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Account-Based Selling: Working Named Accounts Instead of Lead Lists

Account-based selling means your sales effort is organised around a short list of named companies rather than a stream of inbound or purchased leads. Each account gets research, a mapped buying committee and several conversations run in parallel. This hub gathers the framework, the selection methods and the free tools to run it.

Updated 5 Nov 2026 · By the Intandemly team

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The unit of work is the account

When deals are large, one reply from one person tells you almost nothing about whether a company will buy. Several people must agree, each with a different stake, and the companies that could buy at all are countable. Account-based selling takes that seriously: you name the companies, decide how much effort each tier deserves and measure progress as accounts opened, not meetings booked.

The articles below cover the whole arc. Start with the plain-language explanation of account-based selling, then the comparison with ABM, which remains our most-read piece. Target account selling and the INTANDEM framework show the operating rhythm: how a team decides which accounts to push this quarter and what counts as an inroad.

Selection is most of the game

Almost every failed account-based programme fails at the list. Too many accounts, chosen by revenue potential alone, with no knock-out rules, produce a broad lead list wearing a new name. The account selection criteria article and the tiering guide explain how to choose and rank; the free Account Scoring Tool and ICP Builder turn that into a ranked list you can defend in a pipeline review.

Everything here is usable without talking to us. If you would rather see the method run on your own accounts by a dedicated consultant, that is the engagement Intandemly offers, and the case studies show what it has produced for clients.

The articles

Free from the Academy

Template9 min read

ABM Metrics Dashboard, Five Numbers

For a sales or marketing lead who has to report on a list of named accounts.

You leave with five numbers, a counting rule for each, a one page monthly dashboard and four questions to ask of it.

1 copy block · Spreadsheet-readyOpen and copy →
Template8 min read

Meeting Brief for the Closer, One Page Template

For the seller who takes a first meeting that someone else booked.

You leave with a one page brief in nine fields, a five minute read test, a cover message and three lines to log after the meeting.

3 copy blocksOpen and copy →
Checklist7 min read

Approved Vendor Pack Checklist for Small Vendors

For small vendors with an enterprise deal that is close to procurement.

You leave with a 12 item pack, a sheet that shows who asked for what, a first message to your champion and a rule for keeping the pack current.

3 copy blocks · Spreadsheet-readyOpen and copy →
Template6 min read

Account Review Template, Grow Your Accounts

For account owners who look after customers that bought once and have not been asked since.

You leave with a one sheet portfolio, a grow, hold or protect call for each account, five questions for a review call and a note to file.

3 copy blocks · Spreadsheet-readyOpen and copy →
Template7 min read

Founder Led Sales, A Weekly Routine

For founders who sell alongside running the company and cannot say what they did for sales last week.

You leave with a five block week, a minimum week, a Friday count on five numbers and a stop doing list.

5 copy blocks · Spreadsheet-readyOpen and copy →
ToolRuns in your browser

Account Scoring Tool

Score target accounts on fit, timing and access, and sort them into Tier 1, 2 and 3. Runs in your browser.

Open the tool →
ToolRuns in your browser

ICP Builder

Write a one-page ideal customer profile that feeds straight into account scoring. Runs in your browser.

Open the tool →
Template5 min read

Key Account Plan: One Page per Named Account

For account owners who carry a top-tier account in their head.

You leave with a one-page plan in 5 parts, a people table, a 15-minute review agenda and one plan filled in.

6 copy blocks · Spreadsheet-readyOpen and copy →
Lesson1 min read

Scoring and tiering accounts

How to choose accounts, map the people and report on progress.

Start the lesson →
Lesson1 min read

Mapping the buying committee

How to choose accounts, map the people and report on progress.

Start the lesson →
Lesson1 min read

Trigger events and timing

From a broad market to a short list you can work properly.

Start the lesson →
Lesson1 min read

Capping the list to your capacity

From a broad market to a short list you can work properly.

Start the lesson →
Template6 min read

Target Account List Template

For founders and sales heads who have chosen their accounts and need one place to work them.

You leave with a 25-row sheet, a rule for how many accounts to keep and a weekly review in five questions.

6 copy blocks · Spreadsheet-readyOpen and copy →
Playbook7 min read

Three Worked Accounts: Account-Based Selling Examples

For founders and sales heads who understand account-based selling in theory and want to see it on real-looking accounts.

You leave with three worked accounts, a one-page account worksheet and a 12-week touch plan you can copy.

3 copy blocks · Spreadsheet-readyOpen and copy →
Template8 min read

B2B Sales Strategy Template, One Page

For founders and sales heads who need a written sales plan this week and have never had one.

You leave with a seven part template, a test for each part, a one page layout and a 30 minute way to fill it in.

1 copy blockOpen and copy →
Template6 min read

Sales Pipeline Template by Account (Sheets)

For sellers who work a list of named accounts and find a deal by deal pipeline hides the stuck ones.

You leave with a paste in sheet, six buyer led stages, a people count per account and a summary tab that shows where each account stands.

7 copy blocks · Spreadsheet-readyOpen and copy →

Guides and comparisons

Common questions

What is account-based selling?

A sales method where effort is organised around named companies: you choose the accounts, map the people who would take part in a purchase and open several conversations inside each one, measuring accounts opened rather than leads generated.

How many accounts should one seller work?

Few enough that each gets real research and multiple conversations. The honest test is whether you can name the buying committee in every account you claim to be working. If you cannot, the list is too long.

Does account-based selling replace lead generation?

They answer different situations. Volume lead generation fits small, fast deals with many similar buyers. Account-based selling fits large deals with few possible buyers. Many companies run both, on different segments.

Where should I start?

With the list. Use the ICP Builder to write the profile, the Account Scoring Tool to rank candidates, and the key account plan template for the top tier. The framework article then shows how the quarter runs.

Want this run on your key accounts?

Tell us which accounts you need to open. We will show you how we would work them.

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