Cut through the noise. If you’re running account-based marketing (ABM), you know the hardest part isn’t sending yet another LinkedIn message—it’s figuring out who actually matters. This guide is for sales and marketing folks who want to use Humanlinker (here’s what it is) to get their list of target accounts right, without drowning in spreadsheets or chasing the wrong leads.
Here’s the bottom line: You want to find the companies worth your time, map out who’s who inside them, and focus on the ones with the best shot at becoming customers. Humanlinker promises to help with that. Let’s see what actually works.
1. Get Your Data House in Order
Before you start pushing buttons in Humanlinker, make sure you have:
- A clear Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): Who’s your dream customer? Nail down the basics—industry, company size, territory, budget, pain points. If you skip this, no tool will save you.
- Clean account lists: Pull your CRM or sales lists, but don’t just export a mess. Duplicates, outdated records, and missing info will trip you up.
- Buy-in from sales and marketing: No, you don’t need a task force—just make sure everyone agrees on what a “key account” means.
Pro tip: If you’re still arguing about what a “good fit” is, pause here. Otherwise, you’ll waste a lot of time mapping accounts that’ll never close.
2. Upload and Sync Accounts in Humanlinker
Once you’re ready, log into Humanlinker and connect your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.). Here’s what to do:
- Import your account list: Humanlinker lets you upload a CSV or sync directly.
- Check the import: Make sure all company names, domains, and contact info are matched. The tool’s auto-matching is decent, but not perfect.
- Review for errors: Watch for mismatched companies or blank fields. Fix them now—otherwise, the mapping step gets messy.
What to ignore: Don’t get sucked into mapping every possible field. Stick to what matters: company name, website/domain, industry, size, and key contacts.
3. Map the Buying Committees
Here’s where Humanlinker tries to shine. The platform helps you map out who’s who in each account:
- Auto-enrichment: Humanlinker pulls in org charts, job titles, and LinkedIn profiles. It’s not perfect—expect 70-80% coverage, not magic.
- Tag decision makers and influencers: Use the platform’s tagging or custom fields. Mark who’s a budget-holder, technical evaluator, blocker, or fan.
- Fill in the gaps: Manual work is still required. Cross-check LinkedIn, your CRM notes, or even company websites for missing people.
- Avoid “title tunnel vision”: Not every VP is a decision maker. Sometimes, the real power is one layer down.
Honest take: Don’t trust the tool to find everyone important. Humanlinker’s org charts are a starting point, not gospel. Use them, but verify.
4. Score and Prioritize Accounts
Now it’s time to sort the wheat from the chaff.
- Set your scoring criteria: Think about fit (ICP match), engagement (have they opened emails, visited your site?), intent signals (are they hiring, raising money?), and accessibility (do you have a way in?).
- Use Humanlinker’s scoring features: The tool gives you a scoring system, but it’s only as good as your inputs. Tweak the weights to match reality—not what looks fancy.
- Flag strategic accounts: Not every high-scoring account deserves focus. Sometimes a “C” account is moving fast and worth chasing.
- Segment for action: Break your accounts into A/B/C, or “Engage now / Nurture / Ignore.” Keep it simple.
What works: Humanlinker’s scoring is helpful if you customize it. If you just use the default, you’ll wind up with a generic hit list.
5. Build Account Maps for Outreach
You’ve got your list—use Humanlinker to visualize who you know, who you don’t, and where your gaps are.
- Org chart view: See the hierarchy and reporting lines. It’s not always 100% accurate, but it’s better than guessing.
- Relationship mapping: Tag who’s warm (you’ve spoken), cold (no contact), or champion (internal advocate).
- Export or share maps: You can export these as PDFs or share links with your team. Don’t let them live in a silo—get sales, SDRs, and exec sponsors on the same page.
Skip the fluff: Don’t waste time building pretty org charts for accounts you’ll never touch. Focus on your top 20-50 accounts.
6. Use Humanlinker to Track Engagement and Next Steps
Now that your accounts are mapped and prioritized, keep the momentum:
- Log interactions: Humanlinker lets you track emails, calls, meetings, and LinkedIn touches.
- Set reminders: For key accounts, schedule next steps or nudges right in the platform.
- Watch for signals: The tool can flag job changes, new hires, or funding announcements—use these as excuses to reach out.
What to ignore: Don’t let the tool become another inbox. Log what matters, but don’t obsess over every click or view.
7. Review and Adjust—Don’t “Set and Forget”
ABM isn’t a one-and-done deal. Accounts change, people leave, priorities shift.
- Monthly reviews: Block an hour each month to review your Humanlinker account map. Add new contacts, drop dead accounts, adjust priorities.
- Team feedback: What’s working? What’s still missing? Use real sales feedback, not just platform dashboards.
- Refine your ICP: If you keep seeing duds at the top of your list, change your criteria—not just your messaging.
Honest take: No tool—including Humanlinker—will do your thinking for you. The platform’s useful, but you still need to use your judgment.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
You don’t win deals by building the prettiest account maps. You win by knowing who matters most and focusing your time there. Humanlinker can help you map and prioritize your ABM targets, but it’s not a silver bullet.
Focus on clear ICPs, real people (not just job titles), and honest reviews of what’s working. Start simple, fix what’s broken, and keep iterating. The best ABM strategies are the ones you actually use—consistently.
If you find yourself lost in features, go back to basics: Who’s buying, and why? That’s what matters. Everything else is just noise.