Why your ABM program runs, but you still don't know if you're winning
Sjors Teeuwen
GTM Strategy Lead
Key Takeaways
- •ABM creates motion, not always visibility - activity doesn't equal influence without understanding how intent forms
- •Engagement is not buying momentum - one person engaging repeatedly doesn't mean the account is moving
- •You win when multiple stakeholders are involved and buying signals spread across roles
- •Traditional ABM reporting focuses on reach and engagement, not DMU formation or intent progression
- •Strategic ABM shifts from activity tracking to momentum and readiness tracking
Account based marketing sounds simple.
- Define your target list.
- Launch campaigns.
- Align with sales.
- Track engagement.
Yet many B2B teams running ABM still ask the same question months later:
Are we actually winning these accounts?
Activity exists. Engagement increases. But clarity about real buying momentum remains missing.
ABM creates motion, not always visibility
ABM programs generate signals.
- Ads are seen.
- Content is consumed.
- Sales outreach happens.
Dashboards show impressions, clicks, and touches across target accounts. On paper, the program is active.
But activity does not equal influence.
Without understanding how intent forms inside the account, ABM becomes a broadcast strategy rather than a precision one.
Engagement is not the same as buying momentum
An account can show engagement without moving toward a decision.
One person might interact with content repeatedly while the rest of the organization remains uninvolved. Marketing might see progress, while sales experiences silence.
The real question is not whether accounts engage.
The real question is: Is the decision making unit forming?
Winning accounts means influencing the buying group
In B2B, you do not win accounts by influencing a single contact.
You win when:
- • multiple stakeholders are involved
- • buying signals spread across roles
- • engagement becomes coordinated rather than isolated
If only one person in an account is active, you are not winning yet. You are visible. Winning begins when the group moves.
Why traditional ABM reporting falls short
Most ABM dashboards focus on:
- • reach within target accounts
- • engagement levels
- • campaign performance
These metrics are useful, but they do not reveal:
- • whether influence is expanding across the DMU
- • whether intent is intensifying or fading
- • whether timing is improving or slipping
As a result, ABM programs feel busy but uncertain.
The missing layer: momentum over time
Winning accounts is about progression.
- • Are signals increasing in frequency?
- • Are more people within the account becoming active?
- • Is engagement sustained over time or just a spike?
Without tracking how intent evolves, ABM remains static while buying decisions are dynamic.
When ABM becomes truly strategic
ABM becomes strategic when it shifts from exposure to momentum tracking.
Instead of asking: "How many target accounts did we reach?"
Teams begin asking: "Which target accounts are moving closer to a buying decision?"
That shift changes everything.
- • Campaigns become timed.
- • Sales outreach becomes contextual.
- • Target lists become dynamic rather than fixed.
Where Stairoids fits
Stairoids helps teams see whether they are actually winning accounts.
By focusing on person level intent, buying group formation, and time weighted signals, it shows:
- • where influence is expanding
- • where momentum is fading
- • where accounts are moving toward Peak State
This turns ABM from activity tracking into readiness tracking.
Why this matters
ABM is resource intensive.
If you cannot see whether accounts are progressing, you risk investing heavily in visibility without gaining influence.
Winning accounts is not about being seen.
It is about being present when decisions take shape.
Signal visibility makes that possible.