What is Multi-Threading in Sales and Marketing?
Multi-threading is a strategy where sellers build relationships with multiple decision-makers and influencers within a target account. Instead of focusing on just one point of contact, multi-threading helps establish connections with various stakeholders, creating opportunities not only to secure the first deal but also to drive long-term growth and retention. The more stakeholders you engage, the stronger the relationships become—ensuring that if someone leaves or changes roles, you still have connections with others in the organization.
Traditionally, multi-threading happened naturally during face-to-face meetings or events, but today it primarily occurs virtually. Sellers now connect with multiple team members from a digital-first environment, using a wider net to influence the entire buying group.
Key Tactics to Enhance Multi-Threading
- Treat Stakeholders as Part of Your Team
When engaging with various members of a buying group, approach the relationship as if you’re all working towards the same goal. Focus on how you can bring value to each individual, making their job easier or addressing their needs. - Leverage Social Media to Build Early Relationships
Use platforms like LinkedIn to follow, listen to, and engage with members of the buying group. Share valuable content to position yourself as a thought leader and demonstrate genuine interest in their work. - Welcome New Stakeholders Warmly
Buying groups often shift as roles change. When a new stakeholder comes into play, use your historical knowledge of the account to support them as they get up to speed. Connect with them on social media, introduce yourself, and start building that relationship from day one.
Multi-Threading: A Team Effort
Multi-threading isn’t just a strategy for sales teams. It requires coordination across an entire organization. Sales, marketing, and even customer success teams must collaborate to identify, engage, and nurture buying team members.
Real-time purchase intent data is crucial for enabling this end-to-end engagement. It helps teams understand who’s involved in a buying decision, when they’re most active, and how to engage them effectively.
How Can SDRs Support Multi-Threading?
Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) play a critical role in multi-threading by identifying and connecting with key stakeholders early in the process. SDRs can use purchase intent data to understand which individuals within an account are actively researching solutions. This allows them to flag new opportunities for Account Executives to engage, ensuring the right people are connected at the right time.
For example, using tools like Priority Engine, SDRs can identify which contacts within an account are actively consuming content related to your solution. This insight helps them target the most relevant stakeholders, enhancing multi-threading efforts and boosting the chances of successful engagement.
How Can Marketing Support Multi-Threading?
As buying groups grow larger and more complex, engaging them can be a challenge. This is where marketing can help by using purchase intent data to create content tailored to the needs and interests of the buying group.
Working closely with sales, marketing can develop High-Value Offers (HVOs)—targeted content or experiences that appeal to key members of the buying team. These offers can take the form of:
- Market Trends and Data
Presenting insights, trends, or market analyses to help buyers understand the bigger picture or challenge their assumptions. - Collaborative Planning Sessions
Offering joint planning sessions where buyers and sellers work together to solve specific challenges, demonstrating value and alignment. - Customized Content
Creating personalized content such as e-books, white papers, or case studies that directly address known buyer challenges. - Peer Experiences
Facilitating virtual meetings where industry peers share similar challenges and success stories, fostering a sense of community and trust among buyers.
By creating these High-Value Offers, marketing can help drive engagement with a broader group of decision-makers and keep the momentum going throughout the buyer’s journey.
Conclusion
Multi-threading is an essential strategy for engaging buying teams effectively. By building relationships across a range of stakeholders, both sales and marketing teams can work together to accelerate deals, drive larger opportunities, and create long-lasting relationships. It’s a full-team effort, and with the right tools and data, you can ensure you’re reaching the right people at the right time, setting your organization up for success in today’s complex B2B buying environment.
