If you’re tired of blasting generic campaigns to every account in your CRM, you’re not alone. Most teams know they should segment their accounts, but doing it well—especially in a tool like Sellmethispen—can feel like you need a PhD in both marketing and patience. This guide is for marketers, sales ops folks, or anyone who’s been told to “get more targeted” and needs a clear, honest playbook.
Let’s skip the fluffy advice and get straight to setting up custom account segmentation that actually helps you send the right campaigns to the right people.
Why bother with custom segmentation?
Look, it’s easy to hit “send all.” But if you’re reading this, you already know that treating every account the same is a waste of everyone’s time (and your budget). Good segmentation means:
- You’re not annoying execs with irrelevant pitches.
- Your best-fit accounts see stuff that actually matters to them.
- You’ll get more signal on what works, faster.
But let’s be real: Not every segmentation scheme is worth your time. Overcomplicate it, and you’ll spend all your time fiddling in the CRM, not running campaigns.
Before you start: What actually matters for your business?
Don’t just copy someone else’s segmentation. If you only remember one thing, make it this: Segment by what moves the needle for you.
Ask yourself: - What types of accounts become customers fastest? - Where do we see the highest deal sizes? - Who churns quickly (and why)?
Make a short list of criteria that matter. Examples: - Industry - Company size - Geography - Technology stack - Engagement level - Existing product usage
Pro tip:
If you need more than 5–6 segments to explain your go-to-market, you’re probably overthinking it.
Step 1: Get your data in order (don’t skip this)
It’s tempting to dive into Sellmethispen and start creating segments right away. Don’t. If your account data is patchy, your segments will be useless.
Checklist: - Are account fields (like industry, size, etc.) actually filled out for most records? - Are there duplicate or dead accounts cluttering things up? - Do you trust what’s in there, or is half of it “TBD” and “N/A”?
What works: - Run a quick audit. Pull a CSV export, filter for blanks and junk. - Fix obvious gaps (or at least flag them). - Decide what’s “good enough”—you’ll never have perfect data, but you need a minimum bar.
What to ignore:
Don’t go nuts trying to make every field perfect before you start. Just clean up what actually matters for your first few segments.
Step 2: Map out your segmentation plan
Before you start clicking around, sketch out your segments on paper or in a doc. This isn’t busywork—it’ll save you time and headaches.
How to do it: - List your main segments (e.g., “SaaS companies, 100+ employees, North America”). - Write down the account fields you’ll use for each. - Note any special logic (e.g., “Engaged in last 90 days,” “Uses competitor product”).
Pitfall to avoid:
Don’t create segments just because Sellmethispen has a field for it. Stick to what you’ll actually use for targeting.
Step 3: Set up custom fields (if you need them)
Most CRMs—including Sellmethispen—have standard fields like industry, company size, and location. But sometimes you need more.
- Custom fields are for stuff that’s unique to your business (e.g., “Primary Solution,” “Renewal Date,” “Tech Stack”).
- Don’t create a new field for every whim. Too many fields = chaos.
How to add a custom field in Sellmethispen: 1. Go to your account settings. 2. Find the “Custom Fields” section under Accounts. 3. Click “Add New Field,” choose a type (text, dropdown, date, etc.), and give it a clear name. 4. Save, and make sure your team knows to start using it.
Pro tip:
Dropdown or picklist fields are better than free text. They keep your data clean.
Step 4: Build your custom segments in Sellmethispen
Now the fun part—actually creating your segments.
- Go to the Accounts module.
- Look for a “Segments” or “Views” option—Sellmethispen calls this “Smart Segments” in some versions.
- Click “Create New Segment.”
- Set your criteria using filters. For example:
- Industry = “Healthcare”
- Company Size > 500
- Last Activity Date within 30 days
- Give your segment a straightforward name (“Enterprise Healthcare – Engaged”) so others get it.
- Save and preview. Check which accounts show up—does it make sense?
What works: - Start simple. One or two filters is fine to begin. - Use “preview” or “sample” features to spot wonky logic before you go live. - Document what each segment is for—future you (and your teammates) will thank you.
What doesn’t work: - Getting too granular. “Mid-market SaaS companies using Slack, Zoom, and based in the Midwest with 51-74 employees” is probably overkill. - Changing your segment definitions every week. Pick a system and stick to it for a campaign cycle before tweaking.
Step 5: Test your segments with small campaigns
Don’t go all-in until you know your segments actually work. Run a few test campaigns:
- Send a targeted message to one segment.
- Compare open/click/reply rates to your previous “batch and blast” campaigns.
- Watch for weird results (e.g., VIP accounts getting the wrong emails).
Pro tip:
Use your own work email as a test account in a few segments. See what shows up in your inbox.
What to ignore:
You don’t need complex A/B testing software yet. Just make sure your segments are catching the right people and not missing anyone obvious.
Step 6: Iterate and clean up
No segmentation is perfect on the first try. After a campaign or two, check:
- Did any segments overlap too much?
- Are you missing obvious accounts?
- Is your data holding up, or did you spot problems?
What works: - Schedule a quick review after every major campaign. - Merge or delete unused segments. - Update your “source of truth” doc with what you changed.
What to ignore:
Don’t obsess over tiny improvements. If you’re seeing better results than your old spray-and-pray strategy, you’re on the right track.
Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
1. “Set it and forget it” syndrome
Segments get stale fast. Set a calendar reminder to review them every quarter.
2. Too many cooks
Limit who can create/edit segments. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a mess of overlapping, half-baked lists.
3. Chasing perfect data
You’ll never have 100% clean data. Good enough is fine—just document your known issues.
4. Forgetting the campaign
Don’t make segments for their own sake. Tie every segment back to an actual campaign or use case.
Keep it simple—then evolve
Custom segmentation in Sellmethispen isn’t hard, but it is easy to overcomplicate. Start with a few high-impact segments, use them for real campaigns, and pay attention to what actually works. Ignore the rest. It’s always better to get started with something simple and fix it as you go, than to spend months planning for the “perfect” system.
Get your hands dirty, see what resonates, and keep it moving. That’s how real progress gets made.