How do we reach influential buyers in priority accounts?

Bring sales and marketing together to build a shared understanding of the priority account before developing a targeted campaign. The Frameworks argues that sales account insights should inform marketing creativity, rather than leaving marketing to work separately from established relationships and account plans. When meetings and existing sales approaches have stopped producing progress, the task is to combine relationship knowledge with a more targeted approach to engagement.

Use the sales team's understanding of the account to shape the campaign: which relationships already exist, where progress has stalled and which influential people remain unreached. A 2025 survey by Demand Gen Report found that 43% of surveyed ABM practitioners identify sales and marketing alignment as a leading programme challenge. Treat collaboration as the starting point for account-based marketing, not a handover between separate teams.

Map influence beyond existing contacts to identify who is involved in the priority account's buying decision. The Frameworks starts account-based marketing with account selection and stakeholder mapping, rather than assuming that established sales relationships reach everyone who matters. An account plan and regular meetings can coexist with limited access to influential people.

Use stakeholder mapping to establish who needs to be engaged, then develop account insights and campaign themes around the decision participants. Forrester reported in 2026 that an average business buying decision among business buyers globally is influenced by 13 internal stakeholders and 9 external participants. The practical task is to understand the decision's participants, not simply compile a longer contact list. The Frameworks treats that understanding as the basis for targeted programmes intended to strengthen relationships and move specific accounts forward.

Build messages around stakeholder needs by turning account insights into content that addresses specific business challenges and role-based responsibilities. The Frameworks recommends targeting the buying committee within the account rather than casting a broad message across a general audience. Account insights and key themes should guide the creation of relevant messaging and content.

For each intended audience, make the connection between the account's business challenge and the responsibilities of the people involved in the decision. A 2025 study by Edelman found that 85% of hidden buyers, business-purchase influencers in the United States, prioritise a prospective vendor's understanding of their business challenges. Keep stakeholder engagement active throughout the campaign and measure account progress, as The Frameworks recommends, rather than treating the production of tailored content as the end of the work.