[GTM glossary](/glossary.md) Org chart ABM # Org chart Also known as: organizational chart, organization chart, org charts In short An org chart is a diagram that shows how a company is organized: which teams exist, who leads them, and who reports to whom. In B2B sales it is a map of the people you could talk to inside a target account. Sellers use org charts to see where a buyer sits, who sits above them, and which neighbouring teams may be affected by a purchase. An org chart shows formal reporting lines. It does not show who actually influences a decision; that is the job of stakeholder mapping. ## What a sales org chart shows * **Reporting lines:** Who manages whom, so you know who a prospect answers to and who can approve a budget. * **Team structure:** Which departments and sub-teams exist, such as sales ops, marketing ops, and data teams. * **Gaps:** Roles you expect to see but cannot find, which may mean a new hire, a reorg, or a different owner than you assumed. * **Entry points:** Junior or adjacent contacts who can introduce you to the senior owner. --- ## How to build an org chart for an account ### 1. Start with the likely buyer Pick the title that owns the problem you solve, such as a Head of Sales Operations. Place that person first, then work up and sideways. ### 2. Add the layers around them Add their manager, their peers, and the people who would use your product. Include finance or procurement if the deal size usually needs them. ### 3. Pull from several sources Combine professional profiles, your CRM, a contact database, and notes from calls. No single source is complete, and titles go stale quickly. ### 4. Keep it current Review charts for active deals every few weeks. Job changes and reorganizations can make a chart wrong without anyone noticing. --- ## Example Say a rep is chasing a mid-sized software company. The VP of Sales is the target, but the chart shows a Director of Revenue Operations reporting to the CFO. That tells the rep a second leader, and a finance reporting line, likely matter for the purchase. The rep adds both to the outreach plan instead of writing only to the VP. --- ## Org chart vs. stakeholder map A good account plan starts with the org chart and layers the stakeholder view on top. * **Org chart:** Shows formal structure and titles. * **Stakeholder map:** Adds each person's role in the deal, influence, and attitude toward your solution. --- ## Common mistakes * Treating titles as authority. A title says little about who holds budget or influence. * Building the chart once and never updating it. * Mapping only senior leaders and ignoring the people who will use the product daily. * Spending hours on a perfect chart for low-fit accounts that should have been deprioritized. --- ## Org chart FAQs **What is an org chart in sales?** In sales, an org chart is a diagram of a prospect company's teams, titles, and reporting lines. Reps use it to find the right contacts, understand who sits above and beside a buyer, and plan outreach to more than one person in the account. **How do you find an org chart for a target company?** Start with professional profiles and your CRM, then add a contact database and anything learned on calls. Search by department and seniority, place people under their likely managers, and confirm gaps by asking your contact who else is involved in the decision. **What is the difference between an org chart and a stakeholder map?** An org chart shows formal reporting structure and titles. A stakeholder map adds each person's role in the deal, how much influence they have, and whether they support your solution. The org chart is the base, and the stakeholder map is built on top of it. **How often should a sales org chart be updated?** For accounts with active deals, review the chart every few weeks and after any news of a reorganization, leadership change, or layoff. For accounts in a longer nurture, a quarterly check is usually enough to catch stale titles and departed contacts. Share term --- ## More related phrases * [ABM strategy](/glossary/abm-strategy.md) * [Sales play](/glossary/sales-play.md) * [Account-based sales](/glossary/account-based-sales.md) ## Similar phrases * [Stakeholder mapping](/glossary/stakeholder-mapping.md) Stakeholder mapping identifies everyone involved in a B2B buying decision and records their role, influence, and stance, so sales teams can plan who to engage and how. * [Multi-threading](/glossary/multi-threading.md) Multi-threading in sales means building relationships with several stakeholders at one account, so a deal does not depend on a single contact who could leave, go quiet, or lose influence. * [Buying committee](/glossary/buying-committee.md) A buying committee is the group of stakeholders at a company who evaluate and approve a purchase together, typically including a champion, users, technical reviewers, finance, and an executive sponsor. * [Decision maker](/glossary/decision-maker.md) A decision maker is the person with the authority and budget to approve a purchase, and the key contact to reach and convince in a B2B deal. * [Account mapping](/glossary/account-mapping.md) Account mapping is the process of identifying the people, roles, relationships, and business context inside a target account so sales and marketing know who to engage and how.