What you'll get
- 6 copy-ready blocks
- Spreadsheet-ready
- 1 table
- 6 min read
- Capacity rule (fill in the brackets)
- Column guide
- Header row (tab-separated, paste into row 1)
- Row numbers (paste into column A, rows 2 to 26)
- When a row changes status
- Five questions, every week
How to use it
- Step 1: Decide how many accounts you can work, with the capacity rule in Part 1.
- Step 2: Paste the header in Part 2 into Google Sheets or Excel and freeze the first row.
- Step 3: Add your accounts, highest fit score first, and fill every column you can.
- Step 4: Leave a cell empty rather than guess. An empty cell is a research task.
- Step 5: Review the list every week with the five questions in Part 4.
A target account list is the short list of companies you have chosen to win, with what you know about each. This template is the sheet to keep it in: 25 rows, one per account, with the columns you need to work the account rather than just store it. Choose the accounts first with the Target Account Selection Scorecard, then bring them here.
Part 1: How many accounts should be on the list?
As many as your team can research and work properly, and no more. Work it out from your own hours, not from the size of your market.
Capacity rule (fill in the brackets)
Hours a week your team can give to named accounts: [A]
Hours a week a Tier 1 account needs: [B]
Hours a week a Tier 2 account needs: [C]
Number of Tier 1 accounts you want: [D]
Hours left for Tier 2: A - (B x D) = [E]
Tier 2 accounts you can carry: E / C = [F]
List size: D + F. If F comes out below zero, cut D.Use your own figures. If you do not yet know how long an account takes, track the first four weeks and redo the sum. Tier 3 accounts sit on a separate, lighter list, so they are not counted here.
Part 2: The 25-row template
Column guide
COLUMN WHAT GOES IN IT
Account Company name, as the company writes it
Website Main domain, so records do not duplicate
Country Where the buying decision is made
Segment Industry or platform group you use
Tier 1, 2 or 3, from your scorecard
Fit score The score from your scorecard
Signal What changed at the company
Signal date When it changed. No date, no signal
Committee mapped Roles identified, e.g. 4 of 6
Roles engaged People who have replied or met you
Owner One named person
Play The approach you are running
Status Researching / In outreach / In conversation / Opportunity / Parked
Next step One action
Next step date When it happens
Notes Anything a colleague would need to pick it upHeader row (tab-separated, paste into row 1)
# Account Website Country Segment Tier Fit score Signal Signal date Committee mapped Roles engaged Owner Play Status Next step Next step date NotesRow numbers (paste into column A, rows 2 to 26)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25Add a data validation drop-down on Status with the five values in the guide, so the list can be filtered.
Part 3: Status rules
When a row changes status
Researching -> In outreach Signal dated, at least three roles mapped
In outreach -> In conversation A two-way exchange about a real need
In conversation -> Opportunity A problem, a budget owner and a next step agreed
Any status -> Parked No signal, or no response after your exit rule
Parked -> Researching A new, dated signalParked is not deleted. Keep the research, so the account starts warm when its next signal comes.
Part 4: The weekly review
Five questions, every week
1. Which rows have no next step date? Give each one, or park it.
2. Which signals are older than [n] weeks? Re-check them.
3. Which accounts have one role engaged? Find the second person.
4. Which rows has nobody touched this week? Ask the owner why.
5. Is anything Parked that has a new signal? Bring it back.Worked example (illustrative, not a real company)
Fernhill Digital, a 40-person Microsoft Dynamics partner, gives named accounts 30 hours a week. Its founder, Priya Nair, assumes a Tier 1 account takes three hours a week and a Tier 2 account one hour. She wants six Tier 1 accounts: 30 minus 18 leaves 12 hours, so 12 Tier 2 accounts. Her list is 18 rows, not the 25 the sheet allows. All names and hours are invented.
| # | Account | Tier | Signal (date) | Committee mapped | Roles engaged | Status | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harbourline Foods | 1 | New CFO announced (Sep 2026) | 4 of 6 | 1 | In outreach | Note to the operations head, Tue |
| 2 | Wrenfield Freight | 1 | Old ERP out of support next year | 3 of 6 | 2 | In conversation | Delivery leads call, Thu |
| 3 | Ashby Retail | 2 | Hiring Dynamics developers for four months | 2 of 5 | 0 | Researching | Map finance and IT |
Five mistakes to avoid
- Starting with 500 rows. Nobody can work them, so nobody does.
- A signal with no date. You cannot tell if it is still true.
- Two owners, or none. One named person per row.
- Counting emails sent. Count roles engaged instead.
- Deleting quiet accounts. Park them and keep the research.
Why this works on named accounts
Common questions
What should a target account list include?
The company, why it fits, what changed there and when, who decides and who you have reached, one owner and the next step with a date. The template has a column for each.
How many accounts should be on a target account list?
As many as your team can work properly. Work it out from your weekly hours and how long each tier takes, using the capacity rule. A small team can often work 30 to 50 accounts well; many start with fewer.
What is the difference between a target account list and a lead list?
A lead list holds people and is used once. A target account list holds companies you have chosen, and each row builds up what you know until the account becomes a client or is parked.
Read next
Related articleTarget Account List Template: How Many Accounts and How to Pick ThemRead →More from the Academy
Target Account Selection Scorecard
For founders and sales leaders who have an ICP on a slide and need a ranked list of named accounts.
You leave with a one-page ICP, an 11-point weighted scorecard and three tiers.
Account Tiering Worksheet (Tier 1, 2, 3)
For teams with a scored account list and no agreement on who gets the most attention.
You leave with tier rules, a capacity sum, a worksheet, a treatment card and one list tiered.
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.
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