Sales & Marketing Alignment:
How Do I Handle Account Ownership and Attribution?
Prevent channel conflict, protect territories, and prove impact. Define who owns the account, how work is routed, and how credit is assigned across ABX—then codify it in CRM and compensation.
Use a single commercial owner per account (AE or AM) with clear Rules of Engagement (RoE) for SDRs, Marketing, CS, and Partners. Route work with documented logic (territory/segment/product, parent→child hierarchy, and named lists). Attribute pipeline using an account-level multi-touch model with two numbers on every deal: sourced (who created the opportunity) and influenced (who materially advanced it). Lock policies to CRM fields, enforce SLAs, and resolve disputes via a 48-hour escalation path.
Ownership & Attribution First Principles
90-Day Plan to Operationalize Ownership & Attribution
Move from opinions to policy—then wire that policy into systems, dashboards, and compensation.
Phase 1 → Phase 2 → Phase 3
- Days 1–30: Define & Document — Choose ownership model (territory/vertical/product/hybrid). Write Rules of Engagement, tie-breakers, and partner rules. Select attribution approach (account-based multi-touch with sourced vs. influenced). Map required CRM fields (Owner, Account Team, Motion, Source, Influence Window, Contact Roles).
- Days 31–60: Implement & Pilot — Automate routing and dedupe; import named lists; enforce contact-role requirement; configure attribution in BI/CRM; launch dashboards (sourced, influenced, pipeline coverage). Pilot with two segments and run dispute drills.
- Days 61–90: Scale & Govern — Roll out globally; publish a policy playbook; add quarterly true-ups and access reviews; align comp/OKRs; add exception logging and a dispute SLA report.
Ownership & Attribution Decision Matrix
| Scenario | Primary Owner | Collaborators | Routing Rule | Attribution Basis | Primary KPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Logo (Named Enterprise) | Global AE (parent) with regional co-sellers | SDR, ABM, SE, Partner Mgr | Parent→child roll-down; geo tie-breaker secondary | Sourced = creator; Influenced = account multi-touch (90–120 days) | Pipeline Coverage & Win Rate |
| Expansion (New BU/Product) | AM/AE on parent account | CSM, Product Specialist, ABM | Existing account team unless product exceptions apply | Assist credit to CS & Marketing if touches precede stage moves | Net Revenue Expansion (NRE) |
| Renewal | CSM/AM (per policy) | AE (up-sell), ABM (adoption) | Auto-assign to CSM 180 days pre-renewal | Renewal sourced = CS; influence credit to education/adoption programs | Gross/Net Dollar Retention |
| Partner-Sourced Deal | AE (direct) or Partner AE (indirect) | Partner Mgr, AE, ABM | Partner flag + territory; conflict resolved via RoE tie-breaker | Source = Partner; Influence shares to Mktg/Sales if pre-op touches exist | Sourced Pipeline by Channel |
| Inbound from Named Account | Named AE | SDR, ABM | Match to named list > territory > round-robin | Source = Marketing; AE gets ownership, SDR may get assist | Speed-to-Lead & Stage Velocity |
Client Snapshot: Ending Ownership Conflicts
A global SaaS org adopted single-owner policy with parent→child roll-ups and an account-based influence model. Conflicts fell 62%, time-to-assignment dropped from 26h to 3h, and reported “credit disputes” decreased by 70% in two quarters.
Align ownership and credit with RM6™ and map touches to The Loop™ so sourcing and influence reflect the real buying journey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ownership & Attribution
Policy answers you can copy into your playbook.
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