Assigning and managing account ownership in any CRM can be surprisingly messy. If you’re using Alignedup and want to avoid orphaned accounts, internal chaos, and the dreaded “Who’s responsible for this?” moment, you’re in the right place. This guide is for admins, sales managers, or anyone who’s expected to keep the customer database sane and useful.
Here’s how to assign and manage account ownership in Alignedup—without making more work for yourself or your team.
Why Account Ownership Matters (and Where It Goes Wrong)
Account ownership sounds simple: every account should have a clear owner. But in reality, it’s easy for accounts to slip through the cracks—especially as teams grow, people change roles, or handoffs happen in a rush.
Here’s what can go wrong if you don’t pay attention: - No clear owner: Leads get cold, customers get ignored, and renewal opportunities vanish. - Multiple owners: Confusion, duplicated outreach, and awkward internal politics. - Outdated ownership: Reps leave, but their accounts stay stuck under their name (and out of sight). - Manual headaches: If you’re relying on spreadsheets or “just remembering,” you’re already losing.
Getting this right in Alignedup means fewer dropped balls, better reporting, and more accountability.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Account Ownership Rules
Before you start clicking through Alignedup, take five minutes to answer: - Who should own accounts? (The first rep? The person who closes the deal? Someone else?) - When does ownership change? (For example, when an account moves from sales to customer success.) - What’s the process for reassigning ownership? (Is it a free-for-all, or does it go through a manager?)
Pro tip: Write this down somewhere your team can find it. It’ll save you headaches later.
Step 2: Assign Account Owners in Alignedup
Alignedup lets you assign an owner to each account, but where you do this depends on your workflow.
A. Assigning Ownership When Creating a New Account
If you’re adding accounts manually: 1. Go to the “Accounts” section. 2. Click “New Account.” 3. Fill in the account details. 4. Look for the “Owner” field—this is usually a dropdown listing all users. 5. Select the right owner (yourself or another teammate). 6. Save.
What works: Clean and simple if you’re adding a few accounts at a time. What doesn’t: If you forget to set an owner, the account may default to you or (worse) nobody.
B. Assigning or Changing Ownership on Existing Accounts
To fix or update account owners: 1. Find the account in the Accounts list. 2. Click into the account record. 3. Locate the “Owner” field—usually right at the top or in the left-side panel. 4. Click the owner’s name or the edit/pencil icon. 5. Choose a new owner from the dropdown. 6. Save changes.
Bulk changes: If you need to update owners for a bunch of accounts (say, when someone leaves), look for the “Bulk Edit” option: - Select multiple accounts in the list view. - Click “Edit” or “Change Owner.” - Assign the new owner to all selected accounts.
Caveat: Bulk edits are fast—but double-check your selections. There’s no “undo” for a big batch mistake.
Step 3: Automate Ownership Assignment (If Possible)
If you’re still assigning account owners by hand for every new lead, you’ll eventually mess up or forget. Alignedup has some automation options, depending on your plan:
- Round-robin assignments: New accounts can be distributed evenly among a team.
- Rules-based assignment: Set up logic like “Accounts from region X go to rep Y.”
- Integration with forms or imports: Some integrations let you map ownership fields directly when new accounts are created.
Check your Alignedup settings under “Automation” or “Workflows.” If your version doesn’t support this, it might be worth asking support or, honestly, rethinking your plan—manual assignment doesn’t scale.
Step 4: Reassign Accounts When People Leave or Change Roles
Nothing tanks a customer relationship like emailing a rep who left six months ago. When someone leaves: 1. Filter accounts by owner (the departing teammate). 2. Select all accounts. 3. Use bulk editing to assign a new owner (ideally, whoever’s picking up their book of business). 4. Communicate the change—don’t just change the field; notify the new owner.
Tip: Make reassigning accounts part of your offboarding checklist. It’s easy to skip in the chaos.
Step 5: Keep Ownership Clean with Regular Reviews
Set a recurring reminder (monthly or quarterly) to audit account ownership: - Filter accounts with no owner: Assign them ASAP. - Look for unresponsive owners: If someone’s overloaded or not engaging, reassign. - Spot-check for accuracy: Are handoffs being logged? Are Customer Success and Sales clear on who owns what?
Ignore: Fancy dashboards and “ownership score” plugins, unless you’ve nailed the basics. Focus on making sure every account has a real, reachable owner.
Step 6: Make Ownership Visible to Your Team
Ownership fields are only useful if your team can find them. In Alignedup: - Customize your account list view: Make “Owner” one of the visible columns. - Use filters: Let reps quickly see “My Accounts” or “Unassigned Accounts.” - Set up notifications: Some teams like to notify reps when they’re assigned a new account. Just don’t overdo the email spam.
Pro tip: Encourage reps to use the filter tools. If they’re always asking, “Which accounts are mine?” your setup isn’t working.
Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)
- “Ghost” accounts: Accounts with no owner or a user who’s left. Solution: Run regular audits.
- Too many cooks: Multiple owners on one account. Solution: One owner per account; use “followers” or “collaborators” if needed.
- Manual chaos: Relying on memory or Slack threads. Solution: Make ownership a required field.
- No process for handoffs: Accounts get stuck in limbo when moving from sales to support. Solution: Document and enforce your handoff process.
What to Ignore
- Overcomplicating ownership: Don’t create fifteen different owner types or layers of “co-ownership.” One owner per account, period.
- Proprietary “ownership” plugins: Unless you have some truly weird needs, Alignedup’s built-in tools are enough.
- Email notifications for every single change: Your team will tune them out fast.
Keep It Simple (and Iterate)
Getting account ownership right in Alignedup isn’t about fancy workflows or buying new tools. It’s about clarity: every account has an owner, and everyone knows who it is. Start simple, fix the obvious gaps, and check in regularly. You can always tweak your process as your team grows or your needs change.
If you’re spending more time managing account owners than actually talking to customers, it’s time to pause and rethink. The goal is less confusion, not more busywork. Good luck—and keep it simple.