What you'll learn
By the end of this lesson you can pick the next person to reach in an account, choose between an introduction and a direct approach, write both messages and keep a record that stops two people hearing two different stories from you.
Why one contact is not enough
One contact is a single point of failure. They change role, go on leave, lose a budget argument or simply stop replying. When that happens an account with one thread is back to zero, however good the last call was.
Lesson 3 gave the second and third conversations a job each. This lesson is about getting the people into them. In most large accounts, several people have a say, and you will not meet them all through one door.
Who next? A simple rule
Do not pick the most senior name. Pick the person who answers the question your first contact could not.
Ask your contact, or look at your buying committee map, and finish this sentence: "To go further, we need to hear from someone who [ ]." Common endings:
| The gap | Who fills it |
|---|---|
| Who owns the budget | The person the first contact reports to, or finance |
| How it would run day to day | The person who would use or manage it |
| Whether it fits the technology | IT, security or architecture |
| Whether it meets the rules | Procurement, legal or compliance |
Choose one role, name one person and write down why. If you cannot say why, you are collecting names, not building a thread.
Three ways in
You have three routes. Use them in this order.
- An introduction from your contact. The warmest route and the slowest. It works when your contact has said something positive and does not feel exposed by forwarding you.
- A direct note, with your contact knowing. You tell your contact you will write to their colleague and ask whether they mind. Then you write, and name the first conversation.
- A direct note on its own reason. You approach the new person with a reason that is true for their seat, without mentioning the first conversation. Use this when your contact has gone quiet, or when naming them would put them in an awkward position.
Never approach someone and imply a contact has recommended you if they have not. It is the quickest way to lose both.
Asking for the introduction
Make the request small and easy to say yes to. Offer a note your contact can forward without editing.
Introduction request
Subject: Could you point me to [Name or role]?
Hi [First name],
Thank you for the time last [day]. You said [their problem, in their words] touches [area]. I would like to hear how it looks from [Name or role] before we go further.
Below is a short note you can forward if you are happy to. If you would rather I wrote to them myself, say so and I will.
[Your name]Forwardable note (for your contact to send)
Hi [Name],
[Contact] and I spoke about [the problem, in one line]. I think you see a different side of it from [area]. Would you give [Seller] 20 minutes to compare notes?
[Contact]Keep the forwardable note to four lines. A long one will not be forwarded.
Writing to the new person directly
When you write yourself, open on their seat and one specific point, not on the sale.
Direct note
Subject: [Their area] and [the specific topic]
Hi [First name],
[One sentence that shows you know what their team deals with, from something public or from the work you have done on the account.]
I have been speaking with [role or name, if they know] about [topic]. I am keen to hear how it looks from your side, and whether I have the picture right.
Would a call of 20 minutes next week suit?
[Your name]Do not attach anything and do not ask for a decision. The only aim is a conversation. The Academy multithreading email templates give you more versions for other roles.
Keeping the story consistent
When two people in one company hear from you, they may compare notes. Differences look like carelessness, or worse, like spin.
Keep a one-page thread log for each account.
Thread log
ACCOUNT: [ ] UPDATED: [date]
Person | Role | Said to us | We said to them | Last touch | Next step
[ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [date] | [ ]
What each person cares about, in their words: [ ]
Where they disagree: [ ]
Anything one person told us in confidence: [ ] (never repeat it to another)Before every message to a new person, read the "We said to them" column. Your description of the problem should match, even if the emphasis changes with their seat. The last line matters most. A confidence repeated to a colleague ends the thread.
When the new person does not reply
Do not send the same note again. Check three things first:
- Is it the right seat? Look at your gap table again.
- Is the reason true for them? If it sounds like it was written for someone else, rewrite it.
- Is there another door? A colleague of theirs, or an event they will attend, may reach them better than a second email.
The Academy resource on when one door does not open covers this in full. If nothing works after two honest tries, record that and return to your first contact for advice.
Worked example (illustrative, not a real company)
Quaywise sells warehouse software. Sam Carter has spoken twice with Asha, a regional warehouse manager at one Tier 1 account. Asha has said stock counts are the worry but that a new site opening is a bigger concern for her IT colleague. All names are invented.
| Step | What Sam did | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Gap | Wrote "we need someone who owns the timing of the new site" | Name: Marcus Lee, Head of IT Applications |
| Route | Asked Asha for an introduction with a four-line forwardable note | Asha forwarded it the next day |
| Log | Wrote what Asha said and what Sam told her | Marcus's call opened on the same description of the problem |
| Next | Marcus suggested Dana Whitfield, VP Supply Chain | Thread log updated before any note went to Dana |
Sam never wrote a message that implied more than Asha had said. When Marcus asked who else knew about the project, Sam could answer truthfully.
Key takeaways
- Pick the next person by the gap, not by seniority.
- Try an introduction first, then a direct note. Never imply a recommendation you do not have.
- Keep a thread log so each person hears the same account of the problem.
Exercise (30 minutes)
- Choose one account where you have one live contact. Write the sentence "To go further, we need someone who [ ]". (5 minutes)
- Name the person and the reason you chose them. (5 minutes)
- Write the introduction request and the forwardable note. (10 minutes)
- Start a thread log for the account and fill in what you have so far. (10 minutes)
Why this works on named accounts
Put it into practice
Buying Committee Mapper
Map the people behind a decision by role, stance and influence, and see who to approach next. Runs in your browser.
Multithreading Email Templates for a Second Stakeholder
For sellers with one contact in a large account and nobody else.
You leave with a who-next card, 6 email templates, a thread log and 2 emails written out.
The Forwardable Note: Get Introduced Inside an Account
For sellers with one friendly contact in an account and nobody else.
You leave with the ask, a note your contact can forward in ten seconds and the thank-you that keeps them involved.
Buying Committee Map
For sellers working a large account through a single contact.
You leave with nine roles to look for, a map you can paste into a spreadsheet, a brief for each person and a coverage check that shows where the account is exposed.