ABM + Sales: How to Finally Align Marketing and Sales on Target Accounts

Account-based marketing has been the hot trend for years. Yet most ABM programs underperform because of a fundamental problem: marketing and sales aren't truly aligned.

The Alignment Gap

In theory, ABM means marketing and sales focus on the same accounts with coordinated outreach. In practice:

• Marketing targets accounts sales doesn't care about
• Sales ignores "marketing qualified accounts"
• Messaging is inconsistent across teams
• Neither team knows what the other is doing
• Success metrics don't align

The ABM Alignment Framework

1. Shared Account Selection Both teams must agree on target accounts using: - ICP fit score - Revenue potential - Likelihood to buy - Strategic value

Create a single list both teams own.

2. Unified Account Intelligence All account research should live in one place: - Firmographic data - Technographic data - Intent signals - Engagement history - Contact intelligence

When marketing sees a signal, sales sees it too—instantly.

3. Coordinated Outreach Map the buyer journey and assign responsibilities: - **Awareness**: Marketing-led content and ads - **Consideration**: Sales + marketing touchpoints - **Decision**: Sales-led with marketing support

4. Shared Metrics Align on what success looks like: - Account engagement score - Pipeline from target accounts - Win rate on ABM accounts - Revenue from ABM program

5. Regular Syncs Weekly alignment meetings: - Review account progress - Share intelligence - Coordinate upcoming outreach - Celebrate wins together

Common ABM Mistakes

Mistake 1: Treating ABM as "marketing to a list" ABM requires fundamentally different approaches, not just list targeting.

Mistake 2: One-size-fits-all content Each account needs personalized messaging based on their specific challenges.

Mistake 3: Measuring the wrong things Impressions and clicks don't matter. Pipeline and revenue do.

Mistake 4: No executive sponsorship ABM alignment requires top-down commitment.

Technology for ABM Success

Effective ABM requires platforms that: - Unify account data across teams - Track engagement across channels - Enable coordinated sequences - Measure account-level impact

The Prospectory ABM Approach

Our platform serves as the single source of truth for target account intelligence, ensuring marketing and sales always work from the same playbook.