A key challenge in account planning for enterprise ABM is not just finding accounts from your Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM), but also shortlisting the ones with high potential, identifying the correct time to engage – thus edging out your competitors chasing the same set of accounts. 

AI-driven account planning makes this possible by: 

• Prioritizing accounts based on real-time market/account-level signals (executive movements, business expansion plans, new product launches etc) to engage at the right time. 
• Tracking competitor activity to ensure timely reach outs, with relevant messaging highlighting your edge over competitors. 
• Analyze account’s current installed base to uncover integration opportunities, target competitor weaknesses, and position your solution for strategic displacement and expansion. 

This data-driven account planning approach helps sales teams engage smarter, prioritize better, and gain a competitive edge.  

AI-Driven Account Planning: A Step-by-Step Approach for Maximum Impact 

Account planning is a continuous, intelligence-driven approach that enables sales teams to focus on the right accounts at the right time. Here’s how to pick up the right accounts: 

Step 1: Prioritizing accounts based on real-time market/account-level signals 

Focus on those showing strong real-time buying signals, such as: 

• Use hiring & technology investments as a predictor of upcoming purchases – Enterprises ramping up hiring in cloud security, AI, or analytics are preparing for large tech investments. Ignoring these signals means engaging too late in the buying cycle. 

Fig: Following strategic and tactical signals for emerging opportunities 

• Track M&A activity to identify companies actively reassessing vendors – Most enterprises undergoing mergers reassess vendor contracts. Ignoring these shifts means missing a prime engagement window. 

Step 2: Tracking Competitor Movements for Strategic Positioning 

Competitor engagement can make or break a deal. Monitoring which accounts competitors are targeting helps sales teams proactively position their solutions where they have the strongest advantage –  

• Track Competitor-Engaged Accounts – Accounts evaluating alternative solutions may still be open for engagement. Lack of visibility into competitor engagements can lead to missed opportunities. 
• Identify Weak Spots in Competitor Offerings – If existing vendors fail to meet expectations, accounts become more open to switching. Research shows that 68% of customers leave due to perceived indifference from vendors. 
• Time Your Pitch Strategically – Stay ahead by tracking competitor pricing shifts, contract renewals, and market positioning. 

Step 3:  Analyze account’s current installed base 

Understanding an account’s existing tech partnerships and outsourcing landscape helps uncover expansion opportunities and optimize engagement strategies. Here’s how to leverage installed base insights effectively: 

Pinpoint Expansion and Upsell Potential Through Outsourced Workloads – Analyze outsourced IT workloads to identify investment areas and position your solution for expansion, cost optimization, or strategic advantage. 

Map Partner Relationships to Unlock Strategic Engagement Paths – Asses an account’s tech and service provider partnerships to identify co-sell opportunities, competitive positioning, or differentiation strategies. 

The Way Forward: Transforming Account Planning into a Competitive Advantage 

Winning enterprise sales isn’t about chasing every account—it’s about knowing which accounts to pursue, when to engage, and how to outpace competitors. AI-driven sales intelligence makes this process sharper, faster, and more strategic. 

By leveraging data-driven insights to track real-time business signals, monitor competitive movements, and prioritize high-value opportunities, sales teams can shift from reactive selling to proactive engagement. This isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about transforming account planning into a competitive advantage that drives revenue growth.  

AI-powered Sales Intelligence isn’t the future of account planning—it’s the present. The teams that harness it today will be the ones closing the biggest deals tomorrow.  

Ready to transform your account planning process? 

Book a demo now to see how  Draup’s AI powered Sales Intelligence platform can help you identify high-potential accounts, track real-time signals, and outpace competitors.