How many Focus Accounts to work at the same time?

[BPruden]

I'm always trying to find that right balance of working multiple large accounts at once.  Some companies are so large, you can really go down a rabbit hole with just one of them and spend the bulk of your time there.  (When you really need to be spreading the love to other accounts).  Hoping HubSpot can help with this.  Curious if folks have a number of accounts they try to work at once?  Is there a certain number that is too high?

[JWronski · Accepted solution]

That number is truly based on what you can handle and how much time you want to devote to each.  Each client is going to require a different amount of time so coming up with an exact number is next to impossible. 

What you need to do now is assess each of your clients, their needs, and their potential needs.  Do you want to have five high-priority clients, 25 medium, or 50 low?  I have a good mix of clients where I've focused on 10.

Of those 10, 2 are high-priority prospects that I spend a lot of time on which allows me to have 4 that are just about turn-key and I don't have to do much with them.  They send in orders, we fill them, I talk to them about their orders.  The remaining four are in the middle. 

[Emmanuelle · Accepted solution]

Hello @BPruden 

It depends on what you call "working on", are you talking about sales?
So feeding them, having conversations, making presentations, offers and so on. Is that what you mean?

If so, I'd advise you to have an ABM strategy with one or two tactics that allow you to automate at least 50-60% of your work on key accounts.

For everything else, the human touch remains essential, but don't waste time developing individual relationships with each person in the company. You need to find THE right person or people to talk to. The rest you can feed in automatically with workflows.

In short, I'd advise you to take a close look at your prospecting and sales processes and find out how you can save time by automating some of them. This will enable you to concentrate on what's really necessary and therefore spend less time per account.

[danmoyle · Accepted solution]

Hey there @BPruden. Interesting question. And I'm enjoying the perspectives. 

While I'm not in sales myself, I've worked closely with some great sales professionals over the years, and I work with a lot of sales folks in my training of clients. Here's what I think of with your question. 

I don't think there's q one-size-fits-all answer to how many accounts a sales professional should work in a week. Depending on your experience, technology, and workload, a reasonable starting point could be around 20-30 accounts per week.

However, this number can vary significantly based on many factors, including the complexity of the accounts, the industry, the sales cycle length, and the resources available.

In some light reaearch, here's a bit of a framework to consider:

Time Allocation. 

Determine the amount of time you or your sales team should spend on each account based on its priority level. High-priority accounts may require more time and attention compared to lower-priority ones.

Activity Goals.

It's important to set clear activity goals for each sales team member, including the number of emails, phone calls, texts, meetings, or even in-person visits they should aim to make per account. Ensure that these goals align with the overall sales strategy and objectives.

Balancing Activities.

Encourage a balanced approach to account management, including a mix of proactive outreach (emails, calls, visits) and responsive activities (responding to inquiries, addressing customer needs). Also, allocate time for administrative tasks such as updating CRM systems, preparing reports, and analyzing data.

How do you make sure you're being strategic? Here are a couple of ideas I found from best practices and other advice. 

Segmentation and Prioritization.

Start by segmenting the accounts based on factors such as revenue potential, strategic importance, and likelihood of conversion. Prioritize high-value accounts that are most likely to yield significant returns.

Efficiency and Effectiveness.

Emphasize the importance of being efficient and effective in account management. Provide training and resources to help sales professionals streamline their workflows, leverage technology tools, and optimize their communication strategies.

Regular Review and Adjustments.

Regularly review the performance of each sales professional and the effectiveness of their account management activities. Adjust the number of accounts and activity goals as needed based on performance metrics and feedback.

Of course, it's essential to monitor performance closely and make adjustments as necessary to ensure optimal results. Good luck!

[Emmanuelle · Accepted solution]

Hello @BPruden 

It depends on what you call "working on", are you talking about sales?
So feeding them, having conversations, making presentations, offers and so on. Is that what you mean?

If so, I'd advise you to have an ABM strategy with one or two tactics that allow you to automate at least 50-60% of your work on key accounts.

For everything else, the human touch remains essential, but don't waste time developing individual relationships with each person in the company. You need to find THE right person or people to talk to. The rest you can feed in automatically with workflows.

In short, I'd advise you to take a close look at your prospecting and sales processes and find out how you can save time by automating some of them. This will enable you to concentrate on what's really necessary and therefore spend less time per account.

[JWronski · Accepted solution]

That number is truly based on what you can handle and how much time you want to devote to each.  Each client is going to require a different amount of time so coming up with an exact number is next to impossible. 

What you need to do now is assess each of your clients, their needs, and their potential needs.  Do you want to have five high-priority clients, 25 medium, or 50 low?  I have a good mix of clients where I've focused on 10.

Of those 10, 2 are high-priority prospects that I spend a lot of time on which allows me to have 4 that are just about turn-key and I don't have to do much with them.  They send in orders, we fill them, I talk to them about their orders.  The remaining four are in the middle. 

[BérangèreL]

Hi @BPruden,

Great question, that's exactly why the Community is here for!

I'd like to ask some clarifying questions to make sure I understand what you are looking for.

1. When you mention that you are working on multiple large account, are you referring to multiple Hub IDs that you are handling or multiple company records in HubSpot, please?
2. What are you trying to do exactly? Setting up several Hub IDs at the same time and have feedback on how to optimize this? Or being able to communicate with several companies at the same time and finding the right frequency?

The more info, screenshots (without sensitive/confidential information), and details you can provide, the better the Community can assist.

I'd be happy to put you in touch with some of our Top Experts on this subject: Hi @Jnix284, @danmoyle and @Emmanuelle do you have tips and feedback to share with @BPruden, please?

Thanks a lot and have a fantastic day!

Best,
Bérangère

[Jnix284]

+1 for needing a little more information about what you mean by multiple accounts