Why Volume-to-Value Might Be the Best Thing You Do for ABM

In account-based marketing, selecting the right accounts is often mistaken for selecting the biggest ones. But as seasoned marketers know, bigger doesn’t always mean better, especially when you’re working with long sales cycles, complex buying committees, and tight budgets.

If your team is still chasing volume over value, or struggling to get sales to care about your campaigns, it might be time to rethink your ABM motion.

Enter Jen Leaver, Senior Director of Demand Generation at Rithum, executive committee member at ForgeX, and a force in the world of B2B marketing. 

Her journey to ABM wasn’t a straight line: she’s spent 15+ years across agency and in-house roles, even co-founding her own media startup. But it was while working with complex B2B brands that she discovered ABM’s real power;  the ability to focus efforts where they’ll create the most impact.

“It wasn’t that ABM was a new concept, but suddenly it made sense. Tight targeting, better alignment, real results. I was hooked.”

Here’s what she shared about moving from MQL chaos to marketing that actually aligns, engages, and converts.

Check out the full interview with Jen here.

When’s the Right Time to Start ABM?

A lot of companies wait too long to adopt ABM  or jump in for the wrong reasons. It’s often seen as something you “graduate into” when your team is big enough or your tech stack is advanced. On the flip side, others dive in thinking ABM is just a fancy way to land new logos.

But neither mindset sets you up for success.

For Jen, the timing is clear:

“The signal is when you're ready to move from volume to value. It’s not about more leads. It’s about better ones.”

She believes the real trigger isn’t company size or budget. It’s a shift in mindset,  from chasing volume to driving value. 

If your lead quality is tanking, conversion rates are low, or there’s growing noise between marketing and sales, it’s a strong sign to shift to an ABM approach. Especially if your deals are high-value and require multi-touch engagement; ABM helps you go deep where it counts.

And it’s not just for new pipeline. Jen is big on customer expansion plays too.

“ABM is just good marketing, especially when you're thinking about expansion, retention, and building long-term relationships.”

Jen Leaver, Senior Director of Demand Gen at Rhythm — where ABM, content, and clarity all meet.

How to Talk to Sales Without Losing Them

You’ve launched amazing campaigns. You’ve optimized every channel. But when you tell sales about it, their eyes glaze over.

One of the most common breakdowns in B2B marketing is when marketers speak to sales the same way they speak to other marketers. It’s not that sales doesn’t care about your campaigns; it’s that we often explain things in the wrong way.

What marketers see as “strategic multichannel orchestration,” sales sees as noise. And what we think of as showing value, they might hear as bragging.

Jen learned this the hard way:

“Marketers are passionate. We want to share everything; the tactics, the testing, the results. But sales doesn’t care about that. They care about pipeline and revenue. Period.”

So instead of listing campaign stats, she recommends speaking their language: show how your efforts impact their goals.

She even launched the Smart Marketing Scoop, a simple digest of only what sales needs to know: content, assets, campaigns, and account insights, nothing else.

“It’s all about packaging it in a way that breaks through the noise. Quick visuals. Clear dashboards. Speak their language, not ours.”

Creating Content That Actually Gets Used

Marketing spends months crafting assets. Sales rewrites them. Or worse; ignores them completely. 

Why? Because what marketers think sales needs often doesn’t match what’s happening in real deals.

And when 70% of content never gets used, you’re not just wasting budget;  you’re eroding trust between teams.

Jen’s approach starts with a mindset shift: content should have a job.

“Not all content is created equal. It has to align with the buyer journey  and with what your sellers actually need to move deals forward.”

She listens to sales calls. She studies site behavior. She pulls first- and third-party data. She even checks LinkedIn to see what topics are trending with her target personas.

It’s all about detective work: gather enough clues, and you can create assets that hit the mark, not just fill the calendar.

“Ask your sales team what they need, but don’t stop there. Listen to the customer. That’s where the real gold is.”

Building an ABM Strategy From Scratch? Start With These 3 Things

When asked what she’d prioritize if starting over, Jen didn’t hesitate:

1. Clarity on your ICP and personas 

   “If your whole org; marketing, sales, product  isn’t aligned on who you're targeting and why, nothing else works.”

   
   

2. Revenue alignment and data clarity Everyone needs to be measuring the same way, speaking the same language, and trusting the same dashboards.

   
   

3. Content with a purpose Not just SEO blogs, but assets should match the entire buyer journey and address real objections.

   
   

“If you can build trust early with content, you’re more likely to be considered when it’s time to choose a vendor.”

Personalization at Scale: Start With Smart Segmentation

Everyone wants personalization, but no one has time to build 50 custom campaigns.

Jen’s mindset: Don’t start with one-to-one. Start with segmentation.

“You can personalize all day, but if you’re talking to the wrong accounts, it’s a waste.”

Rather than stretch yourself thin with custom assets for each account, cluster them by vertical, pain point, or opportunity type. Build semi-custom assets that speak to shared needs, and layer in deeper personalization only as engagement increases.

“It’s not just a marketing job either. Sales plays a huge role in the personalization layer.”

She also leans into tech: content hubs, intent data, personalized video. But always with a clear framework first.

“It’s not just about more tools. It’s about giving sales the right insight to personalize their outreach, too.”

The Buyer Journey Isn’t What It Used to Be

Buyers now research anonymously, bounce between channels, and go from hot to cold and back again, all without filling out a single form.

Jen’s advice? Adapt to the way they buy, don’t try to force them into a funnel.

“Buyers self-educate. They want value before they give you anything. It’s your job to show up where they already are.”

Sometimes that means gating content. Sometimes it doesn’t. The key is to understand your goal, and deliver value before asking for anything in return.

Final Thought: ABM Is Just Good Marketing

Whether it’s account selection, content creation, or revenue alignment, Jen’s approach boils down to one thing: focus.

“ABM helps align everyone around the accounts that matter most. It’s not just a tactic ; it’s how you create smart, focused growth.”

Jen’s Question for the Next Guest

“What sales plays are working best for you right now, whether it’s re-engagement, awaken-the-dead, or something else?”

She’s all about alignment, and knowing what sales plays are landing helps marketers build smarter campaigns to support them.