# How to Design Multi-Thread Engagement Strategies
In the world of Australian B2B sales, relying on a single point of contact is a high-risk strategy. If your 'champion' leaves the company or changes roles, your deal often dies with them. Multi-threading is the process of building relationships with multiple stakeholders across different departments and seniority levels within a target account to ensure consensus and stability.
By diversifying your connections, you create a safety net for your sales pipeline and significantly increase your chances of winning high-value contracts. This guide will show you how to map, reach, and engage an entire decision-making unit effectively.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have the following:- A defined Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
- A list of high-value Target Accounts.
- Access to LinkedIn Sales Navigator or a similar prospecting tool.
- A CRM (like HubSpot or Salesforce) to track interactions.
- A basic understanding of your value proposition for different roles (e.g., what the CFO cares about vs. what the IT Manager cares about).
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Step 1: Identify the Decision-Making Unit (DMU)
Every major purchase in an Australian business involves multiple people. You need to identify who fills these roles:- The Champion: The person who wants your solution most.
- The Economic Buyer: The person who signs the cheque (often the CFO or GM).
- The Technical Buyer: The person who evaluates security, integration, and fit (often IT or Ops).
- The Influencers: People whose workflows will change because of your product.
Step 2: Map the Hierarchy and Relationships
Don't just list names; understand how they relate. In smaller Australian firms, the CEO might be the Economic Buyer, while in a large enterprise based in Sydney or Melbourne, it might be a Procurement Category Manager. Map out who reports to whom using your CRM or a simple tool like Lucidchart.Step 3: Define Unique Value Props for Each Thread
Multi-threading fails when you send the same generic message to everyone. You must tailor your 'thread':- For the CFO: Focus on ROI, cost-saving, and Australian tax compliance (if applicable).
- For the End User: Focus on ease of use and saving time in their daily tasks.
- For the Director: Focus on market share and competitive advantage.
Step 4: Audit Your Current Connections
Check your CRM. Do you only have one contact? If so, you are 'single-threaded.' Identify the gaps. If you have the Marketing Manager but not the Sales Director, that’s your first target for a new thread.Step 5: Execute the 'Executive Door-Opener'
If you are a founder or Director, reach out peer-to-peer. An email from your CEO to their CEO carries significant weight. Use a 'low-friction' approach: "Our teams are currently talking about [Project], and I wanted to introduce myself personally to ensure we are aligned with your 2024 strategic goals."Step 6: Leverage Social Proximity
In the Australian business landscape, mutual connections are gold. Check LinkedIn to see if you share connections with your target stakeholders. A warm introduction from a mutual contact is 10x more effective than a cold LinkedIn message.Step 7: Deploy Multi-Channel Sequences
Engagement should happen across different channels simultaneously. For each contact in the thread, plan a 14-day sequence:- Day 1: LinkedIn connection request (no pitch).
- Day 3: Personalised email referencing a specific business pain point.
- Day 6: Interaction with their LinkedIn content (comment or like).
- Day 10: Follow-up email with a relevant case study from a similar Australian company.
Step 8: Use 'Information Arbitrage'
This is a powerful tactic where you share insights from one contact with another (without breaking confidentiality). For example: "In my chat with your Operations Manager, Sarah, she mentioned that reducing downtime is a priority this quarter. I thought you’d be interested in how we helped [Company X] achieve a 20% reduction in that exact area."Step 9: Host a 'Multi-Thread' Event
Invite multiple people from the same account to a low-pressure environment. This could be a webinar specifically for their team or a small lunch at a local Brisbane or Sydney venue. Getting them in a room together (virtual or physical) strengthens the internal consensus.Step 10: Monitor Account Intent Data
Use tools to see if multiple people from the same company are visiting your website. If you see traffic from an IP address associated with a target account looking at your 'Pricing' and 'Security' pages, it’s time to ramp up your multi-threading to the CFO and IT Manager immediately.Step 11: Document the Thread Progress in your CRM
Create a custom view in your CRM that shows 'Contacts per Account.' If an account has a high deal value but only 1 contact, mark it as 'At Risk.' Aim for a minimum of 3-5 contacts for any deal over $20,000 AUD.Step 12: The 'Hand-off' and Expansion
Once the deal is won, don't stop multi-threading. Introduce your Account Manager to the various stakeholders. This ensures that when renewal time comes, you have deep roots across the entire organisation.---
Pro Tips
- The 'Below the Line' approach: Don't ignore the administrative assistants or junior staff. They are often the best sources of information regarding internal timelines and who the real influencers are.
- Reference Local Success: Australian business owners value local reliability. Always mention work you've done with other Australian businesses or your local ABN/office presence to build trust quickly.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Going behind someone's back: Never try to bypass your main champion in a way that makes them look bad. Always frame multi-threading as "gathering diverse perspectives to ensure the project's success."
- Spamming the whole office: If you email 10 people at once with the same message, they will talk to each other, and you will look like a bot. Space out your outreach.
Troubleshooting
"My champion is gatekeeping me": If your contact refuses to introduce you to others, explain that for the project to be approved by procurement/IT later, it’s best to get their input early to avoid roadblocks. Frame it as a way to help them* get the project approved.- "No one is responding": Your value proposition might be too generic. Go back to Step 3 and ensure you are speaking to the specific KPIs of that individual's job title.
Next Steps
Now that you've built your multi-thread strategy, it's time to refine your messaging. Check out our guide on Crafting High-Conversion B2B Outreach or learn more about Setting up Account-Based Marketing in HubSpot.Need help identifying your key accounts or automating your multi-thread outreach? The team at Local Marketing Group can help you build a bespoke ABM engine. Contact us today for a strategy session.