The Biggest Account-Based Marketing Mistake You Can’t Afford to Make
Patrick McFadden
My recent conversation with small business owners revealed account-based marketing is gaining in popularity. One reason is due to its high potential for improving return on investment (ROI). Couple high ROI with the fact that new technology allows small business owners to conduct ABM at scale , and you’ll quickly realize how it can transform your small business.
But just because there is an increase in ABM adoption and investment doesn’t mean that business owners are applying it correctly or enjoying success.
Indeed, despite all the buzz around ABM, there are plenty of challenges and mistakes that can make its implementation a difficult task. But there’s one account-based marketing mistake you can’t afford to make.
Biggest Mistake: Not Identifying the Right Ideal Accounts
Nothing will derail your ABM strategy faster than not identifying the right ideal accounts to include in your programs. The first step in looking to grow your account-based marketing is to narrowly define your ideal customer. Understanding your ideal customer is critical if you want a return on investment (ROI). You need to understand their pain points, wants, and needs and be able to address those needs in your account-based marketing and sales efforts.
So, don’t squander your marketing budget and hundreds of hours generating leads that take your program nowhere. Find your ideal accounts from the outset, and everyone wins.
How to Identify the Right Accounts
- Segment your customer base. Begin by segmenting your customer base between normal accounts and your most successful accounts. Think about whom your 10 best customers are and what you need to do to attract 10 more just like them! Your best customers or most successful accounts have the following two key characteristics: they are profitable and also refer business to you.
- Interview 10 of your best customers. Now take your 10 best customers, email or phone them asking for feedback on their experience with your organization, service or product. During this phase, you need to be “Oprah-like” and ask open ended questions. Some of the things you’re after is the PLACES your customers give their attention (eyes and ears) too, the LANGUAGE your customers use when describing why they buy from you, the WORDS and PHRASES your customers use when explaining what they value about what you do, and the DESCRIPTION of the perfect buying experience. You can’t get that by asking them to rate things from 1 to 10.
- Start building your ideal customer profile. With information on what your best customers look like and their characteristics, develop a detailed profile of your ideal customer. Then, show up in the right places (social media channels, networking events, publications, search engine, mobile) at the right time (when ideal customers are looking to solve a problem or research a solution). You may be featured in fewer publications and meet with fewer people, but you’ll close more sales.
Key Information
- Demographics – Business2Business (B2B) demographics could be the type of industry, the job title of that individual, the years that a company has been in business, and/or revenue levels. Business2Consumer (B2C) the demographics could be age, sex, illness, income, and a particular area of town.
- Psychographics – Understand where do they hang out, what do they read, what do they listen to, what do they search online, what makes them tick, what triggers them to go looking for a solution? It’s also useful to identify any triggers caused by some type of life cycle change, calendar event, budget refresh, office relocation, etc. (Hint: focusing on identifying what these triggers are with your current customers is the best way to immediately grow brand awareness.)
- Challenges or Problem – Marketing is about solving customer problems, whether those are problems customers are currently facing, or problems they will face as their marketplace evolves and their needs change.
- Real Quotes – Include a few real quotes taken during your interviews that represent your ideal customer well. This will make it easier for employees, vendors, referral sources, suppliers, and strategic partners to relate and understand your best customers.
AI That Understands You
Understanding platform intent, sales cycles, and what actually works in high-ticket home services
1. The Challenge: VMI was like many service providers — positioning their value around what they thought clients wanted : “Office furniture installation and assembly — let us handle creating your perfect workspace.” But the actual buyers — facility managers, project managers, furniture reps — weren’t looking for “perfect workspaces.” They were trying to avoid installation nightmares . Their real priority? ✅ Great installation days. ✅ No chaos. ✅ No missed deadlines. ✅ No angry phone calls from clients. 2. The Insight: After conducting stakeholder interviews under our marketing strategy consulting engagement , the Indispensable Marketing team uncovered critical feedback: “We need installers who maintain a professional site and follow instructions.” “We lose relationships when installations go badly.” “I need quotes back quickly or I can’t sell the job.” This wasn’t just about services , it was about trust, problem-solving , and professional reliability . So we reframed their differentiators not by what they did, but how they showed up : Same-day project quotes Problem-solving on-site Update protocol with clients Professionalism guarantee Lasting Impression Insurance 3. The Shift: We shifted the positioning from vague benefits to real-world, emotional triggers : Instead of: “Let us create your perfect workspace.” Now: “Get the perfect installation day, every time.” That subtle shift aligns with who’s actually buying (and who feels the pain when things go wrong). The end-user may care about the workspace. But the buyer cares about the install . 4. The Lesson for Others: If you’re selling a service, don’t describe what you do. Describe what the client wants to avoid or achieve — and who the real buyer is. Then, systematize what you’re already doing well and give it a name. Just like our team did with: “Same Day Quotes” “Lasting Impression Insurance” “Reliable Presence Protocol” 5. The Outcome Within weeks of updating their messaging and positioning: The company reported more qualified leads asking the right questions Furniture reps began referring them because they were “easy to work with and made them look good” They were shortlisted for larger, multi-phase projects due to increased confidence in their process But most importantly, they stopped competing on price — because they weren’t selling perfect workspaces anymore. They were selling peace of mind on installation day.
