From Contacts to Contracts: Account-Based Selling in Salesforce 

Even before the rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence altered many organizational focuses, B2B selling strategies had already started to shift. Organizations now fish with a spear rather than a net and apply a hyper-targeted approach to sales and account management strategies. This approach, known as account-based selling (ABS), streamlines how enterprises pursue and secure high-value partnerships. As organizations increasingly embrace this targeted approach, Salesforce continues to pioneer innovative solutions that empower sales teams to execute their account-based strategies with unprecedented efficiency.

At Dreamforce 2024, Salesforce unveiled its game-changing Account Plans feature, scheduled for release in late November. This essential addition addresses the growing demand for integrated account planning capabilities, delivering an intelligent, collaborative platform that positions customer success at the heart of every strategy.

Understanding account-based selling: a strategic evolution

Unlike traditional approaches, account-based selling focuses on cultivating deep relationships with decision-makers at high-value accounts, enabling sales teams to accelerate complex deals and maximize revenue potential. Success in ABS demands a carefully orchestrated combination of personalization, precise targeting, data-driven insights, and unified expertise from sales, marketing, product, and customer success teams.

Historically, Salesforce has not geared its feature set toward account-based selling and strategic account planning. Aside from core CRM tracking, it was previously impossible to map an account plan, visualize an organizational chart, monitor specific objectives, or track whitespace without a third-party app, Excel spreadsheet, or other creative solution. Now, however, Salesforce offers a foothold into this arena.

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Account planning in Salesforce: 5 key capabilities

Available at no additional cost for Enterprise edition users and above, Salesforce Account Plans address traditional account planning challenges such as inefficient reporting, limited automation, and stale data.

Account Plans promise to deliver five key capabilities that revolutionize account-based selling:

1. Streamlined account research

Account planning in Salesforce centralizes critical account information in one accessible location eliminating the need for multiple tools and platforms. Account managers can now initiate new account plans with a single click, accessing a streamlined interface that consolidates customer data, team insights, and market intelligence. This centralization drastically reduces the time spent gathering and organizing account information, allowing teams to focus on strategic planning and execution.

2. Embedded SWOT framework

The built-in SWOT Analysis framework provides a structured approach to evaluating account potential and challenges. Teams can collaboratively analyze the critical aspects of a target account and create a comprehensive view of each account’s landscape. This standardized framework ensures consistent analysis across accounts while facilitating strategic discussion among team members. Sales leaders can quickly assess account strategies and provide targeted guidance based on their contents.

3. Out-of-the-box revenue metrics

Teams can instantly access both closed deal history and open opportunities directly within the account plan interface, delivering immediate visibility into account health. This real-time financial visibility enables account managers and sales leaders to quickly assess account performance and identify growth opportunities. The integration of revenue metrics with strategic planning creates a powerful tool for prioritizing resources and activities based on actual account performance.

4. Relationship mapping

The Relationship Map feature transforms how teams visualize and manage stakeholder connections. Stakeholders can now view an organizational chart of the key decision-makers and influencers within a target account. Within each contact, users can view past collaborators, providing valuable context for relationship building. This comprehensive view enables teams to develop targeted engagement strategies and navigate complex organizational structures effectively.

5. Custom objectives

Account Plans enable teams to set and track specific, measurable objectives across revenue, relationship, and customer success metrics. Each objective can include defined timelines and key collaborators, creating clear accountability for execution. Sales leaders can monitor progress in real-time, ensuring teams stay aligned with strategic goals, and Admins can customize objectives to align account planning in Salesforce with unique business processes and success metrics.

The future of account-based selling: Spring ’25 preview

Salesforce continues to push the boundaries of innovation with its Spring ’25 roadmap. While subject to refinement, several groundbreaking features are on the horizon:

• AI-powered account research to summarize company overview, industry trends, and competitive landscape.

• Auto-generated account plans using input information.

• Product whitespace map to determine cross-sell and upsell opportunities. (Requires CRMA)

• Automated objectives to associate various records to cases, contacts, and campaigns.

• Strategic tracker plus visualization to quickly assess progress of execution.

Partnering for success: the Acquis advantage

As organizations assess the role of their people and technology amid a changing B2B landscape, navigating the transition to advanced account-based selling strategies and choosing the right implementation partner becomes crucial. Acquis combines deep Salesforce expertise with strategic business acumen to help clients maximize their investment in Salesforce and its features.

By partnering with Acquis, organizations can accelerate their journey toward account-based selling excellence, turning Salesforce’s powerful new capabilities into tangible business results. Reach out today.