At Business Development University (BDU), we often hear salespeople share the same struggle: they’re working hard, filling their pipeline and closing deals, yet still falling short of their numbers. Why? They’re spending too much time chasing small, low-value accounts that won’t have a meaningful impact on their results.

BDU’s CEO Lisa Peskin knows this challenge very well. Early in her sales career at ADP, Lisa found herself in the same cycle. Because they were easier to set appointments with, she was focused on small accounts. However, those opportunities were extremely price-sensitive and offered limited potential. Despite her effort, her numbers just weren’t where they needed to be.

Everything changed when a trainer introduced her to the idea of an “elephant program.” Instead of chasing a lot of small deals, Lisa learned to focus on a few larger, high-value accounts. These “elephants” could be worth three to four times her average sale. By systematically pursuing these bigger opportunities, Lisa began closing one large account almost every month, and her results were transformative.

In her first year using this approach, Lisa closed nine “elephants,” exceeded her quota and learned one of the most important lessons in sales: every salesperson needs a defined strategy for landing big accounts.

How “Elephants” Became “Heavy Hitters”

As Lisa began teaching other sales professionals how to focus on landing large accounts, she realized something important: not all “elephants” were created equal. Some big accounts were truly transformative and could make a salesperson’s entire year. Others were large but not nearly as impactful. She recognized that categorizing all “elephants” the same way wasn’t the most optimal method for targeting these accounts.

That’s when Lisa decided to refine the model. She began breaking down the concept into different levels of large opportunities using a baseball analogy that anyone could easily understand. This is a concept BDU now refers to as a Heavy Hitters program.

The Heavy Hitters Framework: Singles, Doubles, Triples, Home Runs and Grand Slams

In baseball, not every hit is equal. The same is true in sales. With heavy hitters, every salesperson has opportunities at multiple levels:

• Singles and Doubles: Smaller wins that keep your pipeline moving.
• Triples, Home Runs and Grand Slams: These are the true heavy hitters (and what would formerly have been considered “elephants”).

The difference between a triple and a grand slam, however, can be dramatic. For example, a triple might be worth $250,000 while a grand slam could represent a $1 million deal. Both are significant but have very different impacts on a salesperson’s results.

This distinction matters because it ties directly into the sales equation. If your average deal size is larger, you don’t need as many meetings, proposals or closed deals to hit your numbers. One grand slam might equal four triples, which can dramatically reduce the amount of activity required to reach your goals.

By shifting from the broad “elephant” concept to a more defined Heavy Hitters framework, you have a practical, scalable way to understand and pursue your biggest opportunities.

Why Every Salesperson Needs a Heavy Hitter Program

Small accounts will always have a place in sales but balancing them with larger opportunities is the key to sustainable success and exceeding quotas. Pursuing heavy hitters provides three major advantages:

• One large account can make your month (or year). Bigger deals have the power to significantly move the needle.
• Higher average deal size means fewer transactions. Closing fewer, larger accounts is often more efficient than chasing dozens of small ones.
• Bigger accounts often create longer-term value. Large clients frequently require ongoing services, expansions and renewals. Plus, it’s easier to keep existing clients than to seek out brand new business.

For Lisa, the shift from focusing on small accounts to pursuing heavy hitters was the turning point that propelled her sales career forward. And she’s not alone — at BDU, we’ve seen countless salespeople make similar breakthroughs once they implement their own heavy hitter program.

How to Land Big Accounts in Sales: 3 Steps to Closing Heavy Hitters

At BDU, we teach sales professionals the same framework Lisa used to land her heavy hitters. It’s a three-step process that can help any salesperson systematically pursue, and ultimately close, large accounts.

1. Define Your Ideal Prospect

Not every company will be a good fit for your heavy hitter program. To maximize your chances of success, clearly define what your ideal big prospect looks like.

Ask yourself:

• Which industries or company types benefit most from my solution?
• Who has the budget and the need for a more comprehensive offering?
• Which dream clients in my territory would have the biggest impact if landed?

Example: If you sell HR technology, a 20-person company may not be the right fit. But a 1,000-person company with multiple locations could end up being a home run or even a grand slam that transforms your numbers.

Clarity at this stage ensures that your effort is focused on the right opportunities.

2. Build a “Top 50” List

Once you know what a heavy hitter looks like, create a Top 50 list of the companies you’d love to work with. This list keeps your efforts targeted and provides a roadmap for your business development strategy.

Salespeople who don’t create this type of list often get distracted by smaller, easier-to-close accounts. A Top 50 list helps ensure that you never lose sight of the larger opportunities that can transform your results.

Pro Tip: Treat your Top 50 list as a living document. Revisit it quarterly, update it as needed and celebrate your progress when you land one of your targets.

3. Use a Multi-Pronged Approach

Large accounts don’t close after a single call or email. Landing heavy hitters requires persistence, creativity and a systematic approach.

At BDU, we recommend combining:

• Phone, email and LinkedIn outreach to connect on multiple channels.
• Multiple contacts within the organization, including decision-makers and influencers.
• Consistent follow-up, recognizing that big accounts often take weeks or months to close.

To stay organized, Lisa created a tool she still uses with clients today: BDU’s S.T.A.R. Tracking Form. This resource helps salespeople track outreach, manage touchpoints and keep heavy hitter programs structured and consistent.

Want a free downloadable copy of BDU’s S.T.A.R. Tracking Form? Just fill out the form below and we’ll email it to you!

When targeting heavy hitters, we also emphasize combining a multi-touch approach with leveraging your network. It’s encouraged to share your heavy hitters list not only with colleagues but with clients and Centers of Influence (COIs) as well. Asking for an introduction to someone they know at one of your target accounts is much easier — and more effective — than asking for a vague referral.

Real-World Results

When Lisa committed to pursuing larger accounts, her results skyrocketed. She landed one large account nearly every month, increased her average deal size and blew past her quotas. BDU clients who adopt this approach have reported similar outcomes.

For example, we helped one client put together a heavy hitter list, which he ultimately shared with distributors who were selling his products. This led to him not only bringing in bigger accounts himself, but once his distributors saw the clearly outlined list of who he was targeting they brought them in to him as well.

The lesson is clear. Closing large accounts isn’t about luck; it’s about having a system.

Frequently Asked Questions About Landing Big Accounts

What is considered a “big account” in B2B sales?

This varies by industry, but typically a big account is one that’s worth at least 3–4 times your “singles.”

How do you know which are singles, doubles, triples, home runs and grand slams?

To define your levels, review your current clients in descending order by revenue size. Your largest account becomes your “grand slam,” your smallest are “singles” and the rest can be grouped into evenly spaced ranges. Once you’ve set these levels, you can work backwards to determine how many of each type you’ll need to hit your quota, making it easy to identify your true heavy hitters.

How do you get large accounts in sales?

You need three things: a clear definition of your ideal big prospect, a focused Top 50 list and a multi-pronged approach. Consistency is key.

How do salespeople close big deals?

Big deals close when you build trust and persist over time. It’s rarely one conversation that seals the deal, but instead the accumulation of touchpoints and value delivered.

It’s also important that you are dotting every “i” and crossing every “t” – making sure that you have the right stakeholders, everything is well qualified, defined next steps are set and there’s a compelling reason for how you can help with a defined ROI.

How can I improve my sales quota performance with heavy hitters?

By landing even one or two heavy hitters, you can dramatically increase your average deal size. This means fewer transactions are required to meet, and exceed, your quota. The same amount of effort can therefore result in much bigger, and better, results.

Final Thoughts

Small wins keep a pipeline moving, but heavy hitters are what truly transform sales results. With smaller wins providing bigger opportunities, salespeople can not only meet but exceed their quotas.

As Lisa’s story shows, it only takes one or two heavy hitters per quarter to completely shift performance. The key is having a structured process and knowing how to identify the opportunities that can make the biggest impact.

If you’re ready to start landing your own heavy hitters, begin by defining your ideal big account, creating your Top 50 list and getting a free downloadable copy of BDU’s S.T.A.R. Tracking Form to help you keep your program organized.

The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be on your way to landing big accounts and blowing your numbers out of the water!