A step-by-step plan to developing

your ABM strategy

www.prosperohub.com
 How to use the Account Planning Template

You Can Edit Your Own Version in One of Two Ways:

1. Edit this version to fit your needs

2. Go to “File” > “Download As” > “Microsoft Word” to Download as a Word Doc

This template helps you:

Understand your Deliver value Navigate internal Identify and Align and execute
customer’s through right-fit politics and avoid risks, a goal-based
business, goals, solutions to their target key barriers, and strategy for mutual
and motivations. toughest stakeholders to limitations. success.
challenges. drive buy-in.

Please note that this template can be used for account-based sales, account-based
marketing, and/or existing or potential account management, but is best utilised for one
specific account. To use this template for multiple accounts, simply make another copy
and start over from scratch.

Change and customise the verbiage in this template to speak to where you are in your
relationship with each account. Feel free to remove, add, or change each section that
you see fit.

Once you’re ready to begin, delete this page and start filling out your info below.
 Your Company Logo

Account Company Logo

Account Strategy
[Template]
[Account Company Name]

Drafted by:
[Account Manager, Rep, or Project Manager Name]
[Contact Info]
Table of Contents
 SECTION 1

Business Overview

In this section, you’ll include:

• An overview for the account to focus on
• Fast facts about the company
• Information on its history and objectives
• Who it’s targeting, including a buyer persona template, market size and demographics,
location etc.

Fast Facts

• Company Name:
• Company Location:
• Company Website:
• Industry:

• Year Founded:
• Annual Revenue:
• Number of Employees:

• Point of Contact at Company Name:

• Email Address:
• Phone Number:

Company Vision, Mission and Goals

• [Insert a few sentences about the company’s vision, mission, and/or goals.]
 SECTION 1

Business Overview

Company Target Market

Describe company’s target market in a few sentences

• Market size
• Psychographics
• Demographics
• Location

Buyer Persona Template

[Producing a buyer persona is an essential part of your strategy – it provides a focus for your
team, and gives them more insight to who they’re selling to, their challenges and goals. Use our
template below to form your buyer persona for each of your target buyers.]

Here is an example:

Michael Harrington Challenges Goals

Revenue insights Overall business growth

Age: 40+ MD/Owner Channels: Staff alignment Staff development

Departmental insights Revenue generation

Mike is an entrepeneur who started his own business, but the

growth of the business has slowed. He will commit to change

Stats:
if he thinks the solutions he is provided are right for the

success of his business.

22.5% of small businesses fail within the first year

Studies show that middle-aged men start the most successful

Mike is outgoing and time-poor, and understands he isn't an businesses
expert in all fields. While he is the final decision maker, he 23% of business owners wanted to pursue their passion
takes his senior staff's opinions seriously to ensure all 10% did it because the opportunity presented itself
operations have what they need. 59% of entrepeneurs who apply for a loan use it to expand their business

Learn more about buyer personas here.

 SECTION 2

Key Business
Initiatives

Here, you’ll focus on your customer’s value expectations to create opportunities to grow
relationships that are more strategic in nature. These relationships safeguard against competition
while increasing customer loyalty.

Using the foundations from the previous section, fill out the prompts below so you can
understand the priorities of the account. If you’re in direct conversation with people from the
account, ask them these questions so you can better help the company.

Long-Term Priorities

[Insert company’s long-term priorities.]

•
•
•

Key Projects

[Insert company’s key projects and outline how your business can help.]

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

[Insert the metrics that the account is focusing on.]

 SECTION 3

Customer Relationship
Landscape

This section will help you narrow down the best person to speak to at the organisation. We
discussed the point of contact in the first section, but in the event that they are unknown, this
section will guide you towards the best person.

Additionally, as your relationship strengthens and grows with this account, it’s inevitable that more
people from either side of the coin will become involved. Therefore, it’s important to map out all
stakeholders and the development of that relationship over time.

(Ideal) Client Profile

[Identify which job title(s) you’re targeting, how many of those exist in the account you’re planning
for, and what use they have for your product.]

Customer Interaction History

[Briefly summarise or list out bullets on your history with this account. This should include initial
outreach attempts, project status, and lifecycle stage.]

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

[List out the main stakeholders you have or expect to have involved in this relationship from both
your business and your account’s side. Each person represented should have his or her:

• Name
• Role at the Company
• Preferred Contact Method & Info]
 SECTION 4

Customer Products/Services
and Revenue

In this section, focus on building and maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship with the
accounts you want to partner with.

Chances are, your prospects have a laundry list of options, so if you want them to stay with you,
you’ll need to add value to prove you’re not just a vendor.

This section outlines how you can do just that:

Whitespace Analysis

[Illustrate the whitespace you have for helping your account and how you plan on appealing
to that gap.]

Sales Performance

[What is your revenue from this account (projected if the account is the prospect), and how does
each individual product or service you offer contribute to that number?]

Margin Performance

[What is your profit from this account (projected if the account is the prospect), and how does
each individual product or service you offer contribute to that number?]

Annual Revenue: Wins and Loses

[Include actuals or projections for onboarding costs, upsells, downgrades, price increases,
and/or churn rate over time.]
 SECTION 5

Account Competitor
Analysis

Competitors are forever a threat to a business, and if you want to partner closely with your
account, you should keep their competitors in mind.

Based on your research and conversations with representatives from your account, compile a list
of your account’s competitors, as well as comparative strengths and weaknesses.

If your competitor analysis is set to be a big one, you might prefer to create a separate document
to do this. It might look something like this:

BEST BEST FREE

PRICING SUPPORT CONS
FEATURE FOR PLAN

Cross-device E-commerce Starts at Email Slow customer

Competitor 1 Email Testing Publishers $20/month and Chat support

Sophisticated Online Starts at Email and Lack of native

Competitor 2
Automation Media $15/month Phone integrations

Send Time Starts at No self-service

Competitor 3 Optimization
Internet/Saas
$25/month
Email
help section

Email Testing E-commerce Starts at Email and No phone

Competitor 4 Across Devices Publishers $10/month Live Chat support

Online Starts at Email and Lack of native

Competitor 5 SMS Features
Media $20/month Phone integrations
 SECTION 5

Account Competitor
Analysis

And here’s your very own template – start your competitor analysis now!

BEST
BEST FOR PRICING FREE PLAN SUPPORT CONS
FEATURE

Competitor 1

Competitor 2

Competitor 3

Competitor 4

Competitor 5

Competitor 6

Competitor 7

Competitor 8

Competitor 9

Competitor 10
 SECTION 6

Buying Process and

Selling Points

This stage is essential for identifying what stage your prospect is at, and if they are ready to be
sold to. Outline how and why the account you selected should partner with you.

The Buyer’s Journey

[For existing accounts, explain the process of the buyer’s journey – the timeline, the lifecycle
stages, and where the account is now. For prospects, highlight a projected buyer’s journey
and the timeline for how you’ll get the account from stranger to customer.]

Find out more about the buyer’s journey here.

Content & Channels

[Think about what information your buyers consume – specifically pertaining to your industry and
your product – and where they might consume that information.]
 SECTION 6

Buying Process and

Selling Points

Evaluation Criteria

[What factors does/did your account consider what lessons did you learn about your
performance in these categories for future sales?]

Key Decision Criteria

[What factors are the most important for the person or people you sold (or are selling) to? How
did you (or how do you expect to) win with your performance in these criteria?]
 SECTION 7

Relationship Goals and

Strategy

Regardless of what stage you are at with your account, you should have a clear idea of how you
want it to progress – whether that’s acquiring the customer or setting policies in place to upsell or
maintain an existing arrangement.

Current Relationship Status

[What are you to the account currently? (Potential) Vendor, Preferred Supplier, Planning
Partner, Trusted Advisor, etc.]

Core Business Partners

[Are any other accounts, companies, or customers involved in this relationship, and if so, to
what extent?]

Relationship Target

[What relationship status or lifecycle stage do you want this account to achieve, and by when?]

Relationship Progression Strategy

[What process will you plan and execute on to progress your account to your desired stage?]
 SECTION 8

Sales Opportunities, Targets,

and Risks

For this section, you should list out the products/services you can implement to this account to
attain its goals, alongside revenue goals/projections and any risks.

Products & Services

[List the products(s) and service(s) you intend to sell or have sold to this account. Include
each line item’s price point, quantity, and how long each will last for the customer before
renewal/reorder.]

Revenue Goals

[For the time period of your choosing, what are your revenue goals for this account?]

Cross-Sell & Upsell Opportunities

[Outside of previously listed opportunities, what can or will you pitch as a cross-sell or upsell
opportunity as your relationship with the account strengthens over time?]

Risks, Barriers, Limitations, and Operational Restrictions

[What issues lie in the way of selling, cross-selling, or upselling your account on any of the
above-mentioned line items? Address how you will counter them – if possible.]
 SECTION 9

Action Plan

This is where all of the previous research and information you’ve completed for your strategy
combines. Outline what steps your company will take to secure this account’s business for the
long term. Specifically, this section should address the following areas:

Top Five Objectives

[What are the five predominant deliverables and expectations from this initiative. It can be
revenue, a contract length, and order size, a timeline, or anything else you determine to be of
the utmost importance.]

Map Critical Resources

[List the resources available to your team for this project. Examples include your ABM Software,
customer retention manuals, how to sell documentation, communication methods for the
team, the account’s company website, and more.]

Assign Tasks and Key Stakeholders

[Using the DACI framework, outline who is responsible for contributing to this project and
what role each person has. Specifically, highlight who the driver of the project is, any
approvers of specific parts of the project, contributors who handle deliverables, and those
who need to remain informed. There is a DACI framework template attached below.]

Finally, once you’ve created your strategy, you can add the details of it into your Prospect
Ecosystem on HubSpot!
 SECTION 9

Action Plan

Driver Accountable Contributor Informed

Name Name Name

Name
Email Address Email Address Email Address
Email Address
Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility

Name Name Name

Name
Email Address Email Address Email Address
Email Address
Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility

Name Name Name

Name
Email Address Email Address Email Address
Email Address
Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility

Name Name Name

Name
Email Address Email Address Email Address
Email Address
Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility

Business Key Business

Overview Initiatives

Sales
Customer
Opportunities,
Relationship
Target and
Landscape
Risks

ABM
Strategy

Relationship Customer
Goals and Products and
Strategy Revenue

Buying Process Account

and Selling Competitor
Points Analysis
Find and engage with relevant high-value prospects, and provide a
personalised buying experience that treats them like humans, and
retains their business.

Need an account-based strategy that creates more business? We can

create a framework for you to focus towards. Book a meeting with us
today to learn more

How long do you need?

15 mins

Meet with ProsperoHub What time works best?

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