Sales and marketing alignment isn’t optional in Account-Based Marketing (ABM) – it’s the engine that drives growth. Companies with aligned teams see 19% faster growth, 15% higher profitability, and are nearly 3x more likely to crush customer acquisition goals. Yet, 62% of companies don’t even agree on what a qualified lead looks like, leading to wasted time, poor data, and missed revenue opportunities.

Here’s the playbook for ABM success:

• Shared Vision: Sales and marketing must agree on target accounts, customer profiles, and goals. This ensures both teams work toward the same outcomes.
• Joint Metrics: Track engagement, conversion rates, and revenue impact. Shared KPIs eliminate silos and keep everyone accountable.
• Collaborative Campaigns: Personalize every touchpoint. Leverage sales insights and marketing data to create content that resonates with decision-makers.
• Feedback Loops: Regularly review performance, refine strategies, and improve execution. Real-time collaboration keeps campaigns relevant and effective.
• Systematic Processes: Build repeatable frameworks to scale ABM efforts without relying on individual heroics.

Aligned teams close deals 67% more effectively and report 32% higher revenue. The secret? A structured, data-driven approach that eliminates chaos and focuses on high-value accounts.

Ask yourself:

1. Are your sales and marketing teams working toward the same goals, or are they misaligned?
2. What metrics are you tracking to ensure ABM success – and are they driving action or confusion?
3. Do you have systems in place to scale ABM without constant oversight?

Mic drop: If your growth depends on you, it’s not a business – it’s a bottleneck. Build systems, align your teams, and watch your ABM results soar.

Creating Shared ABM Vision and Customer Profiles

The backbone of successful ABM lies in getting your sales and marketing teams aligned on who you’re targeting and why. This isn’t about crafting another generic buyer persona – it’s about building a shared understanding that informs every decision.

When sales and marketing teams are in sync, the results are undeniable: marketing-driven revenue can skyrocket by 208%, and customer retention improves by 36%. Yet, many teams dive into ABM without laying this critical groundwork.

"Getting the sales and marketing teams aligned to a joint go-to-market strategy and defining the user journey are the keys to success." – Soum Dey, Global Head of Digital Experience Optimization, Thoughtworks

ABM demands a mindset shift, especially for marketing. Instead of casting a wide net, marketing must focus on individual accounts with laser-like precision. This transformation thrives when both teams collaborate from the very beginning.

Working Together to Identify Target Accounts

Sales and marketing bring unique strengths to the table. Sales has firsthand knowledge of account behavior – they know which prospects ask the right questions, have realistic budgets, and make quick decisions. On the other hand, marketing excels at data analysis, uncovering patterns and trends across your customer base.

When you combine these strengths, you refine your target account profiles. Start by analyzing your existing high-value customers. Look for shared traits like industry, company size, or decision-making structures. Sales can then add deeper context, such as nuances in buying processes that data alone might overlook.

To keep everyone on the same page, create shared account lists in your CRM. These lists should be accessible and updated in real time by both teams. Additionally, mapping out the decision-makers within each target account ensures your messaging hits the right people at the right time.

Setting Common Goals for ABM Campaigns

Alignment on goals is non-negotiable for ABM success. Revenue should always be your North Star. As Alex Olley, Co-founder of Reachdesk, puts it:

"The real ROI of ABM is revenue, right? Close won revenue on the board. That’s what we all want at the end of the day."

Both teams must agree on what success looks like. Instead of focusing on isolated metrics like email open rates or pipeline value, zero in on shared KPIs such as account penetration, deal velocity, and average contract value.

"When the Sales and Marketing teams are looking at the same metrics and trying to hit the same North Star, lots of other pieces of ABM fall into place." – Samantha Mayer, SMB and Pardot Growth Marketing, Salesforce Pardot

Set specific, measurable targets to track your progress. Keep in mind that 40% of sales time is wasted on unproductive prospecting. By aligning on the right accounts and goals, you eliminate this inefficiency and channel your efforts where they’ll have the most impact.

Before launching any campaigns, it’s essential to get buy-in on the strategy from both teams. Honest conversations about priorities, goals, and metrics pave the way for a unified approach.

"Make sure that you have that Marketing and Sales alignment because if you don’t have that at the very beginning, you’re never going to have it." – Amy Hall, Global ABM Manager at Hitachi Vantara

This alignment not only ensures everyone is rowing in the same direction but also lays the groundwork for defining and tracking the metrics that truly drive ABM success.

Setting Up Shared Metrics and KPIs

Once you’ve got everyone aligned on a unified vision, the next step is figuring out how to measure success. After agreeing on target accounts and shared goals, it’s crucial to define metrics that both sales and marketing teams can rally around. These metrics aren’t just numbers – they’re your guideposts for regular reviews and strategic adjustments to keep your ABM efforts on track.

The payoff for alignment is undeniable. Companies with strong sales and marketing collaboration report a 50% reduction in wasted sales time, 67% better deal-closing performance, and 32% higher revenue. The key? Focus on metrics that matter to both teams.

Key Metrics for ABM Success

The best ABM metrics zero in on three areas: target account engagement, conversion rates, and revenue impact. Here’s how each plays out:

• Target account engagement: Track website visits, content downloads, and event participation from your key accounts. Pay close attention to interactions with decision-makers – this gives you a clear picture of which accounts are leaning in and where to focus your efforts.
• Conversion rates: Measure how effectively you move accounts through each stage – initial engagement, meetings, opportunities, and closed deals. If accounts are stalling at a specific stage, this metric will spotlight the issue, making it easier to identify where tighter collaboration is needed.
• Revenue impact: At the end of the day, this is the ultimate measure of success. Keep tabs on total revenue from target accounts, compare the average deal size of ABM-targeted accounts versus non-ABM accounts, and track pipeline velocity – how quickly deals progress through your sales funnel.

Take Shell Lubricant Solutions as an example. By aligning sales and marketing around shared ABM metrics, they improved customer experiences and secured longer contracts. They called metric alignment their "North Star".

Other important KPIs to consider include:

• Web traffic from target accounts: A clear indicator of which accounts are actively researching your solutions.
• Account penetration: Tracks how many stakeholders within a target account are engaged with your team.
• Pipeline velocity: Measures how quickly target accounts move through your sales process compared to other prospects.

Regular Performance Reviews

Defining metrics is just the beginning. To keep your ABM program on course, you need consistent performance reviews. These aren’t just status updates – they’re strategic sessions to evaluate progress, uncover roadblocks, and refine your approach.

Schedule monthly reviews or meet more frequently during active campaigns. Start by analyzing your KPIs. Are certain types of accounts engaging more than others? Are there bottlenecks in the conversion process? These insights reveal patterns and point to opportunities for improvement.

Use shared dashboards and reporting tools to bring real-time data into the conversation. This transparency not only keeps both teams accountable but also makes discussions more productive. With actionable insights on the table, you can make faster, smarter decisions.

By sticking to a structured approach for tracking metrics and holding reviews, you avoid the chaos of ad-hoc efforts. Instead of depending on individual heroics or constant founder involvement, you create a system that delivers consistent, measurable results.

Regular reviews ensure your teams stay laser-focused on high-impact accounts and maintain a coordinated approach to customer engagement.

Are your metrics driving collaboration or confusion? Which KPIs are revealing the biggest opportunities for growth? How often are you revisiting your strategy to ensure alignment?

The numbers don’t lie – when sales and marketing share a scoreboard, the whole team wins.

Planning and Running Campaigns Together

Once your vision is aligned and KPIs are set, it’s time to bring strategy into action. Collaborative campaigns are where the magic happens – where your efforts directly address each account’s specific needs. And if there’s one thing that stands out, it’s this: personalization isn’t optional. 66% of B2B buyers expect personalized interactions, and they’re willing to back that demand financially – paying up to 30% more for a tailored, seamless experience.

When sales and marketing team up from the start, they create campaigns that combine real-world insights with data-driven strategies. It’s no wonder 87% of sales and marketing leaders agree collaboration fuels growth. The results? Campaigns that feel authentic, cohesive, and – most importantly – effective. No more disconnected content or unfulfilled promises. Instead, every touchpoint builds trust, creating a seamless journey that converts.

Creating Targeted Content and Messaging

For Account-Based Marketing (ABM) to work, your content needs to show a deep understanding of each account. Personalization isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s expected. 71% of customers demand personalized experiences, and 80% say personalization makes them more likely to buy.

Start by digging into the details. Sales teams know the objections prospects raise and the language they use to describe their pain points. Marketing can add insights from engagement data, content preferences, and digital behavior. Together, these insights create a complete picture of your target accounts.

"Personalization starts with data. If you don’t have all the insights, you won’t be able to personalize effectively." – Kirsty Dawe, Really B2B

Go beyond basic demographics. Understand what pressures decision-makers face, how they measure success, and the internal dynamics shaping their buying process. Build content for every stage of the buying cycle – awareness, consideration, and decision – so you’re ready with the right message at the right time.

Speak their language. Use the terms they use in their own business. Address the challenges they’ve shared directly. Reference trends that hit close to home. This level of detail shows you get them – not just as a company, but as individuals.

"A lot of people top and tail content to ‘personalize’ it. True ABM content will transform what your customer is doing, it drives change and an emotional connection." – Renaye Edwards, Digital Radish

Take inspiration from Shoprenter, which nailed personalization in March 2023. By tailoring homepage content to Google Ads keywords, they boosted lead conversions by 12.4%. For instance, users searching “opening an online store” saw messaging tailored to that goal, while those searching “Shopify” encountered content addressing competitive concerns.

Consistency is key. Whether it’s personalized emails referencing specific challenges, custom landing pages speaking directly to an industry, or case studies featuring similar companies, your messaging should flow seamlessly across every touchpoint. Aligned sales and marketing teams close deals 67% more effectively, and that’s largely because prospects experience a consistent, connected journey.

Feedback Loops for Continuous Improvement

No campaign is perfect out of the gate. The best results come from learning and adapting as you go. Continuous feedback ensures your efforts stay relevant and effective, giving you a competitive edge.

Set up regular review meetings – weekly during active campaigns and monthly for ongoing programs. These sessions are crucial for sharing insights and adjusting strategies in real time. Sales and marketing need to exchange updates on what’s working, what’s not, and what needs tweaking.

"If you don’t have marketing and sales aligned and using the same set of data, then you’re not really doing ABM." – Liam Doyle, Salesforce

Create shared dashboards that track more than just vanity metrics like clicks and opens. Focus on meaningful engagement – time spent with content, progression through the sales funnel, and the quality of sales conversations. This transparency speeds up decision-making and allows for quick course corrections.

Go beyond meetings. Use post-campaign surveys to gather structured feedback from sales about content performance, prospect reactions, and areas for improvement. Create channels for immediate updates when sales teams encounter new objections or uncover fresh pain points.

The smartest teams treat every campaign as a learning opportunity. Take Testlify, for example. When they shifted their focus to personalized messaging, their ABM strategy ROI soared. As CEO Abhishek Shah put it:

"The tailored approach increased engagement and improved conversion rates, demonstrating a clear correlation between personalization and enhanced ROI."

Leverage tools like integrated CRMs and marketing automation platforms to streamline data sharing. When marketing knows the context of a sales conversation, they can tailor follow-ups. When sales sees a prospect download content, they can act immediately. This real-time collaboration keeps campaigns agile and relevant.

Feedback loops don’t just improve campaigns – they build trust between teams. When both sides see their input valued and implemented, collaboration becomes second nature. Customer retention rates improve by 36% when sales and marketing are aligned, and much of that comes from the continuous refinement these feedback systems enable.

The goal isn’t to nail it on day one. It’s to build a system that gets sharper, smarter, and more effective with every campaign. Every iteration brings you closer to dominating your market.

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Building Systems for Predictable Growth

Once you’ve run successful collaborative campaigns, the next step is to lock those practices into repeatable systems that drive consistent, predictable growth.

Here’s the truth: the difference between ABM success and failure usually boils down to one thing – systems. Many agencies rely on founder-driven efforts or chaotic, ad-hoc methods. But the top-performing ones? They build systems that deliver consistent results. Companies that implement strategic ABM frameworks are seeing 48% year-over-year revenue growth.

The CEO Trap: Why Systems Matter

Systematic ABM alignment isn’t just about holding weekly meetings or using a shared dashboard. It’s about creating processes that don’t rely on any one person. Too often, agencies fall into the CEO Trap, where campaigns hinge on the founder or a few key players. This makes growth fragile and unsustainable. The solution? Build frameworks that operate independently, ensuring quality and effectiveness without constant micromanagement.

Why Systematic Frameworks Outperform Ad-Hoc Methods

When you replace ad-hoc efforts with structured frameworks, you create a foundation for growth that scales. These systems bring consistency, data-driven decision-making, and the ability to handle more accounts without sacrificing quality. Here’s what that looks like in action:

• Data-Driven Insights: Teams use advanced analytics to track KPIs and uncover actionable insights. This eliminates feast-or-famine cycles and replaces them with steady, predictable growth.
• Scalability: By automating repetitive tasks while maintaining personalization, systematic frameworks make it possible to grow without proportionally increasing resources.
• Continuous Improvement: Built-in measurement tools like A/B testing refine messaging, offers, and channels. Regular reviews address inefficiencies, adapting to market shifts seamlessly.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: When everyone follows the same processes, uses shared KPIs, and works from unified dashboards, collaboration becomes effortless. It’s no wonder 92% of companies say ABM delivers higher ROI than any other marketing strategy.

"Investing in both data and technology over time gives you an ‘easy button’ to get to true relevancy at scale." – Millie Beetham, VP of ZI Labs and GTM innovation at ZoomInfo

Ad-Hoc vs. Systematic: A Clear Comparison

Let’s break down the difference between ad-hoc and systematic approaches. The contrast is stark:

The Power of Training, Tech, and Risk Management

Systematic frameworks do more than just streamline processes – they transform how teams operate:

• Faster Onboarding: New hires can plug into documented systems, reducing ramp-up time and improving consistency.
• Smarter Tech Usage: Frameworks guide tool selection and integration, ensuring technology supports the system – not the other way around.
• Proactive Risk Management: Instead of scrambling to fix problems after they occur, structured frameworks include contingency plans and regular performance reviews to catch issues early.

Measurement is another area where systematic frameworks shine. They use multi-touch attribution models to pinpoint what drives results, while ad-hoc methods often rely on gut feelings or last-touch attribution. This clarity makes it easier to optimize campaigns and allocate resources effectively.

"What fascinates me as a communication geek and what excites me about 6sense is that it allows us to listen. If we’re patient and take the time to listen to the signals, we can understand what is meaningful to our buyers and who is a good fit for our product." – Jonathan Daly, BioCatch

Why This Matters for Agency Owners

For agency owners, the choice between ad-hoc and systematic approaches often determines whether you’re building a scalable business or just creating a demanding job for yourself. Systematic frameworks give you the freedom to step back from daily operations while ensuring your business continues to deliver results. That’s not just growth – it’s sustainable, scalable success.

What systems do you have in place to ensure consistency across your business? How much of your growth depends on you or a few key players? And what would it take to build a framework that scales without you?

Here’s the kicker: if your business can’t run without you, it’s not a business – it’s a job. Systems set you free.

Conclusion: The Path to ABM Success

Achieving success with Account-Based Marketing (ABM) boils down to disciplined execution. When sales and marketing teams work together within structured frameworks, the results speak for themselves. Companies running ABM programs report a 38% higher sales win rate, 91% larger deal sizes, and 24% faster revenue growth. It’s no wonder that 87% of B2B marketers say ABM delivers better ROI than other marketing strategies.

The difference between agencies that thrive and those that struggle often comes down to alignment. As we’ve explored throughout this article, when sales and marketing collaborate systematically, they create a foundation for consistent, scalable growth. And the numbers back it up.

Consider the success stories: Valpak‘s ABM campaigns delivered a 450% ROI, while Cure Cancer saw donations jump 226% and web traffic climb 119%. These aren’t one-off wins – they’re the result of strategic, repeatable systems.

Shifting from ad-hoc campaigns to a systematic approach transforms not only your operations but also your results. This means setting shared KPIs, standardizing your tech stack, prioritizing high-value accounts through a tiered system, and testing strategies with pilot campaigns to refine your process.

But ABM isn’t just about better campaign metrics. It’s about building a business that grows without relying on constant firefighting or individual heroics. When your growth is powered by systems, you free yourself to focus on strategy, innovation, and scaling.

"Building a successful ABM program starts with a clear understanding of your target accounts and a well-defined strategy."

• Adil Farooq, CEO & Founder of Silverstone Technologies

The choice is clear: you can keep running ABM campaigns on a case-by-case basis, or you can adopt a systematic framework that drives consistent, predictable results – and gives you the freedom to scale smarter.

At Predictable Profits, we help agency owners build systems that fuel sustainable growth. The framework is waiting. Will you take the next step?

FAQs

How can sales and marketing work together to define a qualified lead for successful account-based marketing?

For account-based marketing (ABM) to succeed, sales and marketing need to work as a team. The first step? Define what a qualified lead looks like – together. Start by building an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) that pinpoints essential traits such as company size, industry, and the specific challenges your ideal clients face.

Next, align on the criteria for target accounts. Combine sales and marketing insights, including firmographics, intent data, and the core pain points your customers are dealing with. This collaboration ensures you’re targeting the right accounts with precision.

Keep the communication flowing. Schedule regular check-ins to adjust and refine your lead qualification process based on real-time data and feedback. When both teams share a clear understanding, you’ll create more focused, effective ABM campaigns that hit the mark.

What metrics should sales and marketing teams track to measure the success of an ABM campaign?

To gauge the success of an account-based marketing (ABM) campaign, it’s essential to zero in on metrics that show both engagement and revenue outcomes. Start with account engagement, pipeline velocity, and customer lifetime value (CLV). These metrics reveal how well your target accounts are interacting with your campaigns and moving through the sales process.

You’ll also want to keep an eye on account coverage, conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI). These provide insight into how thoroughly you’re reaching key accounts, the effectiveness of your sales process, and the financial payoff of your efforts. When sales and marketing teams align on these indicators, they can stay focused on what truly matters – delivering measurable results and achieving shared objectives.

How can companies create scalable processes for ABM success without depending on individual team members?

To drive growth that lasts and scales in account-based marketing (ABM), focus on three key areas: automation, alignment, and standardization.

Start with automation. By using marketing automation tools, you can handle personalized outreach on a larger scale without burning out your team. It’s about working smarter, not harder – letting technology take care of repetitive tasks so your team can focus on strategy.

Next, get your sales and marketing teams on the same page. Align them around shared goals, consistent data, and clear communication. When everyone works together, accountability improves, and your ABM efforts become more consistent and effective.

Finally, nail down repeatable workflows. Create clear processes for identifying target accounts, customizing content, and tracking performance. A solid framework keeps everything running smoothly and ensures your team isn’t stretched too thin.

By focusing on these three areas, you build a system that doesn’t just work today but keeps delivering results tomorrow.

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