Imagine you’re at your desk one innocent Wednesday afternoon, minding your own business. Your boss comes in (or calls you) and says, “Sandra’s leaving next week, we need you to take over half her accounts starting today. I know you’ll be great. Good luck!” 

Deep breaths everyone. Don’t panic. This is a huge opportunity. Sandra’s a top sales professional at your company, she’s got some great accounts. You’re being handed a golden ticket...if you can only figure out how to cash it in.

We’ve already discussed the mistakes most sales reps make when it comes to account planning. So, you're definitely going to avoid the major pitfalls. You’ve got account planning scheduled in your calendar and you’re ready to rock and roll. 

Where to begin?

But where to actually begin? At the beginning of course! For me, that means research. You may be familiar with my love for research from our previous Avatar blog series. So hopefully, you’re already aware of how important this research phase is. Getting all your metaphorical ducks in a row requires time, concentration, and yes, at least a few hours of dedicated research on your new account.

In order to avoid stress, stay organized, and craft messaging appropriately for different personas (or avatars!), you need a map to get started. Where can you find the information you need quickly? And what information do you need anyway? 

To get started, I need contact, emails, and phone numbers. And I need them for the right people. I’ve got to know who’s in charge of what and what their priorities are -- again, this continues to tie in with our Avatar concept, but now it’s specific to an account, not theoretical. 

How do I find this data?

Luckily, I know where to find this data and how to formulate it into an effective account plan for your team. Today, I’m going to share my top five (plus a BONUS six!) sources for researching accounts. Next time, we’ll translate this data into an account plan. 

Let’s dive in.

1. Account Notes. If you’re not starting completely from scratch but taking over a previous rep’s accounts, this is your starting point. Find everything you can from the previous rep. Schedule a meeting with them to discuss the account and note any relevant data. Locate closing data from previous deals this client has made with your company. Track down old contracts they’ve signed and any relevant paperwork you can get your hands on. No previous deals? That’s ok. Look for similar sized clients your company has and pull data from those accounts. This will be a great place to start when putting together deals for a new client. 

2. CRM System/Salesforce. After trudging through all of the previous rep’s notes, you’ll want to comb through your company’s CRM system (usually Salesforce). Save everything you can find to a research folder. Flag important contacts and note their information. 

3. Zoom Info. Still don’t have everything you need? Perhaps you see holes in the contact information from your CRM. Never fear, ZoomInfo is here! Zoom Info is a B2B database full of company contacts and intelligence. It’s the holy grail for sales reps. 

4. LinkedIn (with Sales Navigator). Similar to Zoom Info, LinkedIn with Sales Navigator will get you inside information for almost every company you can think of. Having access to both ZoomInfo AND LinkedIn Sales Navigator is an extra bonus since they’re updated at different rates. You can compare information and have back up contact info in case one is out of date. 

5. Warm Introductions. One of the best ways to get in the door with a new client is a warm intro. Whether this is an official handing off of the client to you from the previous rep or an email introduction by a friend of yours who works at their company, a warm intro is a great way to break the ice!

6. CONVERSATIONS! And here’s the bonus sixth tool I mentioned above. There’s nothing better for gaining valuable information than actual conversations with the client. Communicating effectively and clearly is an undervalued tool during the research phase. Don’t allow yourself to get too stuck in online research and data gathering if you have direct access to the client. The above tools are helpful, absolutely, but never forget who you’re serving! 

But don’t just take my word for it. Not only do I use these tools regularly as a sales rep for Google, but my buddy Omar at Amazon and Drew at RedHat recommend them as well. Only the best for you my blog friends!

No budget? No excuses!

Often, access to the tools above can be an obstacle. Your company might not have a membership to ZoomInfo and your budget is tight these days. Don’t let this hold you back. While most large companies will spring for a Zoom Info and LinkedIn Sales Navigator membership, if your company doesn’t, that’s no excuse! Reach out to your friends at other companies, ask for help. 

Let’s be honest, you borrow your buddy’s HBO Max password, you should do it for this too. Whether your company subscribes to it or not, figure out a way to use your network and get what you need. I haven’t always worked at a big company like Google and Cisco, when I worked for smaller companies I leveraged my network to get what I needed. You can too!

Caveat Venditor: Let the Seller Beware

More than anything, this post is a testament to my own evolving process. Recently, I saw a couple of big deals fall through and found myself behind schedule to hit my numbers. I freaked the hell out y’all. I wasn’t used to deals falling through at my previous position at Cisco. I just relied on what worked in the past coupled with my natural charisma. Losing deals? This is new territory for me. Luckily, it made me look at my sales pipeline and check in with the systems I was using. I needed to adjust, gather more data, plan better for my accounts, and avoid being stressed out every weekend. Reworking my systems and prioritizing account planning is now a key foundational component to my process. I’m way less stressed -- and I want you to be too. 

So, don’t be like me! Seller beware that relying on charisma will eventually run dry. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worse.

Join the Elite

The honest truth is that most sales reps don’t devote time to account planning. At least not like they should. Seriously, if you have 12-15 detailed account plans laid out (and dated before this blog post released) I’ll give you $100. It’s a serious blind spot that’s so easy to fix. Just a few hours a week and some top-notch research techniques will get you most of the way there. Next time, we’ll do the “Account Planning 2-Step”, where I’ll demonstrate how to translate your research from random data points into a fully fledged account plan for your team. 

Every new blog series at This Sales Life includes a juicy new freebie that’s only available for a LIMITED TIME! To accompany our new account planning blog series, we’ve created This Sales Life’s Exclusive Account Planning Template. (Cue fanfare!!!) 

Join This Sales Life’s email list and receive your account planning template TODAY! 

This free template will set you up for sales success by providing you with not only a spectacular example, but a clean sheet for you to implement it on your own time. 

If you’re enjoying our deep dive into account planning, make sure you snag this free resource so you can integrate the practice into your sales routine. It’s one thing to read about how account planning can help you close more deals and increase your commission, but it’s another to put this knowledge into action. Don’t leave this advice on the blog, take it home to make it work for you! 

Join the email list and get access to This Sales Life’s FREE Account Planning Template NOW. 

Keywords

Communication | Sales | Frameworks | Account Planning | Sales Professional | Sales Skills | Organization | Sales Habits | Sales Prospecting | Prospecting Tools | How Do I Account Plan