM

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SAM

CRM Integration

CRM integration connects your CRM software with other tools, creating a unified system for all your customer data and business processes.

CRM Integration

Marketing Automation Platform

A marketing automation platform is software that automates marketing actions. It helps manage tasks like email campaigns and lead nurturing.

Marketing Automation Platform

Persona-Based Marketing

Persona-based marketing uses fictional customer profiles, or personas, to create targeted messaging for specific audience segments.

Persona-Based Marketing

Account

An account is a company or organization that you're targeting for sales. It can be a prospective, current, or even a past customer.

Account

Product-Led Growth

Product-Led Growth (PLG) is a business strategy where the product itself drives user acquisition, conversion, and expansion.

Product-Led Growth

Microservices

Microservices is an architecture where apps are built as a collection of small, independent services that communicate with each other over APIs.

Microservices

Marketing Qualified Account

A Marketing Qualified Account (MQA) is a target company that has shown significant engagement, indicating it's ready for the sales team to pursue.

Marketing Qualified Account

Cold Calling

Cold calling is a sales tactic where reps contact potential customers by phone who haven't previously expressed interest in their product or service.

Cold Calling

Sales Funnel

A sales funnel is a model illustrating the customer's journey from initial awareness to the final purchase, narrowing down leads at each stage.

Sales Funnel

Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)

A Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is a prospect who has shown interest based on marketing efforts but isn't yet ready for a sales conversation.

Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)

User-generated Content

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User-generated Content

Firmographic Data

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Firmographic Data

Sales Metrics

Sales metrics are quantifiable data points that track and measure a sales team's performance against specific goals and objectives.

Sales Metrics

Total Addressable Market (TAM)

Total Addressable Market (TAM) represents the maximum revenue a company can earn by selling its product or service in a specific market.

Total Addressable Market (TAM)

Sales Enablement Technology

Sales enablement technology refers to software and tools that equip sales teams with the resources they need to close more deals efficiently.

Sales Enablement Technology

Call for Proposal

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Call for Proposal

Marketing Qualified Opportunity

A Marketing Qualified Opportunity (MQO) is a lead vetted by marketing as a genuine sales opportunity, ready for direct sales follow-up.

Marketing Qualified Opportunity

Messaging Strategy

A messaging strategy defines what your brand says, how it says it, and where it says it to connect effectively with your target audience.

Messaging Strategy

FAB Technique

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FAB Technique

Sales Automation

Sales automation uses software to streamline and automate repetitive, manual sales tasks, freeing up reps to focus on selling.

Sales Automation

Marketing Attribution Model

A marketing attribution model is a framework for assigning credit to the marketing touchpoints that lead a customer to convert.

Marketing Attribution Model

Customer Centricity

Customer centricity is a business approach that puts the customer at the heart of every decision, aiming to build loyalty and long-term value.

Customer Centricity

Buyer

Learn about buyer, including identifying your ideal buyer, understanding buyer's journey, & evaluating buyer decision processes.

Buyer

Customer Relationship Marketing

Customer relationship marketing is a strategy for building lasting connections with customers to foster long-term loyalty and engagement.

Customer Relationship Marketing

Lead Generation Software

Lead generation software helps businesses automate finding and capturing potential customers' contact information to build sales pipelines.

Lead Generation Software

Cold Email

A cold email is an initial outreach sent to a potential customer with whom you've had no prior contact, aiming to introduce your business.

Cold Email

Chatbots

Chatbots are AI-powered programs that simulate human conversation. They interact with users via text or voice, typically for customer support.

Chatbots

Applicant Tracking System

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software application that manages your entire hiring and recruitment process from a single dashboard.

Applicant Tracking System

Demand

Demand is the economic principle describing a consumer's desire and willingness to purchase a specific good or service at a particular price.

Demand

GTM

A go-to-market (GTM) strategy is an action plan that outlines how a company will reach target customers and achieve a competitive advantage.

GTM

Behavioral Analytics

Learn about behavioral analytics, including implementing behavioral analytics successfully, & key metrics in behavioral analytics.

Behavioral Analytics

Retargeting Marketing

Retargeting marketing is a digital advertising strategy that targets users who have previously interacted with your website or brand online.

Retargeting Marketing

Marketo

Marketo is a marketing automation platform used by B2B marketers to manage lead generation, nurturing, email marketing, and analytics.

Marketo

Landing Pages

A landing page is a standalone web page created for a marketing campaign. It’s where a visitor “lands” after clicking an ad or email link.

Landing Pages

Generic Keywords

Generic keywords are broad search terms that lack specific details like brand or location. They attract a wide audience with less specific intent.

Generic Keywords

AI Sales Script Generator

An AI sales script generator is a tool that uses artificial intelligence to create personalized sales scripts for any outreach scenario.

AI Sales Script Generator

Lead Generation Funnel

A lead generation funnel is a systematic process that guides potential customers from initial awareness of your brand to becoming qualified leads.

Lead Generation Funnel

Scrum

Scrum is an agile framework that helps teams structure and manage their work through a set of values, principles, and practices.

Scrum

Headless CMS

A headless CMS is a back-end content repository that delivers content via API to any front-end, decoupling the content from its presentation layer.

Headless CMS

Marketing Operations

Marketing Operations (MOps) is the engine of a marketing team, managing the technology, processes, and people to run campaigns effectively.

Marketing Operations

Warm Outreach

Warm outreach is contacting prospects with whom you have a pre-existing connection, like a mutual contact, making your message more personal and effective.

Warm Outreach

RESTful API

A RESTful API is a web service interface that uses HTTP requests to access and use data, adhering to the constraints of REST architecture.

RESTful API

Lead Enrichment Tools

Lead enrichment tools are platforms that automatically add missing data to your leads, like contact info, firmographics, and buying signals.

Lead Enrichment Tools

Marketing Play

A marketing play is a repeatable tactic used to achieve a specific marketing goal, like generating leads or driving engagement.

Marketing Play

Use Case

A use case is a detailed description of how a user interacts with a system to achieve a specific goal, outlining the steps from start to finish.

Use Case

Demand Generation Framework

A demand generation framework is a strategic process for creating awareness and interest in your product, ultimately driving new business.

Demand Generation Framework

AI Data Enrichment

AI data enrichment uses artificial intelligence to automatically enhance and update raw data, making it more complete, accurate, and valuable.

AI Data Enrichment

Revenue Operations (RevOps)

Revenue Operations (RevOps) is a business function that aligns a company's sales, marketing, and customer service teams to drive predictable revenue.

Revenue Operations (RevOps)

Ramp Up Time

Ramp-up time is the period a new hire takes to get fully up to speed and become a productive member of your go-to-market team.

Ramp Up Time

Objection Handling in Sales

Objection handling in sales is the process of responding to a prospect's concerns about a product or service to move the deal forward.

Objection Handling in Sales