We've talked before about how letting sales reps return accounts they can't work is a great way to improve rep productivity.
So let's talk more about how to make sure an account return process will work for your sales team.
The account return process is key for keeping your sales pipeline on point. As you grow and change, your old systems might not cut it, leaving gaps that slow down your teams performance. This process has to keep evolving so AEs can zero in on top accounts, managers can keep things in check, and your whole sales flow stays solid. Having clear reasons for returning accounts gets everyone on the same page, making sure you use your resources smartly and hit your goals. Every team needs to figure out return criteria that work for AEs, managers, and the overall process.
Let’s set the stage.
Holding AEs accountable
From the get-go, you want to hold AEs accountable. This isn’t about micromanaging but about ensuring everyone is putting in the effort needed to hit their targets. You have to set specific goals—certain numbers of meetings, calls, and high-value interactions. No more skating by on just emails; you want meaningful engagement.
The manager's secret lock key
As most of us know or have experienced this, sometimes systems just don’t cooperate. If the sync between your email and Salesforce broke, for example, you don’t want to leave your reps stranded. So, something our friends over at Box did was introduce a "secret lock key" that allows managers to return accounts on behalf of AEs. This keeps things moving and gives them insight into what wasn’t working, without bogging down their AEs.
One of the big insights that Box learned was that systems can fail, and they needed a way to keep things moving regardless. During a major transition, they focused on setting everyone up with the right tools and measuring their activities accurately. The manager's secret lock key became crucial here. It allowed them to address issues without bringing everything to a halt. This flexibility meant no one got stuck; they could always move on to the next account as needed. Check out how Nora, Senior Director of GTM Strategy and Operations at Box talks through how she keeps things moving on her team when systems stall.
Let’s dig deeper, now we’re adding sub-reasons.
The initial return reasons centered around the idea of "work to completion." Once an AE meets their engagement goals, they could return the account. Now, organizations can also develop sub-reasons to capture more specific issues.
Keeping your data clean
One sub-reason can be bad data. It’s like spring cleaning for your database—essential for keeping everything running smoothly. By identifying and returning accounts with bad data, you can ensure your AEs are always working with the best information available. This is where Market Map can help bridge that gap; by continuously using generative AI to research all accounts in your CRM and evaluate their online presence, it provides you and your AEs with the highest-potential accounts to work on.
Learning and adapting
As you move through the quarter, you’ll probably realize there are more reasons to return accounts. For example, if an AE has multiple conversations and determines an opportunity isn’t a good fit, they could mark it as "close lost" and return the account. Or, if a customer recently churned, you don’t want that account cluttering up an AE’s workload. These tweaks and adjustments can come directly from listening to the business and making adjustments as needed.
Staying flexible and listening to feedback
We started with the goal of capturing data on accounts worked to completion or flagged for bad data. But as you listen to feedback, you’ll know where you need to expand your reasons. By continuously refining your process, you will get a better understanding of why accounts are being handed back and keep everything running smoothly.
Wrapping it up: a process that grows with your team
The return process starts with the best of intentions—to capture relevant data and keep AEs accountable. Over time, it becomes a dynamic system that adapts based on feedback and real-world needs. By listening, learning, and tweaking as you go, you can develop and integrate a process that supports your AEs and keeps your business moving forward. It’s all about being flexible, responsive, and committed to continuous improvement. Here’s to a process that grows with you and keeps you on track, no matter what challenges come your way.
