The Account-Based Selling Academy

Subject: Two lines for [new person's first name]
 
Hi [Contact],
 
Thanks for today. You mentioned [new person] looks after [specific part].
 
To save you writing anything, the note below is ready to forward. Change whatever you like, or tell me if you'd rather I didn't.
 

Hi [First name],
 
To be open with you, I wrote to [contact] about [topic] and haven't heard back, which may mean it sits elsewhere.
 
From [their function], the question is usually [their concern]. How does [company] handle that today? If someone else owns it, a name is all I need.
 
[Your name]

1. Open the Tier 1 list. For each account, check: news page, LinkedIn company page, careers page.   (10 min)
2. Write down every change with its date and link. No link, no trigger.                             (5 min)
3. For each trigger: who does it land on, and do we know them?                                      (3 min)
4. Pick the three accounts with the freshest trigger. They get this week's research hours.          (2 min)

ACCOUNT QUALIFICATION: [account], [date], checked by [name]
Answer Y, N or ? (unknown). Add evidence for every Y.
 
A. ACCOUNT
A1 Matches our ICP (industry, size, geography)         [ ]  Evidence:
A2 No knock-out applies                                [ ]  Evidence:
A3 Problem visibly present                             [ ]  Evidence:
A4 Deal would clear our minimum size                   [ ]  Evidence:

KEY ACCOUNT GO-TO-MARKET PLAN: [your company], [quarter and year]
Owner: [one name]     Reviewed weekly on: [day]
 
1. GOAL FOR THE NEXT TWO QUARTERS
   Revenue or pipeline goal: [figure and date]
   What that means in accounts: [number of new accounts to open] and [number to expand]
 
2. WHO WE SELL TO

You are helping me write short, plain cold emails to senior buyers in named accounts.
 
Rules for everything you write in this conversation:
1. Use only the facts in my RESEARCH block. Do not add facts, numbers, customer names, awards or compliments that are not in it. If a fact you need is missing, write [MISSING: what you need] and carry on.
2. Maximum 90 words in the body. Short sentences. No exclamation marks.
3. One question or one ask per email.
4. No flattery, no "I hope this finds you well", no "I came across your profile", no "quick question", no buzzwords.
5. Write the way one senior person writes to another: direct, specific, polite.

1. Every follow-up adds one new thing. If you have nothing new, wait until you do.
2. One question or one ask per email.
3. Under 80 words. Readable on a phone without scrolling.
4. No "just bumping this", "circling back" or "did you see my last email?".
5. No invented urgency and no guilt.
6. Every fact about their company is true and you can show where you found it.
7. Identify yourself and honour opt-outs under the email rules for their country.

Account: [company]            Tier: [1 / 2 / 3]
Person: [name, title]
Role in the decision: [decision maker / budget owner / evaluator / day-to-day owner / unknown]
Reason for calling today: [trigger, initiative or referral, with date and source]
What it probably means for their team: [one line]
One question only they can answer: [ ]
Others we know in the account: [names, and what was said]
If they say "send me an email", I will send: [one specific thing]

Account  Role  Name  Title  Reports to  Cares about  Likely objection  Stance  Influence  Relationship  Warm path  Our owner  Last touch  Next action  Due  Source

You are helping me research one company so I can have a useful first conversation with people there. I sell [what you sell, in one sentence] to [type of company]. The problem we solve is [problem, in the customer's words].
 
Rules for this whole conversation:
- Use only the sources I paste, or web results you can link to. Cite the source for every factual claim.
- If something is not in the sources, write "unknown". Do not guess names, numbers or dates.
- Keep facts and your own inferences separate, and label inferences as "inference".
- Write in plain English and keep answers short.
 

Hi [Name], I read about [company]'s [expansion / launch / result]. I work with [sector] leaders on [topic] and would value being connected.

Account: [company]
Person: [name, title, role in the decision]
Trigger or initiative: [what happened, with date and source link]
What it implies for their team: [one line]
Problem we solve, in their words: [one line]
Proof we are allowed to share: [customer type or named case study]
Others in the account: [names or roles; who we have already spoken to]
One question worth asking: [ ]

Account: [company]
Why this account: [fit reason in one line]
Why now: [trigger: new executive, expansion, published initiative, contract review]
Person: [name, title]
Their likely role in the decision: [budget owner / evaluator / day-to-day owner / influencer]
What they probably care about: [one line, in their terms]
One question I want answered: [ ]
Who else I need to reach here: [name or role 1], [name or role 2]

LEAD LIST VS ACCOUNT LIST: [team], [date]
 
 1. Companies chosen before contacts        Y / N
 2. Written reason per account              Y / N
 3. Small enough to research every account  Y / N
 4. More than one person per account        Y / N
 5. Role in the decision known              Y / N
 6. Tiered                                  Y / N

IDEAL CUSTOMER PROFILE: [your company], [date]
 
1. Who we serve best
   Industry and sub-vertical: [e.g. private hospitals, not all of healthcare]
   Size band: [employees] / [revenue]
   Geography we can sell into and deliver in: [countries or regions]
 
2. The problem we solve for them