Beyond the MQL: A Blueprint for Buying Group Marketing, ABM Evolution, & AI-Powered Growth A conversation with Leslie Alore, SVP Marketing at Flexera. In B2B marketing, traditional lead-based funnels are no longer sufficient to capture the complexity of modern buying behaviors. Decisions are increasingly made by groups of stakeholders, each with unique priorities, influence, and timelines. This has rendered the singular MQL metric inadequate. Leslie Alore, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Flexera, has taken a bold stance on rethinking marketing performance metrics, aligning go-to-market teams, and leveraging AI to better engage buying groups. In a recent episode of The Revenue Lounge, Leslie outlined how she has redefined what marketing success looks like, how she operationalizes ABM for platform sales, and why AI is central to the next evolution of buyer engagement. Facebook Twitter Youtube Rethinking the Role of MQLs Leslie begins with a candid admission: marketers have done themselves a disservice by elevating MQLs to the primary measure of marketing’s contribution. At Flexera, she has radically narrowed the definition of an MQL to focus only on true ‘hand-raisers’—prospects who explicitly request a sales interaction, whether that’s a demo request, a meeting with a product expert, or a direct booking with a sales rep. “An MQL is somebody who requests something that results in a sales meeting. They ask for a demo, they ask to talk to an expert, they book a meeting. That’s it.” – Leslie Alore By tightening the definition, her team was able to dramatically improve response times, sharpen SDR focus, and boost conversion rates. This approach doesn’t discount other engaged contacts—such as those who download content or attend webinars—but these interactions are used to warm accounts for future outreach rather than being sent immediately to sales. The goal is to avoid SDR burnout and focus resources where buying intent is real. Moving from Vanity Metrics to Business Impact To solve the fragmentation problem, Mahesh emphasized that the answer wasn’t just in tools—but in orchestration. “We can’t consolidate everything, and we shouldn’t try to. The key is orchestrating data across tools, teams, and processes.” Rather than force-fit every team into a single platform, Mahesh advocates for connecting tools via native integrations where possible and using custom scripts or internal workflows when necessary. At AppViewX, for example, Salesforce acts as the system of record, but data flows in from various tools—marketing automation, CS platforms, product usage systems, and internal scripts that clean and enrich records in real-time. The Orchestration Mindset To ensure marketing’s performance aligns with business priorities, Leslie implemented a three-tiered scorecard: “Metrics matter, but they should reflect how marketing drives the business forward—not just how many activities we can check off.” – Leslie Alore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8AuFPnUmog ABM Beyond Marketing Leslie is quick to point out that ABM should not be viewed as a marketing initiative alone—it’s a holistic business strategy. In platform-selling scenarios, where multiple point solutions target different stakeholders, understanding and mapping buying groups is essential. Her process starts with: Defining the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) for each solution. Identifying users, buyers, and influencers for each product. Analyzing overlaps across solutions to reveal the best platform-fit accounts. “Sometimes, the influencer might not be involved in saying yes, but they can absolutely say no.” – Leslie Alore Balancing Demand Capture and Generation Applying the 95-5 rule, Leslie notes that only a small fraction of target accounts are actively in-market at any given time. Flexera’s strategy is to: Capture Demand Aggressively for in-market accounts through coordinated “swarming” of stakeholders by marketing, SDRs, and sales. Generate Future Demand with out-of-market accounts through thought leadership, education, and brand reinforcement until they’re ready to buy. This ensures short-term pipeline health while building long-term growth momentum. Harnessing AI for Speed, Scale, and Insight Leslie identifies three vectors for AI in marketing: Improving Marketing Productivity – Using generative AI tools like Writer to reduce content production timelines from weeks to hours. Enabling Customer Outcomes – Embedding AI-driven capabilities in Flexera’s own products. Adapting to Buyer Behavior – Responding to how buyers themselves are using AI to research and evaluate solutions. Predictive analytics tools like 6sense help Flexera interpret first-, second-, and third-party buying signals, enabling the team to prioritize accounts with greater accuracy. “If you’re not great at capturing demand, you have no business trying to generate it.” – Leslie Alore Key Lessons from Leslie Alore’s Approach Redefine MQLs to prioritize genuine buying intent and improve SDR efficiency. Align metrics in tiers to connect marketing measurement directly to business impact. Treat ABM as an enterprise-wide strategy, not just a marketing program. Balance demand capture with long-term demand generation for sustained growth. Leverage AI both to optimize marketing execution and to respond to shifting buyer behaviors. Want to hear more stories from revenue leaders? 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Scaling Revenue Operations in High-Growth SaaS: A Strategic Playbook A conversation with Josh Pudnos, VP, Global Head of RevOps at Exiger. In the high-stakes world of SaaS, growth is no longer just a function of adding more sellers or increasing outreach volume—it’s about scaling smart, aligning teams, and building a RevOps foundation that enables profitable and predictable revenue. Josh Pudnos, former VP and Global Head of Revenue Operations at Exiger, knows this challenge intimately. Tasked with transforming Exiger from an advisory firm into a SaaS powerhouse, Josh architected a RevOps strategy from the ground up—rebuilding tech, redefining data, restructuring teams, and guiding the company through the messy middle of SaaS evolution. In this detailed blog, we explore Josh’s RevOps transformation playbook—anchored in data integrity, stakeholder psychology, and operational precision. Whether you’re a startup building RevOps from scratch or an enterprise scaling your GTM engine, this story is packed with practical strategies you can adapt to your own environment. Facebook Twitter Youtube From Advisory Firm to SaaS: The Mandate for Change When Josh joined Exiger, the company was in the middle of a strategic pivot. It had already seen success as an advisory services firm, but growing regulatory demand, supply chain risks, and the need for scalable solutions pointed toward a SaaS future. “We saw the signals—more regulation, more risk, more complexity. To meet that need, we had to mature and become a SaaS-first business.” This shift wasn’t just a marketing change. It required reimagining the entire go-to-market (GTM) motion, from how they sold and served customers to how they structured teams and measured success. Phase 1: Rebuilding the Foundation (and the Data) Josh’s first challenge? Data chaos. “Everything within Salesforce when I joined couldn’t be trusted. There was no standardization. We had to start from scratch.” The RevOps team conducted a comprehensive audit and rebuilt core processes—from lead lifecycle to opportunity stages and product taxonomy. 🔍 Data Cleanup Framework Lead > Contact > Opportunity Conversion: Unified and documented lifecycle stages Opportunity Stage Definitions: Standardized across business units Field-Level Governance: Required fields tailored by deal type (new vs. renewal vs. growth) Product Classification: Split recurring ARR vs. one-time services This clean-up wasn’t just cosmetic—it enabled a major win. During Exiger’s private equity exit, the improved data integrity played a crucial role in underwriting the deal. “We could finally speak confidently about our pipeline and customers. That was a huge turning point.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUwL4kuwg-k&t=3s Phase 2: Building the Right Tech Stack (Without Overbuilding) Armed with a healthy budget and a mandate to modernize, Josh moved quickly to implement a stack that could support outbound motions, deal structuring, and better forecasting. Tools included: Sales engagement platform CPQ implementation Marketing intent integrations CRM and funnel automation But with the benefit of hindsight, Josh realized he moved too fast. “I discounted the reps’ perspectives more than I should have. Some of those tools weren’t adopted. I won’t renew all of them.” 🧠 Key Lesson: Don’t Over-Index on Tech Instead, focus on: User-driven design: Understand how reps actually work Iterative rollout: Prove success with pilots Onboarding and enablement: Train consistently across roles Phase 3: Building a Lean, Impactful Team With only a handful of team members, Josh structured RevOps as a hybrid of technical systems ownership and strategic business partnering. 💼 RevOps Org Design at Exiger Function Focus Area Systems Ops (2 people) Salesforce, integrations, tech stack Sales Ops (2 people) Pipeline strategy, forecasting, top-of-funnel Enablement (1 person) Training, playbooks, seller onboarding Leadership (Josh) Strategy, executive alignment, roadmap ownership   Each RevOps member was aligned with GTM leaders—BDR, AE, AM, CS—to act as a strategic partner, not a ticket taker. “They need a business partner in RevOps. Someone who helps them solve real problems—not just run reports.” Phase 4: Evolving from MQLs to Buying Groups Josh acknowledges a major industry trend: the shift from individual lead tracking (MQLs) to understanding and activating entire buying groups. “There’s no such thing as a single buyer anymore. The committee is often 10–20 people—and each one needs to be engaged differently.” This required evolving both marketing and sales strategies. Exiger began layering intent data with what Josh calls a “surround-sound” approach. 📊 Buying Group GTM Framework Tactic Execution Layer Intent data Use 3rd party and web analytics to identify signals Surround-sound engagement Target decision-makers with tailored content Cross-functional plans Sync sales & marketing on buying group plays Deal acceleration Use buying signals mid-funnel to re-engage deals   Josh noted that even if Exiger isn’t at the fully orchestrated “trigger-based play” stage, they’ve already seen lift in stalled deals simply by getting the right content in front of the right people. Phase 5: Managing Ad Hoc Chaos While Staying Strategic Every RevOps leader has felt this tension: stakeholders want dashboards and ad hoc reports—while leadership wants strategic programs and scalable systems. “You have to empower your team to say no—or at least say ‘not right now.’ Tie everything back to your quarterly initiatives.” Josh and his team communicate their goals through quarterly newsletters, stakeholder syncs, and dashboards that guide self-service. Why Josh Reports into Finance, Not Sales Exiger chose to place RevOps under the CFO instead of the CRO. For Josh, this choice provided the objectivity and strategic alignment he needed. “You don’t want RevOps to become a propaganda arm of sales. With finance, we’re aligned to profitability and operational rigor.” It also helped the team focus not just on revenue goals but on sustainable growth and operational efficiency. The Most Underrated Skill in RevOps? Psychology. “So much about RevOps is understanding how people interpret data, process, and systems. It’s psychological.” Josh recalls debates not about tech or tactics—but about philosophical decisions like how to classify a deal type or when to progress a stage. Understanding stakeholder mental models, motivations, and friction points is what unlocks true cross-functional alignment. Josh’s Retrospective: What He’d Do Differently Move Slower at the StartBuild consensus before buying tech. Map out the rep workflow first. Involve Frontline Teams EarlyEven if they’re unfamiliar with SaaS tools, their

From MQLs to Buying Groups: How Palo Alto Transformed its Funnel & Drove 15x Pipeline Impact A conversation with Lauren Daley, Director of Marketing Operations at Palo Alto Networks. “We all knew MQLs weren’t working. But we were still being measured by them. Something had to change.”— Lauren Daley, Director of Marketing Operations, Palo Alto Networks In an era where enterprise B2B buying is driven by committees, not individuals, most marketers still operate in a lead-centric, MQL-obsessed model. But at Palo Alto Networks — one of the world’s largest cybersecurity companies — a transformative shift has been quietly reshaping how demand generation connects to pipeline. Lauren Daley, Director of Marketing Operations, alongside Jeremy Schwartz, spearheaded one of the most impactful GTM transitions in recent memory: abandoning individual MQLs in favor of a buying group-driven strategy. This shift didn’t just improve pipeline metrics — it won Palo Alto Networks Forrester’s 2025 Demand and ABM Program of the Year and led to double- and triple-digit improvements in pipeline performance. Let’s walk through the detailed steps of this transformation, the cultural and technical pivots it required, and how you can apply Palo Alto’s approach to your organization. Facebook Twitter Youtube Why MQLs Failed to Deliver — And Why Buying Groups Matter For years, marketing has been measured by how many MQLs it can generate. But most B2B enterprise purchases aren’t made by individuals — they’re made by buying committees. At Palo Alto Networks, this was especially evident: they were selling multi-product, high-stakes cybersecurity solutions to government, healthcare, and large enterprises — all of which involve multiple stakeholders in the buying process. “We weren’t doing a good job of connecting all those signals, those buying group members, and packaging it in a way sellers could take action on. That was the disconnect.”— Lauren Daley Marketing teams were doing the hard work of engaging the right personas, but those efforts weren’t translating into revenue. Why? Because individual leads weren’t enough. A shift to buying groups was long overdue. The Journey Begins: From Pilot to Playbook The transformation started not with tech, but with people. Lauren and her team began small — launching a pilot focused on Business Development Representatives (BDRs) and enabling them to associate more stakeholders with each opportunity. “We didn’t boil the ocean. We started with the friendlies — people who immediately bought into the vision.”— Lauren Daley The early results were compelling enough to draw interest from other teams across the company, and that’s when momentum truly started to build. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUAJSu7ebeA Buying Group Impact at Palo Alto Networks The results were staggering when buying groups were present in an opportunity: “I call it compound lift. More deals in forecast. Bigger deals. Higher win rates. That’s a lot of incremental bookings.”— Lauren Daley With buying groups: Opportunities moved into forecast at 15x the rate compared to solo leads. Deal sizes increased by 2.4x. Win rates improved by 1.4x — a 40% increase. This wasn’t just a better marketing model — it was a business growth engine. Changing Mindsets: Enabling the Shift in Marketing Thinking One of the most difficult aspects of this transition wasn’t technology — it was mindset. Marketing teams had been conditioned to focus on MQLs for years, and those targets still drove behavior. “If you put a top-line MQL target in front of a marketer, that’s what they’ll chase — whether it converts or not.”— Lauren Daley To combat this, Lauren and Jeremy went on a company-wide roadshow. They didn’t just explain the new approach — they showed teams how to take action. Campaign and field marketing teams were coached on identifying gaps in buying group coverage and targeting missing personas instead of over-focusing on one highly engaged individual. “Three lightly engaged personas in the right roles are more valuable than one highly engaged individual.”— Lauren Daley Creating the Buying Group Score: A Gartner-Inspired Framework To make the shift operational and actionable, the team developed a Buying Group Score — a clear and simple framework inspired by the Gartner Magic Quadrant. This model categorized buying group engagement into four quadrants based on: Intent Engagement Completeness (presence of key personas) Propensity (likelihood to buy) Buying Group Score Matrix Quadrant Intent Engagement Completeness Propensity Action A High High High High Prioritize immediately B High Low High Medium Campaigns: drive engagement C High High Low Medium Paid: identify missing personas D Low Low Low Low Brand nurture   “We wanted to help marketers prioritize accounts with high potential and make decisions based on data, not guesses.”— Lauren Daley This framework is now being integrated into Salesforce using a custom Buying Group Object, designed to house members of a buying group before an opportunity is even created. Using the Existing Tech Stack to Drive Change Contrary to what many assume, this transformation didn’t require a major investment in new tools. “This transformation is free. We didn’t ask for extra budget.”— Lauren Daley Key adjustments included: Turning on Lead-to-Opportunity matching in LeanData Using Demandbase to monitor engagement and intent signals Building a custom object in Salesforce to house buying group data Automating engagement scoring over time “The tech wasn’t the bottleneck — mindset and enablement were.”— Lauren Daley Evolving the Metrics: From MQLs to Coverage & Contribution The move to buying groups demanded a rethink of what marketing success looks like. Metrics that Became Obsolete: Raw MQL volume Individual engagement scores Metrics That Matter Now: Buying Group Coverage: % of opportunities with complete persona representation Campaign → Opportunity Contribution: Are campaigns driving opportunity creation or expansion? Engagement by Role: Are we nurturing decision-makers, influencers, and champions? Pipeline Conversion & Win Rate by Buying Group Status Overcoming Resistance and Driving Adoption “People immediately said: this makes sense. But changing how they work day-to-day? That takes effort.”— Lauren Daley To make adoption easier: Lauren’s team developed dashboards to visualize persona gaps Created activation playbooks tailored by channel and segment Invested in continuous enablement and real-time coaching Demonstrated the “before and after” revenue impact to stakeholders Related

Modern ABM and Demand Generation in the Age of Buyer Fatigue A conversation with Rick Collins, VP of Demand Generation at Connectwise. “We’ve hit what I call the Great Ignore. Everyone’s overwhelmed with messages across channels… even the good ones are getting ignored.”  In the past 12–18 months, pipeline generation has become increasingly challenging. Rising revenue goals and shrinking budgets have pushed marketing teams into a corner. Traditional tactics—especially high-volume lead generation—are no longer effective. In this environment, Account-Based Marketing (ABM) has emerged as a vital strategy. But to truly succeed, teams must rethink how they define ABM, how they align with sales, and how they scale through integrated processes. This blog, based on a Revenue Lounge podcast episode with Rick Collins, VP of Demand Generation at ConnectWise, is your deep dive into: The evolution of ABM in modern demand gen Aligning go-to-market teams Building operational systems for scale Tools, data, and attribution best practices Key lessons Rick learned the hard way Facebook Twitter Youtube From IT to Demand Gen: Rick’s Unconventional Path Rick’s journey began in IT—working in QA, implementation, and CRM systems. Over time, he gravitated toward marketing operations, and eventually demand generation. “I bring a different lens to demand gen. I’ve built the ops side first, which gave me an appreciation of data, systems, and how to scale programs with precision.” He was the first marketing ops hire at ConnectWise, scaled the team through multiple acquisitions, and later took over demand gen during one of the toughest periods for pipeline creation in SaaS. The Death of Traditional Lead Generation Rick calls out three seismic changes that made legacy demand gen ineffective: The Rise of the Empowered Buyer: Buyers now reach 80–90% of the way through the journey before contacting a vendor. Digital Fatigue: Automation misuse has saturated inboxes and weakened outreach quality. Market Competition: More players, more noise, and higher ad costs. “We used to be a lead-gen machine. Now it’s all about understanding signals, providing value, and making every touchpoint count.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdDbWb-MWwI Strategies That Actually Work Rick’s team has focused on three core strategies to cut through the clutter: 1. Provide Thought Leadership Without Selling Publish content that helps the audience do their job better. Avoid product mentions in early stages. “The more we can help you without asking for anything, the more trust we build.” 2. Respond Fast When Intent is Declared If someone shows intent, ensure a quick, seamless follow-up. Architect systems for real-time handoff to sales. 3. Revive Direct Mail Physical mail cuts through the noise and makes an impact. Combine gifting with value-driven messaging. “You send me a direct mail piece—I’m going to see it. It stands out.” ABM is Not a Tool. It’s a Strategic Motion “Start with the strategy. Don’t buy the tool until you know what you want to achieve.” Too many organizations make the mistake of buying an ABM platform before defining their motion. Rick recommends starting small and proving success manually. Strategic ABM Checklist: Define your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) based on firmographic and technographic criteria Segment and tier accounts (e.g., Tier 1: High-Value, Tier 2: Strategic Growth, Tier 3: Scalable Outreach) Involve sales in validating and refining account lists Build cross-functional account plans with sales and SDRs Develop persona-specific messaging and value narratives Align marketing and sales cadences for multi-threaded outreach Choose channels and tactics based on account tier (field, digital, gifting, events) Establish shared KPIs and cohort-based measurement plans Start small (e.g., pilot 25 Tier 1 accounts), iterate based on learnings Scale with technology only after proving success manually MQLs vs Buying Groups: A Nuanced Approach Rick doesn’t claim MQLs are dead—but they are misunderstood. The definition varies drastically across companies. What’s more effective? Tracking buying group signals. “We’re operating under the buying group model in our upmarket motion. One person may raise their hand, but we’re watching the whole committee.” Infographic: MQL vs Buying Group Comparison Criteria MQL Buying Group Focus Individual Committee/Swarm Common in SMB Enterprise, Mid-market Trigger Email open, form fill Intent + multiple touchpoints Limitation Ignores influence Holistic engagement Ideal motion Automated lead nurture High-touch ABM Solving Attribution & Measurement Challenges “We use cohort reporting to measure ABM. Attribution is helpful, but it’s directional.” Attribution is complex—especially when sales teams don’t tag every contact or touchpoint in CRM. Rick’s solution is cohort-based reporting: Cohort Reporting Process: Choose a set of 500 target accounts Launch a defined campaign or series of campaigns Measure: Pipeline creation Opportunity conversion Win rates Double-click into successful accounts and identify what worked Aligning with Sales: The Non-Negotiable Element “If sales isn’t bought in, it’s just marketing playing by themselves. It doesn’t work.” Rick emphasizes that sales buy-in is crucial. Here’s his playbook for driving that alignment: Sales Alignment Checklist:   Infographic: Joint Sales-Marketing ABM Execution Plan Phase Action Owner Account Selection Agree on Tier 1 accounts Sales + Marketing Persona Mapping Identify roles & pains Marketing Messaging Customize value stories Marketing + Enablement Outreach Sequence delivery SDRs + Reps Follow-Up Meetings & nurture Sales Reporting Track cohort progress Ops Tech Stack and Data Activation: A Pragmatic View “Tools won’t fix your strategy. They help scale what’s already working.” Rick breaks the ABM tech landscape into three layers: Signal Aggregation – intent data, website visits, email behavior. Activation – digital ads, gifting, outreach. Measurement – pipeline contribution, cohort lift, influence. His recommendation: push data into Salesforce and trigger workflows from there. Otherwise, data sits idle. “We built a prospecting dashboard showing intent scores, untouched accounts, and pipeline priority. Next step: automate the whole motion.” Balancing Short-Term Metrics vs Long-Term Relationship Building “If someone has the answer to balancing short- and long-term pipeline generation, I’m all ears.” Rick’s team avoids meeting-based comp for SDRs. Instead, they’re measured on accepted pipeline and closed-won influence. But this is still a work-in-progress. SDR Measurement: Old vs New Model Meeting-Based Pipeline-Influence-Based Pros Easy to track Aligned with revenue Cons Short-term focus Complex to implement Outcome Flimsy meetings Better qualified pipeline The Power

Account Based Marketing vs Lead Generation: Why It’s Time to Rethink Your Strategy A conversation with Kristina Jaramillo, President at Personal ABM. In today’s B2B world, account based marketing vs lead generation isn’t just a battle of tactics—it’s a clash of mindsets. While lead generation focuses on volume and filling the top of the funnel, account-based marketing (ABM) is about precision, alignment, and long-term revenue growth. But here’s the catch: many companies think they’re doing ABM when they’re really just putting a shiny label on their old lead-gen playbooks. According to Kristina Jaramillo, President of Personal ABM, true ABM is not a campaign—it’s a strategic transformation. Facebook Twitter Youtube The Problem: ABM is Misunderstood and Misapplied “ABM isn’t just better targeting. It’s a company-wide go-to-market strategy that aligns marketing, sales, customer success, and product around shared revenue goals.” Most organizations jump into ABM by identifying a list of accounts, defining a few goals, and layering campaigns on top of existing demand gen efforts. But they fail to rethink their content, messaging, team structure, or go-to-market motions. In essence, they’re doing targeted lead generation, not ABM. Element Lead Generation Account Based Marketing Goal Generate as many leads as possible Land and expand strategic accounts Measurement MQLs, form fills, engagement rates Stage progression, win rates, NRR Ownership Primarily marketing Cross-functional: Sales, Marketing, CS, RevOps Approach One-to-many campaigns 1:1, 1:few, or 1:many with personalization Content Generic and persona-based Account-specific and insight-driven Why ABM Often Fails to Deliver Revenue Here’s what Kristina sees time and time again: Companies treat ABM as a bolt-on tactic, not a fundamental shift. Sales and marketing aren’t aligned on account selection, goals, or success metrics. The program lacks executive sponsorship and cross-functional ownership. Teams don’t tailor messaging to strategic priorities or address the status quo bias in buying committees. ABM is measured with tactical metrics like MQAs, not business outcomes. ABM can’t be delegated to a single marketing manager or retrofitted to an existing funnel. It has to be designed to solve the biggest revenue problems—whether that’s breaking into enterprise accounts, reducing churn, or expanding current customers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFc4f34PJpg A Better Approach to ABM: Start With the Revenue Gaps Kristina’s team begins every ABM engagement by identifying where the revenue leaks are: Are we losing to competitors we should beat? Are customers churning after a short term? Are we unable to move upmarket? Once the problem is clear, the strategy follows: Align sales, marketing, CS, and RevOps around shared objectives. Redefine the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) based on high-value customers. Develop account-specific messaging tied to strategic business priorities. Focus on internal buyer enablement, not just external outreach. Track meaningful KPIs like deal velocity, ACV growth, and multi-threading success. “ABM is not about the next deal. It’s about driving the greatest revenue streams year over year.” Don’t Just Buy Tech. Build Strategy First Intent platforms like 6sense and Demandbase have become synonymous with ABM—but Kristina cautions against this mindset. “ABM tech doesn’t equal ABM strategy. Buying a platform doesn’t fix broken processes or align your teams.” Intent data only reflects current behaviors—it’s speculative, not predictive. It doesn’t tell you if the account is culturally aligned, ready for change, or worth pursuing. Tech should enable a strategy—not define it. Real-World Proof: How Messaging Changed Everything Kristina shared the story of a freight analytics company struggling to expand deal sizes. Their content was aimed at transportation managers—the platform users—not decision-makers. Their main competitor even offered a similar solution for free. By shifting the messaging to show how their platform integrated with demand forecasting, inventory management, and margin protection, they repositioned their value for C-suite leaders. That shift helped them land and expand accounts on Gartner’s Top 25 Supply Chain list. Metrics That Matter in ABM To measure ABM success, forget MQLs. Kristina recommends focusing on: Stage progression ACV growth Win rates against competitors Engagement with C-suite buyers NRR (Net Revenue Retention) “If your ABM isn’t improving deal size, win rate, and retention—you’re not doing ABM.” Final Thoughts: Time to Kill the Triangle One of Kristina’s boldest takeaways? It’s time to ditch the outdated ABM pyramid. The one-to-many → one-to-few → one-to-one model is too rigid and siloed. Instead, think of it as a dynamic funnel, where high-fit accounts earn deeper personalization based on engagement, strategic fit, and growth potential. TL;DR: Account Based Marketing vs Lead Generation ABM isn’t an evolution of lead gen—it’s a fundamentally different strategy. ABM focuses on revenue, retention, and relationship building, not just pipeline. True ABM requires executive sponsorship, team alignment, and account-specific engagement. Tech alone won’t save you—strategy must come first. Kill the pyramid. Build programs that are integrated, adaptive, and focused on the entire account journey. Want to hear more stories from revenue leaders? Subscribe to The Revenue Lounge podcast to never miss an episode! More Resources