Why ABM Sounds Strategic But Often Gets Stuck

ABM is great for alignment: sales and marketing teams rally around the same high-value
accounts. On paper, it’s strategic, structured, and focused. But in practice, ABM efforts often
stall.

Marketing launches a campaign. GTM teams cheer it on. SDRs receive a spreadsheet of target
accounts and then what? They’re told to “personalise more” and “go deeper,” but without clear
processes, tool support, or account strategy, most fall back into generic outbound.

The Result:
● A few contacts get touched, maybe one meeting gets booked
● SDRs think the job is done
● Momentum is lost

The truth is, ABM only works when SDRs are empowered to run plays across the account, not
just book a single meeting and move on as usual. Leadership must support them and give
direction.

Stakki’s Prescription: Making ABM Real for SDR Teams

To make ABM work at the SDR level, stop treating it like a marketing-only strategy and start
building it like a repeatable outbound motion. Here’s how:

Trust Your SDRs to Own the Account Motion
ABM means more people per account, more touches, and more nuance. If SDRs are told to wait
for green lights before every contact, momentum dies.

Instead, trust them to prospect into multiple stakeholders, find signals, and book multiple
meetings if needed. The onus to pause should fall on the AE or Sales Leader, not the SDR.
One meeting ≠ job done.

Set Clear Account Criteria and Roles

ABM needs clarity, not complexity. Define:
● What makes an account “in play”
● Who owns which actions (SDR vs AE vs Marketing)
● What signals justify continued outreach or pause

This keeps everyone moving without stepping on toes.

Support Smart Outreach with Smart Tools
Don’t flood SDRs with content or 12-step approval flows. Instead, give them:
● A target account list
● 3–5 strong personalization angles
● Outreach tools that sync to CRM and show activity at the account level

And let them run. Onus is on you to monitor and AE’s to say the account has been “cracked”
and they got it from here.

Tools That Make ABM Work for SDRs

Category	What to Look For	Examples / Suggestions
CRM + Account Management	Hierarchies, account-level reporting, stakeholder tracking	Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive (with customisation)
Intent & Enrichment	Buyer intent signals, credit-based enrichment, global coverage	Upcell, BetterContact, Salesbolt
Multichannel Outreach	Sequences for email + LinkedIn + call, integrated with CRM	AmpleMarket, Reply, Smartlead, HeyReach
Conversation Intelligence	Recording, transcripts, sentiment analysis, scorecards	Gong, Avoma, Chorus

Final Thought: ABM Needs Ownership, Not Overhead

If you’re asking SDRs to execute ABM, you need to give them:
● The trust to explore an account, not just touch one contact
● Clear signals on when to pause, not just when to start
● Tools that support multi-threaded outreach and personalised insight

ABM isn’t just a strategy. It’s a workflow. And the teams that win with it build repeatable plays,
coachable processes, and flexible tooling.

James Donaldson

Founder @ Stakki

james@Stakki.io