How to get started with ABM
You don't need more software - you already have everything you need to get started
Hi friends - I hope you enjoyed the first of four mini ABM lessons from Corrina last week!
My primary goal with this newsletter is to make go-to-market education and advice approachable, tactical, and ‘doable’ for startups.
No big words, fluffy advice, or expensive investments.
Just simple, actionable, and realistic playbooks you can run with a small(er) budget and team.
Corrina’s advice hits the mark.
Enjoy 🙂
How to get started with ABM
Hopefully, you’re at least ABM curious after last week’s ABM intro. And you might be thinking…
”Do I need to buy ANOTHER tool for this, though?”
Maybe, but not right away. I know you’ve seen the pitch decks and read the case studies…every tool promises the same:
→ Do more with less
→ Stop chasing bad leads
→ Make you 10x more efficient
And before you know it, you’re knee-deep in multiple implementations, with zero adoption, and staring at the same problem you had before you bought the tool.
It wasn’t the strategy that failed. It was the expectation that the platform would do the work.
So, before you spend any money on any new tool, try starting with what you already have:
1. Dig into your CRM
Find shared traits across your won/lost deals— including job titles, tech stacks, objections, campaign touchpoints.
2. Build a test list of 50–100 accounts
Prioritize accounts with strong first-party signals. Here are 2 first-party signal-based campaigns I’d recommend implementing.
3. Pick a hypothesis and test it
Example: “Past opps who lost to Competitor X may now be up for renewal.” Surround those accounts with tailored content, a direct mailer, and an exec intro.
4. Run a control group
No matter how lean your campaign, track what would’ve happened without ABM. Start simple.
Remember…
ABM ≠ Campaign.
ABM = GTM Operating Model.
“Campaign thinking” is quarterly, marketing-owned, and optimized for form-fills. ABM thinking is weekly, cross-functional, and measured by pipeline impact.
Next week, I’ll walk through what happens when you hand the mic to your best sellers—your customers—and how to design ABM plays that build trust before the first sales call.
See ya there!
P.S. Want to chat about what ABM could look like at your org? Let’s connect.
With love and gratitude -
If you want to learn more about working with me directly…
For B2B startups I serve as a Fractional GTM executive or advisor. Learn more about-
When you’re ready, let’s connect to discuss your specific growth goals and challenges.
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In this newsletter I share the exact tips, playbooks, and GTM multi-vitamins I’ve used to help 30+ B2B startups scale their revenue 150-590% YoY.
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