How to Select the Best Target Accounts for ABM (It's Not Just About Revenue)

In account-based marketing, few decisions matter more than selecting the right target accounts. And yet, it’s one of the most misunderstood parts of the whole strategy.

Too often, teams build their lists based on hype, hope, or what sales wishes they could land. That means chasing the biggest logos, not necessarily the best-fit customers. But ABM isn’t just about going after the companies with the deepest pockets. It’s about finding the right ones: the ones who are ready, aligned, and likely to become high-value long-term partners.

To unpack what actually works in modern ABM, and how to avoid some of the most common traps, we turned to Jim Gilkey, a marketer-turned-seller who’s seen both sides of the playbook.

Jim is an Account Executive at Scrappy ABM, the host of the Account-Based Beverages podcast, and a former Director of Marketing who’s run ABM at startups and giants like Salesforce. He’s also a five-time (bracket that, five-time!) award-winning dad and a big believer in simplifying strategy to make campaigns easier to run and more likely to succeed.

Jim didn’t enter ABM with a blueprint. He was a Director of Marketing trying to figure out how to make ABM work, and once he cracked the code (delivering 1000% ROI), he knew he had something. That led him into ABM tech, and today he brings a rare dual perspective: someone who’s both built ABM campaigns and now uses them as a salesperson. Pretty cool, right?

Here’s what he had to say about aligning with sales, choosing the right accounts, engaging smarter, and setting yourself up for real results.

Watch the full interview with Jim here.

Challenge 1: Sales and Marketing Alignment (aka The Classic Struggle)

Every ABM strategy talks about sales and marketing alignment… but few actually get it right. Often, it’s monthly meetings and campaign updates, but no real collaboration.

According to Jim, It all comes down to reducing friction.

Too often, marketers and sales teams operate in silos. Marketing hands over a campaign, tells sales it’s running, and walks away. 

The problem is sales doesn’t always know why someone engaged, what message hit home, or even who they’re meant to follow up with. Jim flipped that on its head:

 “If someone lands on a competitor comparison page, I know exactly what talk track to use. That’s the kind of trigger-based insight that gets action.”

Forget just sharing lead scores that don’t mean much. Instead, surface triggers that show real buying signals and empower sales with the context they need; give sales actionable data with context.

Oh, and if you want sales to buy into your ABM program, don’t wait for a full rollout. Start small, win over one rep with one successful play, and the rest will follow.

 “Salespeople love to share what’s working. Get one rep a win, and others will come asking how you did it.”

Challenge 2: Setting ABM Objectives That Actually Make Sense

When starting out, it’s tempting to aim for numbers and big wins like pipeline or revenue. But not every campaign should be trying to book a meeting on day one.

Trying to go straight from "they saw a blog post" to "let’s book a meeting" is like proposing marriage after making eye contact across the bar.

Jim says: Map the full buyer journey.

Identify the stages, from unaware of the problem all the way to talking to sales, and figure out where you’re missing content or campaigns to move them forward. That’s where your objectives live.

Focus on objectives like increasing engagement in the education stage or reducing drop-off between awareness and interest. Those middle-funnel metrics matter more than people think.

 “Most companies have top-of-funnel brand campaigns and bottom-of-funnel conversion plays, but nothing in the middle.”

Objectives should match where your buyer is. Focus on moving them one step closer to a sale, not rushing them to the finish line.

“Start small. Get a first down. Not every play needs to be a touchdown.”

Challenge 3: Picking the Right Target Accounts (and Ditching the Hopium)

Sales teams often choose accounts based on hope, not data. (Hello Apple and Google on every list.)

Jim didn’t mince words here: stop letting sales build target account lists on “hopium.” 

 “Every rep wants to close Apple or Meta. But those accounts might not make sense for your business.”

Instead, start with your top-performing 20% of customers and figure out what they have in common. “That top 20% is driving 80% of your results. Start there.”

Don’t just look at positive signals, include negative ones too. If you know a buyer persona is usually too early or too late in their journey, bake that into your targeting.

 “A buyer who’s two months into a job? Too early. Three years in? Too late. You need to include negative qualifiers in your targeting too.”

Smart targeting = fewer wasted cycles.

Challenge 4: Making Account Research More Efficient (and Smarter)

Research takes time. And in ABM, you need insights at scale. So how do you avoid drowning in manual work?

We’re in the age of AI, and Jim is all about working smarter. Sure, you’ve got your go-to tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator and ChatGPT. But take it a step further:

 “I know someone who built a script that scrapes a company’s website and checks if they’re talking about topics we care about. If they are, green light. If not, move on.”

It’s a great reminder that account research can be scaled intelligently, and not everything has to be done manually.

Whether it’s one-to-one or one-to-many, start with the big picture and zoom in — or go the other way around. And if you’re doing deep-dive research for a big account, don’t let that knowledge die; anonymize those insights to build repeatable messaging for similar roles or industries.

“Strip out the personal bits and reuse the insights for other similar accounts.”

Challenge 5: Picking the Right Engagement Channels (Especially for Small Teams)

With a million platforms to choose from, where do you focus your energy when starting ABM?

Jim’s top 3 engagement channels:

1. Start a podcast or video series 

   “Meeting acceptance rates jump from 3% to 70–80% when you're inviting someone on a podcast.”

It’s the ultimate relationship-builder, and a great way to warm up cold accounts.

2. Email (yep, still works) Just make sure it’s valuable, relevant, and written for them, not for you. In other words, make sure it’s rooted in what buyers actually care about.

   
   

3. LinkedIn (but actually use it)Don’t just message; engage. Comment on your ICP’s posts. Lift up their content. And for bonus points, try voice notes or video messages.

   
   

“I had a CEO say, ‘If someone comments on my content meaningfully, I’ll reply to their next cold email or call.’ That’s how much it matters.”

Always remember engagement isn’t about blasting out messages. It’s about building relationships.

Challenge 6: Creating Content That Prospects Actually Care About

Too often, marketers create content they think buyers want, not what buyers are actually asking for. That’s why creating content that actually answers buyer questions isn’t a choice. It’s a must.

Jim borrowed a play from Yag Ganesh here: build content that answers the top 5 questions your buyers ask on their first sales call.

 “I listened to every recorded sales call when I joined. I tracked the top 5 questions people always asked on call one, and built content to answer them in advance.”

If you know what questions are coming, you can create content that helps buyers move themselves forward before they even speak to sales. This approach guarantees relevance and accelerates deals, because you’re starting the buyer conversation at step 2, not step 0.

Challenge 7: How Jim’s ABM Mindset Has Evolved (Big Time)

ABM isn’t static. Buyers have changed, tools have changed, and so have the rules.

Jim sees two major shifts:

1. AI isn’t optional anymore. 

   Everyone can personalize with tokens now. The real win is using AI to do more research, faster, and speak to pain points that truly matter.

   
   

2. Deals are getting more financial.

   CFOs are showing up earlier and more often. You’ve got to speak in ROI, not just empathy. Build business cases, not just value props.

   
   

 “You need to show real ROI now. Not just personalization, but business value. What’s the cost saved or revenue added?”

That’s how you make a case, and close a deal.

If Jim Could Build One ABM Tool…

 “A library of step-by-step ABM campaign playbooks; real examples, not theory. Imagine a platform where you could see proven, tactical plays broken down. You could compare, tweak, and actually replicate what worked, not just hear vague ideas.”

Think: how to run an event, how to do LinkedIn outreach, how to follow up post-webinar. Something anyone could pick up and use without needing a 10-person team or a six-figure budget.

Honestly, yes please. Theoretical advice is everywhere, we need more practical stuff.

One Final Question for You

Before we wrapped, Jim left us with this great question for future ABMers:

“Where do you go to find real campaign ideas you can actually use, not just theory; actual step-by-step tactics”

His go-tos? Podcasts like his own Account-Based Beverages, marketingexamples.com, and call recordings from top-performing reps.

This convo was packed with smart, actionable insights, but if we had to sum it up? ABM works best when it’s personal, practical, and focused on real problems.

Start small. Cut the friction. Listen to your buyers. And never underestimate the power of a LinkedIn comment or a voice note.

Want more like this? Grab a coffee and check out Jim’s podcast Account-Based Beverages. (Trust us, it’s not your average marketing show.)