Intro
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is the darling of B2B strategy decks, but let’s be honest: most ABM programmes underperform. Budgets are sunk into content personalisation and LinkedIn ads, but Sales complain about poor targeting, Marketing can’t prove ROI, and leadership lose patience. The reason isn’t that ABM is flawed — it’s that most teams try to execute ABM on top of disconnected systems and siloed processes.
This is where Revenue Operations (RevOps) comes in. For Marketing Directors under pressure to justify spend and show pipeline impact, RevOps provides the connective tissue: unified data, aligned playbooks, and account-level visibility from first touch to closed-won. With the right RevOps framework in place, ABM shifts from “expensive experiment” to “predictable revenue engine.”
Target accounts selected manually, often based on gut-feel not data.
Sales and Marketing run in parallel rather than in sync.
Campaign metrics stop at impressions and clicks, not pipeline or revenue.
Disconnected systems mean activity at the account level isn’t visible end-to-end.
Unified CRM + Marketing Data: HubSpot centralises firmographics, intent, and engagement signals.
Account Scoring Models: Prioritise accounts by fit and engagement, not just list uploads.
Aligned Playbooks: Standardised cadences and content mapped to deal stages.
Attribution at Account Level: Prove which campaigns influenced deals, not just MQL volume.
Define ICP and Tier Accounts → build smart lists with clear criteria.
Custom Properties for Account Engagement → e.g. # of stakeholders engaged, meetings booked.
Workflows for Alerts → notify Sales when accounts cross engagement thresholds.
Account Dashboards → show pipeline coverage, influenced revenue, and stage progression.
Closed-Loop Reporting → attribute revenue back to ABM campaigns.
A Manchester SaaS scale-up shifted from list-based ABM to a RevOps-enabled programme. By integrating HubSpot with Cognism for intent data, then layering workflows to alert Sales when 3+ stakeholders engaged, their Sales team doubled conversion from Tier 1 accounts within 9 months. Marketing proved £2.4m influenced pipeline, securing next year’s budget increase.
Don’t over-engineer scoring — start simple, refine quarterly.
Ensure Sales input account tiers early, or you’ll lose credibility.
Track influenced and sourced pipeline to show the full picture.
RevOps makes ABM work by unifying data, scoring accounts, aligning Sales & Marketing playbooks, and reporting pipeline at the account level — turning ABM from vanity metrics into real revenue.
If your ABM feels like a cost centre, RevOps is the missing piece. By operationalising ABM through HubSpot — with aligned data, alerts, and attribution — you can prove Marketing’s direct impact on revenue.
👉 Ready to build an ABM programme that Sales actually believe in? Contact us today to get started.