Presentation Deck | Account-Based GTM
Account-Based GTM Essentials
In-Person Certification
Meet Your Instructors
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Certification Tour 2025 2
Practical Application
Stephanie S. McArthur Principal, ABX Expert
“How” and “When”
Research-Backed Theory
Davis Potter CEO, Co-Founder
“Why” and “What”
Practical Application
Kara Alcamo Founder, CEO
“How” and “When”
Course Agenda Kick-off (5-min)
Introduction to Account-Based GTM (10-min)
Modernized ABM Deployment Models (45-min)
Building Your Campaign Plan (45-min)
Account-Based Measurement & Reporting (45-min)
Next Steps
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Goals of the Certification Workshop
Uncover which ABM deployment model(s) to leverage in your organization.
Learn the foundational skills to build a campaign plan that aligns to your ABM deployment model(s).
Adopt a modernized account-based approach to measurement and reporting.
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We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.
- Archilochus
Source: ForgeX 2025 State of ABM Report: The Rise of Account-Based Go-to-Market Certification Tour 2025
Key Concepts We Will Cover
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Modernized ABM Deployment Models
Top Account-Based GTM Teams Perform Like an Orchestra
The Account-Based GTM Architecture™
Account-Based Arrow™
Certification Tour 2025
Workbook
Corresponding exercises for each concept
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Introduction to Account-Based GTM
10-min
Defining Account-Based GTM
A strategic go-to-market approach that unifies
a company's revenue teams to increase engagement
and drive revenue growth within specific target
accounts through orchestrated efforts across
the entire B2B lifecycle.
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The OLD Way…
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A Holistic Go-to-Market Approach
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It’s a Strategic Investment That is Not Built Overnight
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11 Source: ForgeX 2025 State of ABM Report: The Rise of Account-Based Go-to-Market
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Account-Based vs. Traditional GTM Strategies
Siloed and broad target account lists across GTM teams.
Lack of prioritization leads to resource waste.
Segmented cross-functional teams.
Unaligned metrics focused on “sourced” MQL-volume.
GTM is unified around a mutually agreed target account list.
Strategic clarity and high resource efficiency.
Focused and coordinated GTM efforts.
Mutually aligned metrics of success and KPIs across revenue teams.
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Top Account-Based GTM Challenges
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13 Source: ForgeX 2025 State of ABM Report: The Rise of Account-Based Go-to-Market
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Leading Account-Based GTM Teams Perform like an Orchestra
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The Composition of an Orchestra
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Your Account-Based GTM Orchestra
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Orchestrating a Unified Account-Based GTM Strategy
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Section Composition
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Sound Orchestration
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Musical Performance Output
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Modernized ABM Deployment Models
45-min
The Traditional Pyramid-Shaped ABM Models of 2010’s
• “1:1 ABM” is consistently confused and misrepresented amongst practitioners:
• Deal Acceleration approach isn’t included
• 1:Many ABM does not reflect a tiering strategy
“I can deploy 1:1 ABM to 50 accounts at once as a single practitioner”
“Providing extra support to a single open opportunity in an account is 1:1 ABM”
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Modernized ABM Deployment Models
• Typically only applied in orgs with high revenue potential per account or a small Obtainable Market where the investment is justified
• Most frequently deployed. Allows for scaled coverage; a necessity for lower ACVs or orgs with less GTM resources
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Standardizing ABM Deployment Model Nomenclature
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24 Source: ForgeX 2025 State of ABM Report: The Rise of Account-Based Go-to-Market
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Enterprise ABM:
Encompasses both the 1:1 and 1:Few approaches, requiring a distinct go-to-market (GTM) strategy supported by extensive multi-touch campaigns tailored to a single account or small cluster of accounts.
Defining Enterprise ABM
1:1 1:Few
Account Coverage Per Campaign • 1 individual account. • Typically no more than 25 accounts in a cluster.
Campaign Deployment • A campaign is built for each individual account.
• Hyper-personalized engagement strategy that is built from deep accountresearch; all events, assets and content are built /tailored just for the individual account.
• A campaign is built for each cluster of accounts.
• There is limited variance of tactical eligibility, personalization or resource allocation across each account.
# of Accounts Covered by an Individual Practitioner (if solely deploying this model)
• 3-8 accounts maximum at one time. • 1-4 clusters that typically include no more than 25 accounts at one time.
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Growth ABM:
Operates as a 1:Many model, specifically designed for engagement of the entirety of a target account list. This methodology involves scoring and prioritizing accounts, and then segmenting accounts into tiers, often three in number. The assigned tier dictates the extent of personalization and tactical eligibility an account receives, thereby optimizing resource allocation and ensuring the most tailored efforts are made where they matter most.
Defining Growth ABM
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
Tier Definition • Accounts that are the highest GTM priority.
• Accounts that are high GTM priority, but do not meet the selective threshold to make the Tier 1 group.
• Accounts that area high enough GTM priority to deploy resources to, but not enough to justify an investment higher than scaled tactics.
Account Coverage Per Campaign • Lowest number of accounts. • Medium number of accounts. • Scaled number of accounts.
Campaign Deployment • They're eligible for less-scalable highly personalized tactics, and receive more GTM resources.
• They benefit from a slightly lower degree of personalized tactics and GTM resource allocation.
• They receive scaled personalized tactics and GTM resource allocation.
# of Accounts Covered by an Individual Practitioner
• Low. • Medium. • High.
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Defining Deal Acceleration
Deal Acceleration:
Deploying additional GTM resources and efforts for an opportunity within a specific account in order to add supplemental support to help it progress and/or grow.
Deal Acceleration
Campaign Deployment • Deal Acceleration supports a single opportunity within an account. Unlike 1:1 Enterprise ABM, which supports an entire account across multiple deals and buying groups.
Application in Enterprise ABM and Growth ABM
• Can be used to support prioritized deals from accounts in both 1:Few and Growth ABM programs, provided the deal is of sufficient strategic importance.
• Not deployed for 1:1.
Account Coverage Per Campaign • Varies based on coverage requirements, bandwidth and resource availability.
# of Accounts Covered by an Individual Practitioner
• Varies based on coverage requirements, bandwidth and resource availability.
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Case Studies: Side-by-Side Comparison
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Current Usage Trends for Each Deployment Model
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29 Source: ForgeX 2025 State of ABM Report: The Rise of Account-Based Go-to-Market
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In 2025 Teams Plan to Expand Their Enterprise ABM Deployment
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30 Source: ForgeX 2025 State of ABM Report: The Rise of Account-Based Go-to-Market
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Defining ABM Practitioner Roles
Two distinct types of ABM practitioners have emerged: • Enterprise ABM Practitioner • Growth ABM Practitioner
Why this has occurred: • Need for a common language amongst cross-functional teams • Deployment models define skill sets and roles of ABM
practitioners • ABM leaders and practitioners are struggling to hold
apples-to-apples conversations
Additional clarification points: • Both Enterprise ABM and Growth ABM practitioners often
leverage the Deal Acceleration deployment model • You can deploy both Enterprise ABM and Growth ABM as a
single practitioner, but it is not recommended
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ABM Team Resourcing Trends in 2025
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32 Source: ForgeX 2025 State of ABM Report: The Rise of Account-Based Go-to-Market
Discussion
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ABM Deployment Model Selection
• Choosing the best ABM deployment model(s) for your GTM strategy is imperative for success
• Each deployment model embodies a unique strategic framework, requiring distinct processes
• You can leverage one or multiple ABM deployment models simultaneously
ABM Deployment Model Selection
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Leveraging All ABM Deployment Models Simultaneously
• Enterprise ABM’s accounts are typically pulled from Growth ABM’s Tier 1 and 2.
• If an account is no longer meeting the eligibility criteria for Enterprise ABM, it is typically moved back into a Growth ABM Tier.
• Growth ABM’s accounts are pulled from the Target Account List.
• They encompass the majority accounts that are prioritized by your GTM to pursue.
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Exercise: Choosing Your ABM Deployment Models
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Workbook p. 06
Group Discussion:
• Do you plan on adopting additional ABM deployment models in FY’25?
• What are your top challenges?
• How well do your current ABM deployment model(s) align with your organization's overall business objectives and go-to-market strategy?
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Building Your Campaign Plan
45-min
The Account-Based GTM Architecture™
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Category Subcategories
Go-to-Market Foundations • Program Objectives • Target Account Selection
• Target Personas
• Messaging Strategy
Campaign Planning & Activation • Setting Campaign Objectives • Account & Contact Database Completeness
• Content Strategy
• Campaign Tactical Capabilities
• Campaign Plan
Cross-functional Collaboration • Collaboration Flywheel • Cross-functional Roles
• The Account-Based GTM Architecture™ is a framework that ForgeX has developed to provide organizations with a blueprint to implement a best-in-class Account-Based GTM strategy.
• Today, we will cover each of the subcategories listed below that are critical in order to build a successful ABM campaign plan.
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First Thing’s First… Defining a Campaign
A unified, continuous strategy where cross-functional
revenue teams collaborate to engage target accounts
through a holistic mix of GTM touchpoints using
personalized channels, motions, and tactics.
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Where ABM Budget is Being Allocated in FY’2025
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39 Source: ForgeX 2025 State of ABM Report: The Rise of Account-Based Go-to-Market
• Overall, budgets are expected to “remain about the same” in 2025.
Organizations are increasing investment in “campaigns” and “content”, highlighting a focus on scaling their account-based programs.
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Go-to-Market Foundations
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Setting Your Overall ABM Program Objectives
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Determining Your Target Account Mix
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Building Your Target Account List (TAL)
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Defining Your ICP
• The (Ideal Customer Profile) ICP uses a data-driven approach to clearly define who your best fit customers are.
• These are types of accounts that your Account-Based GTM strategy should focus around.
• Segment: A broad market category defined by shared characteristics or needs.
• Microsegment: A niche subset within a segment with specialized needs or specific requirements.
• % of Net-New Acquisition • % of Retention • % of Cross-sell • % of Upsell
Determine Your Segment and/ or Microsegments
Select the Target Account Mix
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Determine the Target Account Selection Variables
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Use Data to Assist Your Target Account Selection
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Best Practices & Mistakes to Avoid While Building Your TAL
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Best Practices
• Cross-functional teams should be deeply involved throughout the entirety of the selection process
• Target accounts should not be selected in a silo by the ABM team
• Take a data-driven first pass BEFORE meeting with sales • Establish disqualification criteria for your TAL.
Disqualifying an account does not mean it is permanently removed from the target account list forever
Mistakes to Avoid
• The Revolving Door Trap: Cycling accounts in and out of your target account list too quickly is a recipe for disaster.
• Siloed Account Selection: Making a data-driven first pass at the TAL is a great first step, but this should be reviewed and ultimately signed off by your other GTM partners.
• Just Asking Sales: Sales will give you their hardest net- new accounts to pursue.
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Defining your Target Personas
• A detailed profile that encapsulates the attributes of the individuals that are likely to purchase your solution
Target Persona
• Enables tailored messaging that resonates with specific needs.
• Enhances targeting efficiency and campaign relevance.
• Improves customer experience and accelerates engagement by addressing persona-specific challenges.
Importance
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Target Personas are Not the Main Objective
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Buying Group Sizes
• Buying group sizes increase as the level of investment (ACV) increases
• Higher ACVs equate to longer sales cycles and more complex evaluation processes
• Lower ACV typically provides more purchase authority, equating to smaller buying groups
Buying Group Sizes
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Buying Group Member Attributes
Goal • Develop a tailored approach to strategically engage each buying group
member, guiding them collectively toward a favorable decision.
• Determines the level of impact the member has on the purchasing decision.
• Defines the responsibility they play in the buying process.
• Reflects their view of your solution or organization.
• Outlines buying group members who have a significant influence on the buying decision.
Powerline IdentificationBuying Influence Buying Role Perception
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Messaging Framework
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Campaign Planning & Activation
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Setting Campaign Objectives
• OKRs will vary based upon each ABM deployment model
• Composition of the target account mix
• Macroeconomic factors affecting GTM strategy
• New product launches or updates
• Adjustments in pricing and packaging
• Defined campaign timeframe
• Availability of budget and resources
• Tactical capabilities and executional readiness
• Cross-functional team capacity for support
Influential factors
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Account & Contact Database Completeness
Audit your existing database to ensure the health of your account and contact records
Database Audit What to Look For
Number of Contacts Per Account • Assess the quantity of contacts within each target account to understand the depth of your database.
Contact Quality and Relevance • Evaluate the relevance of each contact to your target personas and buying groups, ensuring alignment with campaign objectives.
Data Accuracy • Verify the correctness and up-to-dateness of the contact information at both the contact and account levels using regular audits, data enrichment tools, and/or automation solutions.
Duplicate Records • Identify and resolve any duplicate contact or account entries to maintain data integrity.
Data Enrichment Opportunities • Fill gaps in data completeness, making sure your dataset is complete with the proper and full entities and attributes
• Explore possibilities for enhancing your database with additional relevant information, such as social media profiles, industry updates, or behavioral data.
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Content Strategy: Defining the 4 Goals of Content Content Type Objective Buying Journey Relevance Examples Include
Thought Leadership • Establish and reinforce trust while positioning your organization as an authoritative leader in the domain.
• Pipeline Generation, Pipeline Acceleration, Deliver & Retain, Expand
• Guides • Podcasts • Webinars • Research Reports • Academy • LinkedIn Posts
Social Proof • Build trust and credibility by showcasing customer successes, peer endorsements, and third-party validation to influence buying decisions.
• Pipeline Generation, Pipeline Acceleration, Deliver & Retain, Expand
• Customer Testimonials • Reviews & Ratings • Industry Awards • Partner Endorsements • Media Mentions
Product Education • Effectively communicate the complexities, functionalities, and practical applications of your product.
• Pipeline Acceleration, Deliver & Retain, Expand
• Interactive Demos • Product Webinars • Buyer’s Guides • Whitepapers • Virtual Hands-on-Labs • Pricing Guides • Free Trial
Investment Validation • Demonstrate the financial and strategic value of your solution or services, emphasizing its potential for delivering a significant return on investment (ROI).
• Pipeline Acceleration, Expand • ROI Calculator • Case Studies • Custom Analyst ROI Reports
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Auditing & Aligning Your Existing Content Inventory
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Campaign Tactical Capabilities Tactic Examples
Auditing Your Existing Tactical Capabilities:
• Evaluate the delivery mechanisms (e.g., technologies, processes) required to execute tactics effectively and at the desired scale.
• How effectively can you personalize at the account and/or contact-level?
Event Direct Mail
Marketing-led Email
Sales-led Email
• Virtual • Roundtable • Experience • In-account webinar • Lunch & learn • Tech talk • Sponsorship of event
(Virtual summit, Thought leadership webinar, etc.)
• In-person • Roundtable • In-account demo day • Ancillary event • Sponsorships of event
(Tradeshow, Community meet-up, etc.)
• Nurture • Newsletter
• Nurture • Personalized (account
or contact-levels)
Sales-led Outreach
• LinkedIn • InMail • Connection request • Cold call
Executive Engagement
Out-of-Home (OOH)
Influencers
Executive Briefing Center
Paid Social
Paid Search
Connected TV
Content Syndication
Web Chat
Programmatic/Display
Podcast
• The execution of tactics should involve all relevant GTM teams (e.g., Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Product Marketing)
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Building Your Campaign
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Considerations Before you Build the Campaign Plan
Geographic considerations and localization
Cross-functional team bandwidth and support capacity
Major organization- wide initiatives such as product launches and brand campaigns
Legal team availability for approvals
Timing and seasonality
Sales partners' compensation structure
Resource allocation and budget availability
Macroeconomic pressures and market conditions
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Strategic Approaches to campaign planning: Enterprise ABM vs Growth ABM
Campaign Planning Differences Between ABM Deployment Models
Inherent Guiding Principle • Plan and execute campaigns with deep precision. • Plan and execute campaigns optimized for scale.
Insights for Campaign Planning • Gather and apply deep insights at the account, cluster, or buying group level to enable hyper-targeting.
• Leverage relatively broad insights into segments, personas, and buying trends.
Marketing-Sales Alignment • Collaborate closely with sales by accessing their account plans, joining regularly scheduled meetings, and scheduling dedicated meetings to align on priorities and co-create campaigns tied to specific account, cluster or deal goals.
• Coordinate with sales periodically to align on segment priorities and ensure buy-in on messaging, targeting, and campaign execution across broader audiences.
Customization • Create deeply personalized campaign assets and content tailored to accounts, clusters, or buying groups.
• Scalable personalization to ensure relevance across broader audiences, achieving efficiency while addressing the diverse needs of relatively large and varied target account lists.
Technology Enablement • Insight tools play a critical role, supported by manual processes to ensure precision and adaptability. Other technology tools are used but may sometimes play a less central role compared to Growth ABM.
• Campaigns are facilitated by and orchestrated with a range of point solutions, scaled data collection tools, marketing automation, and an Account-Based GTM platform.
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1:Few ABM is not just marketing to “a few” accounts—it includes targeting strategic clusters with shared characteristics.
A Quick Reminder about 1:Few Enterprise ABM
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• You must cluster accounts that share needs strongly enough to be marketed to almost as a single entity. In the majority of cases, clusters are made up of accounts from the same industry sub-vertical (e.g., a “medical device manufacturers” cluster rather than a “healthcare industry” cluster).
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Deal Acceleration ABM is structured similar to 1:1 Enterprise ABM.
Campaign Planning for Deal Acceleration
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• Engage the buying groups associated with a specific, high-value opportunity • Align sales and marketing plays to deal stages • Support the various revenue growth strategies (ex: acquisition, cross-sell, upsell, retention) and revenue growth
pathways (ex: creation, reactivation, acceleration, expansion)
The campaign planning process must ensure:
Documentation • Engagement plan focused on a single opportunity.
Sales Involvement • Deep collaboration with the account team(s) associated with the opportunities selected for the program.
Personalization Level • Deeply customized, opportunity-specific.
Optimization • Highly adaptable based on feedback from sales and/or in response to signal data, engagement trends, and predictive insights.
Deal Acceleration
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1:1 Enterprise ABM: Most Utilized Channels
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63 Source: ForgeX 2025 State of ABM Report: The Rise of Account-Based Go-to-Market
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1:Few Enterprise ABM: Most Utilized Channels
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64 Source: ForgeX 2025 State of ABM Report: The Rise of Account-Based Go-to-Market
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Growth ABM: Most Utilized Channels
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65 Source: ForgeX 2025 State of ABM Report: The Rise of Account-Based Go-to-Market
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Deal Acceleration: Most Utilized Channels
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66 Source: ForgeX 2025 State of ABM Report: The Rise of Account-Based Go-to-Market
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Cross-functional Collaboration
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Collaboration Flywheel
Defined:
A standardized operating model that clarifies roles, responsibilities, and SLAs, establishing strategic and executional guidance for all stakeholders.
ABM leaders must clearly define the collaboration model and align on desired outcomes with all GTM teams before executing campaigns — without this foundation, even the strongest strategies risk failure.
Jessie Wu Head of ABM, Autodesk Construction Cloud Executive Council Member, ForgeX
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Implementing a Delivery Model
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Best Practice Protocols
• Establish SLAs that define not only expected deliverables, but also the responsibilities and timelines for communication around deliverables between cross-functional teams.
• Choose communication channels and formats that align with the preferences and/or existing workflows of the stakeholders involved.
• Example: If the sales team regularly uses a Slack channel, you should also use Slack.
• Use widely adopted and consistent nomenclature to ensure everyone is on the same page and reduce the risk of misunderstandings.
• Avoid scheduling or continuing meetings when updates can be effectively communicated through alternative channels, saving stakeholders' time.
• Example: If you have a 30-minute weekly meeting with the sales team and do not have major updates from the previous sync, it is usually best to share updates via email.
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Exercise: Building Your Target Account List
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71
Workbook p. 11
Group Discussion:
• What target account selection variables do you leverage to build your TAL?
• What percentage breakdown is your target account mix?
• Which cross-functional teams do you collaborate with to build the target account list?
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Measurement & Reporting
45-min
Measurement Framework
Unified Data Model Reporting Infrastructure
Internal Reporting Forecasting
• A structured way to track and assess how well your ABM efforts are performing.
• A standardized model that organizes data from different sources into a single, accurate, and accessible format.
• The tools and processes that make it easy to visualize, analyze, and share data across teams.
• Regular reports that keep teams aligned and informed on ABM performance.
• Predictive analytics to project future outcomes and inform strategic decision-making for ABM efforts.
• The Meal You Want to Cook
• The Recipe • Cooking Tools • The Final Outcome • How Much Food You Need
Measurement & Reporting Category 4
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It’s Time to Retire MQLs
• Leave functions (often sales and marketing) fighting for attribution “credit”.
• Leads to siloed cross-functional departments.
• Fails to reflect the entirety of the buying journey.
• Incentivize lead volume vs. quality.
• Often a vanity metric that is triggered by surface-level engagement.
• Compensation structures incentive gamification and poor practices.
Why Organizations Should Ditch MQLs:
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Buying Journeys are Not Linear
• MQLs assume the buying journey is linear.
• In reality, the buying journey is immensely complex.
• Buying groups, not individual “leads”, typically interact with multiple GTM Engagement Touchpoints throughout their buying journey.
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75 Reference: SiriusDecision’s Demand Waterfall™ (2006 Version)
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MQLs Create Siloed GTM Teams
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Account-Based Measurement Eliminates Siloed GTM Teams
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Leaving MQLs Behind Isn’t Easy
Most executives, board members and investors (ex; VCs, PE Firms) are comfortable with MQLs due to the widespread adoption of SiriusDecisions' 2006 Demand Waterfall™
An MQL-based reporting infrastructure is easy to implement, although massively flawed.
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Variables Affecting Metric Selection
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Building Your Measurement Framework
Engagement Revenue Data Coverage & Scope Reputation
• Measuring the effectiveness of your GTM touchpoints and efforts through engagement signals at both the account and contact levels.
• Enhance and grow the organization’s revenue performance through targeted and aligned GTM efforts.
• The scope of your target account coverage within the program and database completeness.
• Build and strengthen your organization’s credibility and trust within target accounts, driving influence and perceived value.
4 Pillars of Account-Based Metrics
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Choosing Your Account-Based Metrics
Engagement Revenue Data Coverage & Scope Reputation
• # of Engaged Accounts • % of Engaged Accounts in Your
Target Account List • # of Overall Account Contacts
Engaged • # of Priority Contacts Engaged • # of Buying Group Contacts
Engaged • % of Buying Group Contacts
Engaged Associated to an Opportunity
• # of New Direct Inquiries • Direct Inquiry-to-Meeting
Conversion Rate • # of New Meetings Booked • # of QAs (Qualified Accounts)
• Target Account-to-Pipeline Ratio
• # of Opportunities Generated • # of Opportunities Influenced • # of Opportunities
Closed-Won • $$$ Generated • $$$ Influenced • $$$ Closed-Won • ACV (Annual Contract Value) • CLV (Customer Lifetime Value) • Win Rate • Overall Time-to-Close • Deal Stage Progression • Deal Stage Conversion Rates
• Database Cleanliness Activities Achieved
• # of Accounts Covered • # of Industries Covered • Account Mix Coverage • # of Buying Group Contacts
Identified • # of Buying Group Contacts
Associated to the Relevant Opportunity
• # of New Contacts Added to Database
• # of Referenceable Accounts • # of New Case Studies • Net Promoter Score (NPS)
4 Pillars of Account-Based Metrics
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Aligning Metrics with Business Impact
Connect short-term actions to long-term outcomes that drive growth, efficiency, and retention.
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Benchmarking Your Account-Based Efforts
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You Need a Unified Data Model to Powers the Metrics
The Blueprint for RevOps / MarOps • We have lacked a standardized Unified Data Model that is
purpose-built for Account-Based GTM metrics and reporting
• This has led to confusion and adoption hesitancy of account-based measurement and reporting by GTM leaders
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Introducing the Account-Based Arrow™
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Defining Signals
Signal: A measurable action or indicator that reflects a contact's level of interest, intent, or readiness within the context of the buying journey.
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Classifying & Prioritizing Your Signals: 1st Party
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Classifying & Prioritizing Your Signals: 2nd & 3rd Party
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Signal-Capture Model
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Ensuring Signal Model Accuracy
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Signal Pattern Analysis
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Account-Based Buying Journey Stages
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Contact Engagement Signals
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Multi-layered Targeting Levels
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Operationalizing Buying Groups
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Reporting Infrastructure
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Implementing Account-Based Measurement & ReportingExercise:
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Workbook p. 15-17
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Next Steps
Workshop Reflection
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Modernized ABM Deployment Models
Top Account-Based GTM Teams Perform Like an Orchestra
The Account-Based GTM Architecture™
Account-Based Arrow™
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Congratulations!
• Post your certification to your LinkedIn profile.
• Use the knowledge you gained to improve the Account-Based GTM strategy at your organization.
• Join our exclusive community channel for Account-Based GTM certified alumni
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Further Your Expertise
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Account-Based Measurement & Reporting
Special Launch Offer: Get free access through March 31st
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• Implement modernized deployment models that reflect how leading programs are structured with Enterprise ABM, Growth ABM, and Deal Acceleration
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Continue the Conversation with +2000 Peers:
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Appendix
How Accounts Move Across Deployment Models
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Buying Journey & Signal Orchestration
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#B2BMX Workshop 2025 105
Campaign Planning for Growth ABM
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#B2BMX Workshop 2025 106
Benchmark Audit
Growth ABM Playbook (by Tier)
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Benchmark Audit
Source: ForgeX Benchmarking Database
Example Growth ABM Campaign Plan
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Benchmark Audit
Source: ForgeX Benchmarking Database
Metric Examples In Each Level
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MQLs vs. Buying Groups
110
• MQLs assume that a single individual can represent an entire buying opportunity, which is unequivocally inaccurate unless your product has an extremely low ACV.
• Buying groups reflect the reality of how purchase decisions are made.
• Focusing on buying groups help you understand where an account is at in its buying journey.
MQLs vs. Buying Groups
Practical Application: Setting Campaign Objectives
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Campaign planning in 1:1 ABM relies on creating a tailored engagement plan for each target account
Campaign Planning for 1:1 ABM
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• The objective of the engagement plan is to ensure that all revenue teams team deliver impactful GTM touchpoints to the relevant members of the buying group within the named account for the full duration of the account’s inclusion in the 1:1 ABM program.
• The campaign plan should be built in close collaboration with sales and consist of five sections:
Campaign planning in 1:Few ABM also involves creating engagement plans. Now that you know how to build a 1:1 ABM engagement plan, understanding 1:Few ABM is easy—the main difference is applying it to a cluster of accounts instead of a single account.
Campaign Planning for 1:Few ABM
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• The campaign plan should be built in close collaboration with sales, an industry sub-vertical subject matter expert (if available), and consist of the following five sections:
Campaign Planning for 1:Few ABM
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Unlike Enterprise ABM, Growth ABM relies on a campaign program brief rather than individual engagement plans. This brief serves as the strategic blueprint, outlining how the campaign is structured to engage accounts across tiers, aligned to their buying journey stages and segment-specific needs.
Campaign Planning for Growth ABM
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• The campaign program brief should be built with high-level collaboration with sales and other cross-functional teams and consist of the following sections:
Growth ABM Campaign Program Plans (Section 4 - Performance Measurement and Optimization)
Measurement shouldn’t be a post-mortem exercise—it needs to be considered before launching Growth ABM campaigns and feed directly into planning. Determine how you will measure and optimize before launching the campaign program and document the planned process for measurement and optimization in the campaign program brief. Each account-based buying journey stage requires a different approach:
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Metric Category Unengaged, Engaged Qualified (MQA, QA) Active Pipeline, Closed-Won
Engagement Account reach, digital ad clicks, early-stage content views
Multi-touch content engagement, time spent on assets
High-value content interactions, responses to direct outreach
Key Relationships Multiple individuals engaging within an account
Meaningful buying group engagement, sales-triggered responses
Event participation, meetings booked, executive alignment
Revenue Growth Early signals (e.g., intent surges, engagement spikes)
Pipeline influence, sales-accepted touches
Revenue attribution, closed-won deals, retention/churn prevention
Optimization Strategy Refine audience and messaging strategy at the campaign program-level
Refine messaging at the industry and/or role level. Adjust content sequencing and retargeting
Refine messaging at the segment and/or persona level. Sales and marketing coordinate ABM plays
The objectives of a Growth ABM campaign are designed to support broader account coverage while maintaining strategic prioritization:
Growth ABM Campaign Program Plans (Section 1 - Campaign Program Overview & Objectives)
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• The target account list (TAL) typically consists of multiple segments and/or microsegments to ensure reach.
• Accounts within the TAL are prioritized into tiers (often three) based on criteria such as revenue potential and strategic fit.
• The Tiers dictate resource allocation and effort intensity, ensuring the highest-value accounts receive the most investment.
• Objectives are primarily assessed at the account level, focusing on advancing accounts through key buying journey stages.
• Contact-level and buying group engagement are applied at scale for efficiency.
Growth ABM Campaign Program Plans (Section 2 - Messaging and Content Strategy)
118
• Segment- and persona-level messaging tailored for relevance, designed to scale efficiently
• Aligning to the overarching umbrella value proposition and delivered through targeted messaging themes
Messaging Strategy:
• Buying intent signal data trigger a shift in which message or content is shown
• GTM engagement touchpoint patterns dictate content sequencing • Content dynamically adjusted and delivered at scale using
automation and data-driven triggers
Content Strategy:
Enhancements with a More Advanced Tech Stack: Data-Driven, Dynamic Pivots
• Content aligns to buying journey stages • Assets crafted or tailored for specific segments and key personas • Modular content playbook enabling dynamic assembly and scalable
customization
The diagram below demonstrates the process of building an account-specific engagement plan
Campaign Planning for 1:1 ABM
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1:1 ABM Engagement Plans (Section 1 - Account-Level Goals)
The first section of the engagement plan captures account-level goals as articulated by the account team. The section documents the current state and desired future state for key business outcomes. We recommend focusing on three key categories: Revenue Growth, Key Relationships, and Engagement. Ultimately, this section of the engagement plan provides a clear roadmap for all marketing efforts directed at the target account, making it easier to deliver impactful, results-driven campaigns.
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• Current deal’s size: $10M • Current deal projected to close in Q4 • No cross-sell opportunities
Current State
• Grow projected deal size to $15M • Close deal in Q3 • Receive an RFQ for additional solution
offerings
Desired Future State
• Lack of meaningful executive-level interactions
• Key decision-maker left company. We don’t know the new hire
Current State
• Executives consider us trusted advisors • Convert new decision-maker from a
stranger to an advocate
Desired Future State
• Only 1 member of the buying group attended our user conference
• No in-person meeting last quarter
Current State
• 5+ buying group members at this year’s user conference
• At least one in-person meeting with as many members of the buying group by end of Q1
Desired Future State
Firmographics • Industry, revenue, employee count • Key business units and locations
Strategic Initiatives and Budget Focuses • Company-wide and business unit-specific priorities • Funding allocations for key projects
Buying Intent Signals & GTM Engagement Activity • Trending searches and content consumption • Vendor evaluation activity • 1st Party engagement signals such as attending an event
Summaries of Pain Points and Challenges • Issues that can be addressed by your company’s solutions • Failures or weaknesses of the competing, installed solution
Technographics • Installed solutions and potential gaps • Current vendors and renewal cycles
Organizational Dynamics • Channel and/or engagement preferences • Company mission, vision, and culture • Company-specific policies, processes, and buying cycles
1:1 ABM Engagement Plans (Section 2 - Account-Specific Data and Insights)
The second section of the engagement plan captures account-specific data and insights gathered by the marketing manager via desk research, insight technology tools, and direct conversations with the account teams. A deep understanding of the target account’s business challenges, priorities, and existing technology landscape enables you to tailor messaging, positioning, and engagement strategies for maximum impact.
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What is commonly included:
1:1 ABM Engagement Plans (Section 3 - Buying Group-to-Needs and Solution Mapping)
Successful 1:1 ABM requires engaging the entire buying group—not just one or two contacts. Mapping each member of the buying group to your organization’s offering(s) and identifying their buying influence, roles and perception is critical.
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Example:
Name Title Solution of Interest Buying Influence Buying Role Perception
Priyanka Astaire Chief Operations Officer
OmniFlow 360 Final Decision Maker Initiative Leader Champion
Mickey Jordan Director of IT Architecture
OmniFlow 360 Influencer Technical Evaluator Blocker
Nelson Bond VP of Procurement OmniFlow 360 Approver Investment Evaluator Neutral
Diana Ricardo Head of CX OmniFlow 360 Approver End User Champion
Neo Hemingway Chief Security Officer TitanFlex Pro+ Final Decision Maker Initiative Leader Unknown
Tarkan Solo Director of Operations TitanFlex Pro+ Influencer End User Champion
Dorothy Hepburn Compliance & Risk Manager
TitanFlex Pro+ Team Member End User Detractor
1:1 ABM Engagement Plans (Section 3 - Buying Group-to-Needs and Solution Mapping)
Many buying groups are larger than the examples on the previous slide. Also, it may not always be possible to identify all members by name and/or confirm buying roles. In these cases, use placeholders.
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1:1 ABM Engagement Plans (Section 4 - Account-Specific Messaging Development)
Develop messaging that will help achieve account-specific goals, aligns directly with the account insights, and will resonate with the buying group. Messaging guidelines should focus on driving business impact for the specific account. General campaign messaging guidelines can be referenced. Generic messaging should be altered to be custom for the account. When global campaign messaging is not relevant, new messaging should be developed.
The messaging strategy developed in this section of the engagement plan will guide all GTM touchpoints outlined in Section 5.
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Reference Existing Messaging Guidelines
• Industry-specific campaigns briefs • Product Marketing campaign briefs • 1:Many or 1:Few campaign briefs
Develop Account-Specific Messaging Guidelines
• Address account-specific needs • Can address individual buyer’s
roles, concerns, and/or goals
1:1 ABM Engagement Plans (Section 5 - Account-Specific GTM Touchpoint Planning)
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Design a customized, sequenced plan for delivering the GTM touchpoints via multiple channels tailored to the likely buying journey stage of the buying group.
1:1 ABM Engagement Plans (Section 5 - Account-Specific GTM Touchpoint Planning)
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Example (Page 1 of 2)
Planning Execution
Pre-Launch Ongoing Ongoing As Needed As Needed
Create an internal document to outline execution plans and collaboration details. It should include execution details such as content and asset locations, workflow instructions, timelines, and dependencies.
Audience: Cross-functional support teams within Marketing
Supporting Materials: Campaign Program Brief
Identify what content and/or assets are most needed (e.g., competitive battlecards, FAQs, slide decks, discussion guides) and make them available in a central repository. Customize and/or format all content to address account-specific and buying group-specific needs.
Audience: Internal Sales stakeholders Supports: Revenue Growth; Key Relationships, Engagement
Supporting Materials: Account-Specific Sales Enablement Materials
Ads with messaging personalized at the account -level with corresponding custom landing page(s). Advertising frequency increased when surges of intent are seen or predicted. The landing page should house at least one piece of high-value, account-specific content.
Audience: All potential buying committee members Supports: Engagement
Marketing Touch Point: Account-Specific Landing Page(s)/Digital Display Target influential buying
committee members with a direct mailer customized to the account.
Audience: Decision-makers Supports: Key Relationships; Engagement
Marketing Touch Point: Direct Mail
Host or sponsor thought leadership events tailored to attract he buying committee from the target account.
Audience: All potential buying committee members Supports: Revenue Growth; Key Relationships, Engagement
Marketing Touch Point: In-Person Event(s)
1:1 ABM Engagement Plans (Section 5 - Account-Specific GTM Touchpoint Planning)
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Example (Page 2 of 2)
Execution
As Needed As Needed As Needed As Needed
Obtain an invite for an SME or executive from your organization to serve as a guest on a podcast. Brief the SME or executive on topics relevant to the target account. Alternatively, invite a key contact from the target account to serve as a guest on a podcast your organization sponsors or publishes. Promote the podcast episode heavily to the buying group.
Audience: All potential buying committee members Supports: Key Relationships; Engagement
Podcast
After building up sales and marketing contacts from the account and adding them on Linkedin, share relevant thought- leadership posts.
Audience: All potential buying committee members Supports: Key Relationships; Engagement
Organic Social - LinkedIn
Publish blog posts with content tailored to the account. If possible, ensure the key account manager’s name is in the byline. If appropriate, invite key contacts from the account to contribute to or be quoted in the blog post. Promote the blog post heavily.
Audience: All potential buying committee members Supports: Key Relationships; Engagement
Blogs
Design to provide unbiased insights from highly-respectable SMEs (e.g., your own executives) that the attendees might otherwise be unable to access (e.g., industry-specific marketing trends, best practices). Fine-tune the presentation and areas of emphasis based on the education needs of the target account.
Supports: Revenue Growth; Key Relationships, Engagement
Virtual SME Briefing
Strategic Approaches to campaign planning: Enterprise ABM vs Growth ABM vs. Deal Acceleration
Campaign Planning Differences Between ABM Deployment Models
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Internal Reporting
Report Type Recommended Frequency Description
• Ad Hoc • As-needed • Created on-demand to address urgent questions or provide specific insights lacking from the routine reporting.
• Reporting Dashboard(s) • Always-on • An always-on dashboard that displays essential metrics and key program insights for quick reference.
• Engagement Report • Weekly / Biweekly / Monthly • Offers a view of engagement and buying intent signals, detailing interactions across GTM touchpoints and tracking buying intent at both the account and contact levels.
• ABM Scorecard • Monthly • A summary of progress towards key goals, including revenue growth and engagement metrics, with insights into the effectiveness of specific tactics.
• Quarterly Performance Report
• Quarterly • Provides a detailed analysis of program performance, highlighting successes, challenges, and opportunities for optimization in alignment with strategic objectives.
• Regular, streamlined reporting practices designed to inform and align internal stakeholders on performance.
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Forecasting
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The 3 Core Sections of the Account-Based Arrow™
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Signal Capture & Activation
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Considerations for Each ABM Deployment Model
• Focuses on account-specific custom metrics.
• Tracks metrics aligned with account-specific OKRs.
• Tailors metrics for clusters of <25 accounts.
• Analyzes patterns and similarities.
• Evaluates group performance to optimize resources.
• Uses wide-scale metrics across segments.
• Prioritizes scalable, automated metrics.
• Focuses on segment and tier- based OKRs.
• Emphasizes opportunity-level metrics.
• Tracks engagement for deal influence.
• Measures velocity and conversion for pipeline movement.
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Measurement & Reporting
134
Category 4
Forecasting: Enterprise ABM & Deal Acceleration
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Objective: Assess the probability of pipeline generation and/or closed-won revenue.
Step #1: ABM Deployment Model(s) Used
Step #2: Factor in External Influencers
Step #3: Review Historical Data
Step #4: Forecast Pipeline and/or Revenue Projections
1 2 3 4
• Target Pipeline Generation Projection
• Target Revenue Projection • Scenario Modeling
• Baseline • Worst-Case • Best-Case
1. For the Segment and/or Microsegment:
• Existing Avg. ACV • Win Rate • Avg. Sales Cycle Length • Existing Pipeline • Existing Revenue • NRR (Net Revenue Retention) • GRR (Gross Revenue
Retention) • Churn Rate • CLV (Customer Lifetime
Value)
2. Account & Contact-Level Engagement 3. Buying Intent Signals
Economic Conditions
Technological Trends
Regulatory Environment
Geopolitical Factors
Customer Behavior and Preferences
Competitive Landscape
Market Growth and Demand Trends
Labor Market Conditions
Account
Cluster of <25 Accounts
Individual Opportunity
A cc
o u
n t
& O
p p
o rt
u n
it y
C ov
er ag
e
Forecasting: Growth ABM
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$ XXX
XX
$ XXX
42% 38% 32% 21%
54 days 45 days 36 days 45 days Contract Signed
900 378 144 46 10
Oppts Oppts
Case Study Scenario
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Number of ABM Practitioners You Can Hire
3
Organization Size 1,250 Employees
Organization Revenue $550M in Revenue
Target Account Coverage Scope
A mix of Strategic and Enterprise accounts, with a total coverage of 1000
ACV for Target Account(s) • Strategic = $1.2m • Enterprise = $125k
Product Market Fit & Expansion Capacity
Strong (NRR is at 115%)
Sales Cycle Length 12-14 months
Cross-functional Team Bandwidth
High
Resource Availability & Budget
High
Final Output: Your ABM Deployment Model Selection
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#B2BMX Workshop 2025 138
Case Study Scenario
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Key Business Imperatives
• The board is putting significant pressure on the executive leadership team to accelerate revenue generation from net-new accounts. • This initiative has been designated a top-tier strategic priority, granting access to substantial organizational resources. You are empowered to
leverage any necessary vendors, technologies, or tools to achieve the objectives.
Target Account Coverage Scope A mix of Strategic and Enterprise accounts, with a total coverage of 1000
ACV for Target Account(s) • Strategic = $1.2m • Enterprise = $125k
CLV for Target Account(s) • Strategic = $10m (6 yr horizon) • Enterprise = $900k (5 yr horizon)
CLV:CAC Ratio 3:1 Ratio (ideal)
Net-Revenue Retention (NRR) 115% (strong)
Cross-functional Team Bandwidth
High
Regional Focus North America
Select one ABM deployment model (if you previously chose multiple) and address the following:
What percentage breakdown will you leverage for the target account mix?
What target account selection variables do you plan to leverage to build the TAL?
Which cross-functional teams will you collaborate with to build the target account list?
The History of ABM
19 9
3 Don Peppers and Martha Rogers author the book “The One to One Future”
CSC launches “Full-court Press Pursuit Marketing”
19 97
2 0
0 2 Accenture and
Unisys introduce “Client-Centric Marketing”
Bev Burgess, while at ITSMA, coined the phrase “Account- Based Marketing”2
0 0
3
2 0
15 The first ABM platforms arrive on the market
The first “FlipMyFunnel” and SiriusDecisions ABM roadshow events occur2
0 15
2 0
15 SiriusDecisions first introduces the 1:Few ABM deployment model
ITSMA launches its pyramid- shaped ABM deployment model with 3 types of ABM (1:1, 1:Few, 1:Many)2
0 16
2 0
2 0 Demandbase
acquires Engagio and InsideView, further strengthening their ABM capabilities
ForgeX launches the Enterprise ABM & Growth ABM deployment models2
0 2
3
2 0
24
ForgeX releases the Account-Based GTM Architecture™ framework
ForgeX and Demandbase come together for the first edition of the Account-Based GTM Certification2
0 2
5
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2 0
2 5 ForgeX
launches the “Account- Based Arrow™
• A holistic go-to-market strategy that aligns all revenue teams
• Multi-channel tactical campaigns
• Uses account-based metrics for attribution and success criteria
• Balance between data-driven and qualitative insights
• Can incorporate several distinct deployment models
• Strategically prioritizing and allocating GTM resources around a unified list of best-fit accounts
• Just purchasing a technology platform
• Measured by MQL volume
• Only paid ads
• A “marketing tactic”
• Limited to only targeting net-new accounts, ignoring expansion and retention
• Siloed target account lists built by the marketing team
What it is and what it’s not
What it’s not: What it is:
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When to Deploy 1:1 Enterprise ABM
When It Typically Should Be Deployed When It Typically Should Not Be Deployed
• The account justifies high resource investment due to revenue potential per account (+$250k)
• Long and complex sales cycles
• The organization has ample resources to allocate a significant investment into a select account
• Usually used to expand or retain existing customers
• High strategic importance to company’s overall growth objectives
• Operational capacity is limited, with teams spread thin or lacking the specialization needed for intensive, account-specific work
• Lower ACV makes high-resource investment unjustifiable
• Shorter sales cycles
• Better suited for broader, less intensive GTM strategies
• There is only one meaningful opportunity
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When to Deploy 1:Few Enterprise ABM
When It Typically Should Be Deployed When It Typically Should Not Be Deployed
• Accounts can be grouped into microsegments with similar needs
• High revenue potential account clusters that justify the investment of dedicated support
• Longer, more complex sales cycles
• Sales team structure enables easier collaboration
• Insufficient resources to develop cluster-specific content and/or campaign assets
• Need to scale account coverage across 100s or 1000s of accounts
• Short, low complex sales cycles
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When to Deploy Growth ABM
When It Typically Should Be Deployed When It Typically Should Not Be Deployed
• You need to scale coverage across 100s or 1000s of accounts
• Lower ACV makes an Enterprise ABM investment unfeasible
• Medium-long sales cycles
• There is already scalable account coverage and tiered engagement
• Extremely small target account list
• Very high ACV per account that justifies deeper, individualized engagement
• High-volume, transactional sales cycles that don’t allow time for tailored engagement
• Insufficient tech stack and data literacy
• Insufficient budget or team capacity to execute scaled, segmented campaigns effectively
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When to Deploy Deal Acceleration
When It Typically Should Be Deployed When It Typically Should Not Be Deployed
• Open opportunity with significant deal size or CLV, justifying dedicated resources
• Complex buying process with multiple buying group members
• Significant competitive pressure where targeted efforts can sway the outcome
• Large deals at risk of not being won without additional support from marketing
• Low deal size or limited CLV does not justify intensive resources
• Short sales cycles or naturally fast-moving deals
• Limited organizational capacity to dedicate focused resources on individual opportunities
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Buying Journey Stages
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Account-Based GTM Influence Across Teams
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Reporting Infrastructure Components
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