Account-based marketing (ABM) has become one of the most talked-about strategies in B2B sales.
It feels like the golden ticket.
A proven approach to securing enterprise deals, winning major logos, and driving sustainable growth.
It's often presented as the only route to a reliable pipeline.
But let's be honest. ABM is not a strategy in itself.
It's a set of tactics, and while powerful, it's only one part of your sales engine.
Put too much focus on it and you risk slowing growth, stalling your pipeline, and overlooking other demand channels that give you speed and control.
ABM works best when simplified, sharpened, and put in its rightful place as one lever within a broader sales strategy.
But one thing is for sure. ABM should be part of your overall sales strategy. So let's unpick the pitfalls to avoid and how to get it working in your business.
The problem with how ABM is often run
Many businesses overcomplicate ABM to the point of paralysis.
They invest heavily in technology, frameworks, and playbooks, waiting until everything feels "perfect" before pressing go.
The problem is, ABM isn't a science. At its core, it's about choosing the right accounts, understanding what matters to them, and showing up with real value.
The whole point of it is that you focus on the few with more depth. Everything else is noise.
So picking the right accounts can make for a slow pipeline. Account selection can be a trap, chasing big logos that look impressive but take forever to crack.
Without clear criteria around pain points, deal size, and buying triggers, ABM programs can collapse before they begin. Engagement becomes diluted, messaging falls flat, and the pipeline slows. Pressure in the business mounts, and that's when rash decisions are made.
Then there's the disconnect between sales and marketing.
In too many organisations, marketing builds campaigns while sales pursues an entirely different account list. That split creates wasted effort, frustration, and lost opportunities. The strength of ABM lies in shared ownership, not parallel activity.
Another common mistake is treating companies as abstract accounts rather than collections of people. Decision-making in B2B is complex and human. Ignoring the buying committee leads to outreach that feels generic and impersonal, which undermines trust before conversations have even begun.
The problems don't stop there, from templated messaging and weak entry points, to chasing the wrong signals, measuring the wrong metrics, and giving up too soon.
The list of pitfalls is long.
And even when businesses land a deal, too many stop there, failing to expand within accounts where the biggest growth potential lies.
Where the opportunity lies
ABM done well is a powerful accelerator.
The opportunity comes from stripping away complexity, focusing where it matters, and making ABM work as part of your wider sales strategy.
Here's where to start.
Tighten your ICP and tier accounts
The smarter play is not more accounts, but a sharper focus.
Define your ICP around three things: the problems you solve, the economics that make deals worthwhile, and the triggers that suggest the right timing.
Then tier accounts by level of engagement. Reserve your most personalised, one-to-one work for Tier 1. Use blended personalisation and scale for Tier 2. Keep Tier 3 lighter-touch.
This keeps energy and resources where they matter most.
Build alignment between sales and marketing
ABM only delivers when sales and marketing operate as one team.
Create a single, shared account list and make it the backbone of your program. Set joint KPIs, agree responsibilities, and commit to a weekly review rhythm.
When everyone is working the same accounts with the same priorities, you eliminate wasted effort and accelerate progress.
Focus on people, not just accounts
Inside each account, map the buying committee.
Who signs the deal? Who validates the technology? Who uses it day-to-day? Who might block it?
Each role has different priorities and objections. Create structured engagement plans that build relationships across multiple stakeholders.
The more multi-threaded your conversations, the stronger and more resilient your pipeline becomes.
Raise the standard of messaging
Generic messaging kills ABM.
Forget token gestures of personalisation. Instead, bring insight. Reference a relevant trigger event, connect your message directly to a known challenge, or highlight an angle they may not have considered.
When you bring real perspective, you stand out and create credibility.
Make entry easier with gateway offers
Don't try to sell the full solution on day one.
Asking for a big commitment too early creates friction. A better path is to create a gateway product.
A workshop, a pilot, or a time-bound diagnostic. This lowers the risk for the account and gives you a chance to prove value quickly. Small wins open doors to larger deals.
Combine intent with context
Clicks and page views aren't enough.
Use intent data as a signal, but always add context. Leadership changes, hiring trends, new funding, or technology shifts.
The combination makes outreach credible and increases your chances of landing at the right moment with the right message.
Measure what matters
Don't fall into the vanity metric trap.
ABM is not about impressions or downloads.
It's about outcomes at the account level.
Track whether you're engaging more stakeholders, creating more opportunities, and moving deals forward. Revenue metrics like win rate, deal size, and expansion are the true measure of impact.
Commit to consistency
ABM is not a campaign.
It's a program. Too many teams stop before the results compound.
Consistency and cadence are what drive impact. Weekly operating rhythms, quarterly reviews, and sequenced plays keep accounts warm and conversations alive.
Orchestrate your channels
ABM works when channels tell one connected story.
Your LinkedIn presence, email outreach, events, and direct mail should build on each other, moving accounts through awareness, framing the problem, and positioning your solution.
Without orchestration, accounts see a scatter of messages. With it, they experience a clear, joined-up journey.
Plan for expansion
The real ROI of ABM comes after the first deal.
Make expansion part of your plan from the start. Deliver value quickly, showcase results, and then move into other teams, geographies, or use cases. That's how ABM compounds into long-term growth.
Let's wrap this up
ABM can be a powerful part of your sales strategy, but it is not the strategy.
It's a tactic in your wider toolkit. One that must sit alongside outbound prospecting, inbound content, and partner-led sales. Too much focus on ABM alone creates risk.
Balance is where sustainable growth comes from.
If your pipeline feels stalled, it may not be because ABM is failing, but because it's carrying too much weight on its own. Build clarity around your ICP, align your sales and marketing teams, raise the standard of personalisation, and treat ABM as part of your sales engine, not the whole engine.
The businesses that win are those that blend depth with breadth. They don't target a small list of accounts. They create scalability, predictability, and sustainability by running multiple plays in parallel. ABM adds precision, but the fullmachine drives growth.
The question for you is simple.
Is your ABM serving your strategy, or has it become the strategy?
If you're ready to bring balance back to your sales process, simplify your ABM, and build a pipeline that compounds, now is the time to act and refocus your efforts and find the right balance.