# 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.

Free toolkit for sales leaders. Topic: [Prospecting & Outbound Strategy](https://www.peerlab.ai/library/topic/prospecting-outbound-strategy/). Published by PeerLab in the [Sales Enablement Resource Library](https://www.peerlab.ai/library/). Source: https://www.peerlab.ai/library/account-based-prospecting-playbook/

## 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.

## 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 | LinkedIn | 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) | |