5. Setting objectives for ABM (part 1)

Think ABM is only for enterprise giants or demands massive budgets? Think again.Fes Askari and Josh Weale bust nine of the most common ABM myths - debunking the belief that ABM is just for big companies, that it replaces traditional marketing, or that personalization means slapping on a first name. They explore how effective ABM hinges on mindset over media spend, value-driven personalization, and cross-functional collaboration - not just software. Whether you’re scaling a startup or expanding customer accounts, they reveal why strategy and alignment - not size or spend - determine ABM success.

The Importance of a Target Account List in ABMDo you know how to create a powerful target account list that drives ABM success? Fes Askari and Josh Weale break down the essentials of account selection—from aligning Sales and Marketing and leveraging data-driven insights to distinguishing between your total addressable market and your ideal customer profile, and continuously refining your focus for maximum impact.

There’s a lot that has to come together to achieve impactful ABM execution. Success requires a strategic blend of preparation, alignment, and continuous optimization. Understanding the foundational steps and securing team buy-in are crucial. Additionally, leveraging the right tools and setting clear performance metrics can also make a significant difference in achieving desired outcomes. In this episode, Jack and Xenia uncover the essential steps and considerations that can elevate your ABM campaigns to the next level. Jack Rawlings Head of ABM Jack Rawlings is a seasoned Marketer with experience in both B2C and B2B worlds. In his role as a Head of ABM at strategicabm, he works with Marketing and Sales teams of leading B2B tech brands to develop impactful ABM strategies to meet their growth objectives. Xenia Sapanidi Head of Demand Xenia Sapanidi is an experienced marketing executive with a strong background in the B2B and B2G sectors, and a proven track record across 48 countries. As Head of Demand at strategicabm, she helps tech companies utilize their existing resources to develop and activate high-impact ABM strategies from the outset, and scaling, while driving significant growth and customer retention.

What do we mean by total addressable market (TAM) in the context of ABM?  For many ABM’ers, TAM might be an area that’s not as considered. After all, the goal with ABM can be to move beyond TAM and into a more specific focus. However, getting TAM right sets the parameters for ABM program success.  With this in mind, Jack and Josh explore the considerations, challenges and points to think about when establishing your total addressable market in ABM; from defining to aligning your focus across sales and marketing. Jack Rawlings Head of ABM Jack Rawlings is a seasoned Marketer with experience in both B2C and B2B worlds. In his role as a Head of ABM at strategicabm, he works with Marketing and Sales teams of leading B2B tech brands to develop impactful ABM strategies to meet their growth objectives. Josh Weale Director of ABM Josh is strategicabm’s Director of ABM, leading the development of innovative strategies to help enterprise tech businesses win, grow and retain their most important accounts. With a background in journalism and several years of client-side experience, he works with Sales and Marketing teams to help them succeed.

When it comes to ABM, creativity is the secret to making campaigns that not only stand out, but truly resonate with accounts.  Align outside-of-the-box ideas with account insight, and you’ll create memorable work that truly understands, inspires, and speaks the language of your accounts. So what does it take to introduce unique creativity into ABM? In this episode of ABM Under the Hood, Jack dives into the creative process with James Dignum, Senior Art Director at strategicabm. About your hosts: Jack Rawlings is a seasoned Marketer with experience in both B2C and B2B worlds. In his role as a Head of ABM at strategicabm, he works with Marketing and Sales teams of leading B2B tech brands to develop impactful ABM strategies to meet their growth objectives. James is a Senior Creative who has worked closely with teams around the globe to deliver the Big Ideas for B2B and B2C clients. His main goal? Create beautiful and meaningful work that drives engagement and delivers real results.

How does personalized content enhance the effectiveness of ABM strategies? How do you write a good ABM value proposition? And, are there limits to what you should and shouldn’t personalize? In ABM, your content is key to connect with accounts. So how can you make sure that content approaches them with empathy, understanding and relevance? In this episode of ABM Under the Hood, Jack Rawlings explores the world of content personalization with Lucy Jones, Head of Content Marketing at ABM. About your hosts: Jack Rawlings is a seasoned Marketer with experience in both B2C and B2B worlds. In his role as a Head of ABM at strategicabm, he works with Marketing and Sales teams of leading B2B tech brands to develop impactful ABM strategies to meet their growth objectives. Lucy Jones is an experienced content specialist. In her role as Head of Content Marketing strategicabm, she works across content strategy and development to ideate, create and bring to life the effective and unique content  that ABM programs need.

Tech is not a silver bullet. It won't be the crowning glory of your ABM program. But it sure can make your life considerably easier – you just need to get the right foundations in place. Building your ABM tech stack is arguably one of the most rewarding but challenging steps of setting up your ABM program. The truth is that your tech stack has the power to make or break your entire Account-based Strategy. It's up to you to make the right decisions. In this episode of ABM Under the Hood, Jack and Josh dive into the nitty gritty details of building the 'perfect' ABM tech stack, the dos and don'ts, and how to set the right foundations for success.    About your hosts: Jack Rawlings is a seasoned Marketer with experience in both B2C and B2B worlds. In his role as a Head of ABM at strategicabm, he works with Marketing and Sales teams of leading B2B tech brands to develop impactful ABM strategies to meet their growth objectives. Josh Weale is a Head of ABM, leading the development of innovative strategies to help enterprise tech businesses win, grow and retain their most important accounts. With a background in journalism and several years of client-side experience, he works with Sales and Marketing teams to help them succeed.

Part 2 has landed! Go back under the hood of ABM objectives, and hear from our Heads of ABM as they conclude their discussion around the challenge of setting the right objectives for your business. About your hosts: Jack Rawlings is a seasoned Marketer with experience in both B2C and B2B worlds. In his role as a Head of ABM at strategicabm, he works with Marketing and Sales teams of leading B2B tech brands to develop impactful ABM strategies to meet their growth objectives. Josh Weale is a Head of ABM, leading the development of innovative strategies to help enterprise tech businesses win, grow and retain their most important accounts. With a background in journalism and several years of client-side experience, he works with Sales and Marketing teams to help them succeed.

Success looks different to every organization – which is why defining your ABM objectives is vital. In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Jack and Josh start to dissect what makes a good or bad ABM objective. About your hosts: Jack Rawlings is a seasoned Marketer with experience in both B2C and B2B worlds. In his role as a Head of ABM at strategicabm, he works with Marketing and Sales teams of leading B2B tech brands to develop impactful ABM strategies to meet their growth objectives. Josh Weale is a Head of ABM, leading the development of innovative strategies to help enterprise tech businesses win, grow and retain their most important accounts. With a background in journalism and several years of client-side experience, he works with Sales and Marketing teams to help them succeed.

Jack and Josh team up in this episode to unravel this year's AI advancements, and how these technologies are transforming ABM as we know it. From automation to privacy and regulation concerns – they cover everything you need to know.  About your hosts: Jack Rawlings is a seasoned Marketer with experience in both B2C and B2B worlds. In his role as a Head of ABM at strategicabm, he works with Marketing and Sales teams of leading B2B tech brands to develop impactful ABM strategies to meet their growth objectives. Josh Weale is a Head of ABM, leading the development of innovative strategies to help enterprise tech businesses win, grow and retain their most important accounts. With a background in journalism and several years of client-side experience, he works with Sales and Marketing teams to help them succeed.