If you’re tired of endless sales “collaboration” tools that mostly create noise or extra work, you’re not alone. This guide is for folks who want to actually work better with their sales team—without getting buried in tasks, notifications, or vague “alignment” talk. We’ll focus on using SecondBody, a tool that promises to make account collaboration simple and useful. Here’s how to actually get value out of it, step by step.
1. Set the Ground Rules First—Don’t Skip This
Before you even log in to SecondBody, have a real conversation with your sales team. Here’s what you should cover:
- How do you want to work together? No tool can fix unclear roles. Decide who does what on accounts.
- What’s worth tracking? Don’t try to log every call, email, and stray thought; agree on the key info that actually moves deals forward.
- How often will you check in? Daily? Weekly? If you’re not clear, you’ll either step on toes or things will fall through the cracks.
Pro tip: The best tools can’t save you from bad habits. If your team’s not honest about what matters, you’ll end up with a mess—no matter how slick the software.
2. Get Everyone Set Up in SecondBody
Assuming you’ve got your plan, here’s how to start using SecondBody:
- Invite the right people. Don’t add the whole company “just in case.” Start with the sales team and anyone who really needs account visibility.
- Import your accounts. If you already have a CRM, use the import feature—don’t try to do it by hand. Double-check for duplicates (most tools mess this up at first).
- Set permissions early. Decide who can edit accounts, who just views, and who gets looped in for comments.
What doesn’t work: Adding everyone and hoping they’ll figure it out. Most people ignore invites unless you explain why it matters.
3. Agree on What “Collaboration” Means for Your Accounts
This is where most teams go off the rails. In SecondBody, you’ve got a bunch of features: shared notes, tasks, deal stages, tagging, and more. Here’s what’s worth using (and what to ignore):
- Shared notes: Actually useful if you keep them short. Log real conversations, not “had a great call!” fluff.
- Tasks: Handy for dividing work—just don’t use them as a dumping ground for every tiny follow-up.
- Deal stages: Good for big-picture tracking. Don’t create a hundred custom stages; use the defaults unless you have a real reason.
- Tags: Keep these limited to 3 or 4 that matter (e.g., “renewal,” “hot,” “stuck”). More than that and people stop paying attention.
Ignore the “activity feed” unless someone flags something. Most teams don’t need a play-by-play of every click.
4. Set Up Your Account “Hubs” in SecondBody
Each account in SecondBody has its own workspace. Here’s how to make these hubs actually useful:
- Pin key contacts and decision-makers. Don’t just import every email you’ve ever collected. Focus on the real players.
- Summarize the account goal in plain English. One or two sentences at the top—skip the jargon.
- Add relevant files (if you must). Only what people actually use (proposals, signed contracts). Don’t try to store every email attachment here.
- Assign clear owners. Every account should have one person responsible, even if others help out.
What doesn’t work: Making these hubs into data dumps. If everything’s important, nothing is.
5. Use Comments and Mentions to Actually Talk (Not Just Notify)
SecondBody lets you comment on accounts and mention team members. Here’s how to make that useful:
- Use mentions for real questions or updates. If you @someone, make it clear what you need (“@Chris—Can you confirm renewal date?”).
- Don’t over-comment. Avoid the temptation to log every single thought or CC the whole team “just in case.”
- Respond in the tool, not in email. Keep the conversation in one place. Otherwise, you’ll have half the story in SecondBody and the rest in your inbox.
Pro tip: If you’re getting too many notifications, adjust your settings. Otherwise, you’ll just start tuning everything out.
6. Track Progress—But Don’t Get Lost in Reports
SecondBody has dashboards and reporting features. They’re useful, but here’s what actually matters for day-to-day collaboration:
- Track stuck deals. Use filters to see which accounts haven’t moved in weeks. That’s where you should focus.
- Spot upcoming renewals. Don’t rely on memory or post-it notes; set up reminders for real deadlines.
- Skip the vanity metrics. Page views and “engagement” stats are mostly noise—focus on revenue, deal stage, and next steps.
What doesn’t work: Spending hours building the perfect dashboard. If everyone ignores it, it’s wasted effort.
7. Make Weekly Account Reviews Short and Focused
SecondBody can make your account reviews less painful—if you keep them tight:
- Review only key accounts. Don’t drag the team through every deal in the system.
- Stick to blockers and next steps. No need for a play-by-play of what happened last week.
- Update notes and tasks in real time. Do it during the meeting, not “later” (which means never).
Pro tip: If your meeting is running long, you’re probably trying to cover too much. Cut it down.
8. Iterate—Don’t Wait for “Perfect”
You’re never going to nail account collaboration on the first try. Here’s how to keep improving:
- Check in after two weeks. Ask the team what’s working, what’s getting ignored, and what’s just annoying.
- Adjust your process—not just the tool. If something’s not clicking, talk about the workflow before you start tweaking settings.
- Don’t be afraid to drop features. If a SecondBody feature isn’t helping, turn it off. More isn’t always better.
Ignore the urge to “fully customize” everything out of the gate. Start simple, then build up as you see what your team actually uses.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Keep It Moving
Working with your sales team on accounts shouldn’t mean endless admin or another graveyard of unused tools. With SecondBody, the real value comes from having clear ownership, focused updates, and just enough structure to keep things from slipping through the cracks.
Don’t overthink it. Set a few ground rules, use only the features that matter, and be ready to change things up as you go. The best collaboration is the kind you barely notice—because it just works.