Personalized Account Strategies

It's easy to fall into the "doing things just to do them" trap in demand gen and ABM.  👉🏾 Launching campaigns because "it's our typical approach." 👉🏾Creating content because "we have to."   👉🏾 Chasing every lead with the belief that "more is always better." But with AI and automation making it easier than ever to produce generic content, it's even more crucial to pause and ask, "Why?" ✔️Why this campaign? ✔️Why this content? ✔️Why this account? ✔️Does it truly align with our ideal customer profile (ICP)? ✔️Does it resonate with their needs and challenges? ✔️Does it get results on our goals? Generic #ABM is just...marketing. And generic #demandgen is a waste of resources. 👉🏾 To break the autopilot cycle, be specific about your ideal customer. Use tools like 6sense or ZoomInfo to gather rich data, going beyond basic demographics to understand their firmographics, technographics, and psychographics.  👉🏾 Then, map your content to the buyer's journey. Don't just create content for content's sake. Use tools like HubSpot or Marketo to address their pain points and provide real value at each stage. 👉🏾 Analyze intent data. Tools like Bombora or G2 Buyer Intent can tell you which accounts are actively researching solutions like yours, allowing you to focus your ABM efforts on those showing high intent. 👉🏾 Don't forget to make it a personalized experience. Use AI-powered platforms like Persado or Phrasee to tailor your messaging to individual accounts and show a deep understanding of their needs. 👉🏾 Finally, measure what matters. Track metrics that align with your goals, not just vanity metrics. Tools like Google Analytics or Bizible can help you measure the true impact of your ABM and demand gen efforts. 👉🏾 And most importantly, find someone to challenge your thinking. A colleague, a mentor, even a (kind!) competitor. Someone who asks: ✔️Why are we targeting this account? ✔️Will this content truly resonate? ✔️Does this campaign align with our overall strategy? Break free from autopilot, be intentional, and be strategic. Then, watch your ABM and demand generation results grow. What tools or strategies do you use to focus on the "why" behind your marketing? #b2bmarketing #marketingstrategy

Dear Marketing - You can't give everyone the VIP treatment. It doesn't matter how "scalable" or "AI-first" your strategy has become. It's a trap many marketers fall into (or dive into depending on your mood), and it greatly affects ABM strategy. "Let's give everyone a highly-personalized marketing HUG." It's so important to structure all marketing efforts (ABM mainly) on the right accounts. Priorization is everything. I'll type it again... prioritization is everything! HockeyStack has been one of my main resources recently to up-level my understanding of how to THINK about prioritization in a meaningful way. Because it may seem easy, but it is damn hard. Spewing “let’s focus on the best-fit accounts” is one thing, but actually aligning sales and marketing on which accounts matter, why they matter, and how to engage them is where things get damn messy. The best teams I've come across have built a scoring framework to help build a foundation around the gut feel. They assign scores based on: Fit – How well does the account match your ICP? Intent – Are they actively researching solutions like yours? Engagement – Are they interacting with your content, attending events, or engaging with sales? "Kyle, c'mon. We were talking about this in 2018." "Well, fictional marketing leader reading this post. We are still lost and haven't advanced from spray and pray. I'm sorry." This is OLD NEWS but it still amazes me how many marketers do not take this approach to building clear account tiers: High-score accounts get custom content, executive involvement, and deep sales engagement. Mid-score accounts get automated nurtures and light-touch outreach. Low-score accounts? They wait until they show stronger intent. Scoring models and frameworks are important, but the alignment between GTM leadership is even more important. If sales is chasing one set of accounts while marketing invests in anything, y'all are screwed. And even MORE importantly, the best teams constantly adjust because if you do it correctly, the tiers will change based on actions. ABM isn’t about reaching more accounts. It’s about reaching the right ones at the right time.

Teams who take a “boil the ocean” approach to outbound will fail. Here’s how to fix it and build sequences that actually drive results: Step 1: Focus your team on accounts most likely to buy now, invest at a premium, and become long-term customers or referral sources. This means moving beyond “anyone who fits the ICP” and zeroing in on high-priority targets. Step 2: Create deeper, more meaningful segments from that refined group. Traditional segments are great for organizing territories but fall short for crafting sequences that resonate. Instead, you need segmentation that helps your team speak the language of specific sub-groups. Use multiple layers of data—firmographics, intent signals, and contact-level insights—to break your TAM into smaller, actionable groups. Step 3: Launch micro-campaigns that target those precise segments with messaging designed to feel tailor-made. When you take this approach, personalization becomes scalable because it’s rooted in segmentation. Your reps don’t waste time on one-off customization, and your messaging feels 99% relevant to the prospect. I've been teaching this process as #ValueBasedSegmentation for the better part of a decade. It’s the key to building sequences that drive higher CTRs, replies, and engagement without tedious manual effort. ➡️ With this approach, you’ll: - Improve email performance - Write copy that prospects actually care about - Give your team a clear roadmap for focused outbound 📌 How are you helping your team build relevance into their outbound sequences?

We run 5,000 Account-Based Advertising campaigns and deliver 1 billion ad impressions every month for our B2B customers. Here’s how we use Account-Based Advertising internally at Demandbase: BACKGROUND: As you can imagine, we are heavy users of Account-Based Advertising. We don't only sell it, we live it. Our goal is to focus on accounts with the greatest LTV. The primary levers we pull are segmentation, ad creative, and integration into our overall account-based GTM strategy: 1. Segmentation Segmentation is the foundation of our account-based advertising strategy. It enables the appropriate level of resources, the right message, and the right workflows to be focused on every account in our ICP. We segment accounts by starting more general and then get more granular, so each general segment has subsegments with greater levels of specificity. Here is our classification of segments: * Geo–country level * Revenue range - we have five revenue segments * Tiers - we have three tiers based on industry, technographics, and engagement scoring that define how much resources we put to each account * Journey Stage - we use custom stages that define where an account is in the customer journey * Product Interest - a combination of intent data and campaign responses 2. Ad creative Our goal is to the deliver the most relevant asset for the segment to drive the greatest engagement. We do that in three ways. First, we use an asset engagement heatmap. This shows what content assets are getting the highest level of engagement across channels and use those messages to target each segment. Second, we use dynamic creative that personalizes by industry and company name in real-time. Third, we use detailed and technical creative for re-targeting, after accounts have engaged with our website. 3. Integrating Advertising into our account-based GTM Account-Based Advertising by itself is only one component of an account-based GTM. Results will be limited if not thoughtfully integrated into a broader strategy. There are three key ways we do this at Demandbase. First, we orchestrate the same segmentation and creative strategy across Marketing and Sales Channels (i.e. LinkedIn, Meta, Google, Marketing Automation, Content Syndication, SEM, and Sales Automation). Second, we use the Tier segmentation to define the level of resourcing entitlements we give to each account. Tier 1 receives the most entitlements across Sales and Marketing (i.e. direct mail, 1:1 campaigns and experiences, and executive strategy sessions). Third, we create advertising response and engagement reports using UTM parameters for our SDR as a way to prioritize and personalize outreach. TAKEAWAY: Account-based advertising is a popular and effective use case for engaging accounts and providing air coverage. You can use segmentation and good creative to optimize its effectiveness. But its full potential is only realized when you integrate it into your account-based GTM strategy.

I've seen reps burn through 6 months of quota chasing the wrong accounts. All because they thought "bigger is better." Then I did the math on my wins. ✓ 91% had certain sales tools ✓ 74% were actively hiring for revenue roles ✓ 67% had recently raised funding or gone public in the last year This wasn't luck. There was a clear pattern. Enter: the power of Ideal Customer Profile meets intent data. Here's a framework you can live by: 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗖𝗣 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 (𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀) * What's the average deal size of your wins? * What industries close fastest? * What technologies predict success? 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗖𝗣 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 * Are they researching your category? * What's their buyer committee doing? * When are they in active evaluation? 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 * High ICP + High Intent = Chase hard * High ICP + Low Intent = Nurture * Low ICP + High Intent = Qualify fast or pass We use Demandbase to detect intent, orchestrate plays and engage the right accounts - at exactly the right moment. Result? No more wasting time on "exciting" logos that would never close. Started focusing on accounts that fit the profile AND showed buying behavior. Bottom line: Spray and pray is dead. Precision targeting wins.

If I were running 1:1 ABM for a high-ACV enterprise product, these are the non-negotiables I’d build the program around: 🔥 Laser-focus on active opportunity accounts 1:1 ABM is not a top-of-funnel motion. I’d reserve it for ICP accounts that are already in opportunity and showing real engagement. 🔥 A shared account intelligence plan with Sales I would build and map out an account intelligence plan for these handful of accounts with Sales. The SDR’s on these accounts would play the role of detective, they would be mapping out the buying committee, identifying motivators, pains and real challenges bespoke to these organisations 🔥 Weekly account reviews (not quarterly check-ins) The account plan would be reviewed with Sales on a weekly basis, we would review current marketing initiatives and their impact on the account & agree next steps per individual we are targeting within the account 🔥Personalisation at the persona level, not just the account level I would take personalisation beyond the account level and match it to the individual, this means our activations and messaging is not just bespoke to the organisation and their challenges, but to the individual within the organisation as well. This could mean anything from building a bespoke ROI and business case for an end user champion that needs to get decision maker buy in, or some tailored competitor content for the decision maker to help them understand why customers switch. 🔥 Real-time signals to keep momentum high I would make sure that we have real time alerts set up on the account & contacts to ensure the consistent flow of intelligence between sales and marketing at all times, keeping us responsive instead of reactive This kind of motion is a heavy lift—which is exactly why it belongs in a true 1:1 program and is reserved for high-ACV segments. The good news is that some of the things that used to be unscalable no longer are. For me, one of the biggest unlocks was using Storylane to personalise demo experiences at the account and persona level. Instead of just tailoring ads or messaging, we could deliver completely customised, ungated demo experiences aligned to the pains of each stakeholder. An on-demand demo is valuable. An on-demand demo that reflects the problems someone deals with every day? That’s where 1:1 ABM starts to feel truly differentiated. As a bonus, those interactions become powerful engagement signals—feeding directly back into the next step of the account plan. #b2bmarketing #abm #demandgeneration

Sales: We want to run ABM with you. We need to improve lead quality and pipeline coverage. But our BDR has only 5 hrs/week. Here is what happens next: ABM WITHOUT DEDICATED SDR. - Broad list-building. No prioritization based on awareness, engagement and intent signals. All accounts are assigned by territory and size. - AI-based "research" pulling generic public information anybody can get in second from ChatGPT - Marketing runs more targeted demand gen to generate MQLs and inbound inquiries with further handover to sales - Sales sends the same outbound cadences personalized by title and the research pulled from ChatGPT - All accounts are treated the same way Pause for a second and guess: Who is blamed when this program fails? The right answer is..... Marketing! ABM WITH A DEDICATED SALES REP - Joint program planning: from narrative and account selection to account development - Clusters replace segments and verticals for targeting - All accounts are prioritized based on revenue potential, vendor awareness, relationship, and product-need evidence - In-depth desk and 1:1 research mapping product value to key initiatives and buyer JTBDs - Detailed buying committee mapping including Champions, Decision-makers, Power Users, and Influencers - Continuous nurturing and engagement playbooks aligned with intent level and vendor awareness - Constant multi-threading - Constant value-added touchpoints: personalized messages based on captured signals, thoughtful commenting, content sharing, event invites - Joint weekly reviews and planning TLDR; To make ABM work you need to have a rep that is constantly researching and engaging with the buying committee groups of target accounts. Not via automated cadences, but via constant, personalized engagement. No budget and technology will compensate it. Some sales teams sometimes think that "not pitching all the time" is not prospecting. But they forget about the reality of enterprise B2B buyer journey. First, you need to be known. Second, you need to get into a shortlist. Third, you need to have credibility. Fourth, you need to help creating a compelling reason to change now and sell internally. It's not possible with quarter air cover, marketing campaigns and outbound cadences. It's possible with a continuous relationship building with strategic accounts.

A personal brokerage account is more than an investment tool. It is a control center for growing, protecting, and directing your wealth. Ignoring it often leads to: — One-size-fits-all strategies — Limited access to your own money — Growth that depends on others’ decisions Used well, it becomes a powerful engine. Start here: 1. Own Direct Control ↳ You decide what to buy, hold, or sell ↳ Align investments with your personal goals, not generic advice 2. Maintain Flexibility and Liquidity ↳ Access matters as much as returns ↳ Keep cash or equivalents ready for opportunities and emergencies 3. Optimize for Taxes ↳ What you keep matters more than what you earn ↳ Track gains, losses, and use tax strategies where allowed 4. Expand Your Investment Universe ↳ Stocks, bonds, ETFs, and alternatives ↳ Diversification reduces risk and improves resilience 5. Harness Compounding ↳ Earnings create more earnings over time ↳ Reinvest dividends and stay consistent 6. Build Real Financial Skill ↳ Hands-on investing sharpens judgment ↳ Markets teach lessons no textbook can 7. Design a Personal Wealth Strategy ↳ Your account should reflect your life, not a template ↳ Adjust as goals, timelines, and priorities evolve The hidden power of a brokerage account? Control, flexibility, and learning compounding together over time. What role does your brokerage account play in your long-term strategy? Follow me Marc Henn for more. We want to help you Retire Early, Supercharge Your Cash Flow, and Minimize Taxes. Marc Henn is a licensed Investment Adviser with Harvest Financial Advisors, a registered entity with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

I built a Clay workflow that automated 100% of manual prospecting AND turned raw account data into hyper-personalized messages with specific buying signals. Watch the video to see it in action. Here's how it works: 1. FINDING THE RIGHT ACCOUNTS We pull tech companies from Apollo, Crunchbase, and Clay's native company finder. Then Claygent visits each company's website to verify if they're actually B2B SaaS. Once confirmed, Claygent enriches them with funding data, job postings, headcount growth, and restructuring news. We even scrape Glassdoor reviews to analyze employee sentiment for potential pain points. 2. IDENTIFYING DECISION MAKERS We find prospects with validated work emails and mobile numbers using Clay's waterfall enrichments. Then, we use SureConnect to check if their phone numbers are likely to result in a pickup, saving hours of wasted calling time. We then analyze their LinkedIn activity to find posts relevant to our solution for personalized outreach angles. This gives us data points that normally take hours to research manually. 3. SEGMENTING BY SENIORITY LEVEL We split prospects into three segments: - C-suite - VP/Director - Manager level Each level gets completely different messaging because their priorities and pain points differ. C-level gets strategic messaging while managers get tactical messaging. This segmentation significantly improves response rates compared to one-size-fits-all messaging. 4. CREATING PERSONALIZED MESSAGES All account and prospect data are fed into multiple Claude prompts, which write custom messages for each prospect. These messages look better than what most could write manually, as all relevant data points are fed to finely tuned Claude prompts. We create both email copies and LinkedIn messages formatted for each channel. 5. AUTOMATING THE DISTRIBUTION We distribute prospects evenly among all SDRs through a round-robin system. Each prospect gets pushed to specific sequences in Outreach.io (email) and HeyReach.io (LinkedIn). The system also checks if they exist on these platforms to prevent any duplicates. Everything also syncs to the CRM Salesforce/HubSpot, so the sales team can access all data points we gathered. ___________ This workflow now requires no manual work, allowing the sales team to focus on conversations instead of research or manual list building. If you have any questions about the workflow, let me know in the comments.

Everyone's been sold the same lie: “Spend more time personalizing to get better results.” Here’s what actually happens: Your SDRs waste 5 min per prospect digging through LinkedIn, find nothing useful for 90% of them, and end up defaulting back to generic templates. Personalization is a 1:1 game. You can’t scale it. Relevance is different. Relevance multiplies. One account insight → 10 conversations One company challenge → Every stakeholder One initiative → Entire buying committee The best SDR teams have already made this shift. They’re booking more meetings with less research time. Stop personalizing for people. Start building relevance for accounts using an Account-Based System. What’s an Account System in outbound? Start with company-level insights first, then apply them to the prospects inside the account: Adapt to Above the Line and Below the Line prospects. If your product touches multiple teams, you go both horizontal and vertical inside the account, a multithreaded approach, not just single-thread. With this, it’s faster to spot real initiatives or challenges for each account, then build a strong POV (point of view) around how you can help. That makes your outbound relevant at scale. Example strategy: Identify company strategic initiatives/pain points in under 10 minutes → create a strong POV → reuse insights across multiple prospects in the same account. Here are different approach examples CEO interviewed on a podcast → use it to reach their direct reports. CRO just got hired → leverage with the CEO and front-line sales managers. Bottom-up: talk to end-users about current challenges/tools → use that with front-line managers → Economic buyer. VP of CS just hired 2 CSMs → name-drop. Ask for referrals inside the account. With that, you’ve got (almost) infinite ways to outbound an account. Because if the prospects you’re chasing aren’t active on LinkedIn, you’re just wasting time. And in 2025, with tools like n8n, Clay or AI-driven solutions make this faster and scalable, even if your prospect accounts aren’t active on LinkedIn. "But Elric, does this work in SMB and Mid-Market?” Yes. It works there too Example: Owner sells to single-location restaurants; they only have one contact for most accounts. They adapt the talk track by segment: Restaurant has: A website + uses Uber Eats/DoorDash → focus on the pain of 3rd-party apps (30% revenue cut, no customer data). A website + no delivery → educating them about missed revenue opportunities. They personalize for business maturity, not the owner. -- Follow me 👨🍳 Elric Legloire for daily outbound recipes.