ABM Playbook
A step-by-step guide to launching and scaling an account-based marketing program, from account selection through measurement.
Video Walkthrough
Overview
This 40-page playbook walks you through every step of building an ABM program from scratch, based on the ABM Trinity framework. It’s designed for marketing leaders, revenue operations professionals, and GTM teams ready to move beyond spray-and-pray marketing.
“Most ABM programs fail not because of poor execution, but because they skip the foundational work. This playbook ensures you don’t make that mistake.”
What You’ll Learn
Chapter 1: Foundation
Before you select a single account, you need organizational alignment. This chapter covers:
- Defining ABM for your specific context
- Building the business case for leadership
- Securing executive sponsorship
- Setting realistic expectations with stakeholders
Chapter 2: Account Selection
The most critical decision in ABM—who to target. Get this wrong and nothing else matters.
- Developing your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
- Building an account scoring methodology
- Tiering strategies (1:1, 1:few, 1:many)
- Using intent data effectively without over-relying on it
Chapter 3: Engagement Strategy
Once you know who to target, you need to determine how to reach them in ways that resonate.
- Mapping the buying committee at target accounts
- Content strategy specifically for ABM
- Channel selection and multi-touch orchestration
- Personalization that scales without becoming generic
Chapter 4: Sales & Marketing Alignment
The third pillar of the Trinity—and often the hardest to get right.
- Designing shared metrics and SLAs
- Account ownership models that work
- Joint planning cadences
- Communication workflows that don’t create overhead
Chapter 5: Technology Stack
You don’t need every ABM tool on the market, but you do need the right foundation.
- Essential ABM tools and their actual use cases
- Integration requirements and common pitfalls
- Build vs. buy decision frameworks
- Optimizing what you already have
Chapter 6: Measurement & Optimization
Proving ABM works—and making it work better over time.
- ABM metrics that actually matter
- Attribution approaches that acknowledge complexity
- Reporting frameworks for different audiences
- Continuous improvement loops
Who This Is For
This playbook is designed for:
- Marketing leaders building their first ABM program or fixing an underperforming one
- Revenue operations professionals implementing ABM infrastructure
- Sales leaders who want to understand how to partner effectively on ABM
- GTM teams looking to align around an account-based strategy
Bonus Materials
The playbook includes ready-to-use templates:
- Account scoring template (Excel)
- Engagement playbook template (Notion)
- QBR presentation template (Google Slides)
- ABM maturity assessment (PDF)
This playbook is based on the ABM Trinity framework. For a deeper dive into the framework, check out the ABM Trinity blog post.