Going with a traditional funnel is like playing safe. But in today’s competitive space, playing safely often means getting left behind.
Yes, traditional funnels worked when sales cycles were manageable, and digital noise was low. But today’s B2B buyers are more informed, more selective, and mostly immune to irrelevant outreach.
So, what can you do to stand out?
You flip the funnel. Instead of chasing everyone, you focus on the few who matter. That’s where Account-Based Marketing (ABM) steps in.
Before we dive into how to make the shift, let’s look at what makes the ABM funnel so different.
Distinction Between Traditional and ABM Funnels
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The traditional funnel casts a wide net. The goal is to generate as many leads as possible and nurture the few that convert. But this approach often leads to wasted time and effort on the wrong leads.
ABM starts with clarity. It focuses only on the accounts that truly matter; those with the highest potential to convert and grow.
Let’s explore how the two funnels differ and where ABM delivers better results.
1. Audience Focus
In the traditional funnel, marketers aim for quantity. Ads, webinars, and gated content attract a large number of leads, but most don’t match the ideal customer profile. This misalignment leads to low conversion rates and frustration between teams.
ABM changes that. It begins with a focused list of high-fit accounts, selected based on firmographic and technographic data. Then, intent signals help you identify which of those accounts are actively researching.
With this targeted approach, marketers see better efficiency and higher ROI. In fact, 87% of B2B marketers report that ABM delivers better ROI than any other marketing strategy (ITSMA & ABM Leadership Alliance, 2023).
2. Sales and Marketing Alignment
In the traditional model, marketing passes leads to sales. But this handoff is often unclear. Sales lacks context. Leads go cold. And soon both teams are blaming each other for missed goals.
ABM turns this into a shared mission. Marketing and sales work together from the start. They define the ICP, select accounts, and plan engagement strategies. They track the same metrics and review progress together.
Are your teams still operating in silos? If yes, ABM can bring alignment and shared accountability.
With tools like Salesforce and HubSpot, both teams can monitor account-level engagement and act fast when momentum builds.
3. Engagement Strategy
Traditional lead nurturing often means the same message goes to everyone. A generic whitepaper or email campaign may not speak to a specific buyer’s needs. When content lacks relevance, decision-makers quickly tune out.
ABM focuses on personalization. You create content and messages for specific roles and industries. You tailor the journey for each account. A marketing manager gets one path. A CTO gets another. This creates a better experience and better results.
Your engagement can include:
- Role-specific messaging
- Personalized email sequences
- LinkedIn outreach to key decision-makers
- Custom landing pages with relevant content
With tools like Mutiny, Uberflip, and LinkedIn Matched Audiences, you can adjust each touchpoint based on the account’s journey stage.
This targeted approach works. ABM campaigns with personalized, multi-touch strategies see a 166% increase in engagement (Gartner, 2024).
Transitioning to an ABM Funnel
The traditional funnel is increasingly failing modern B2B buyers. With long buying cycles and multiple decision-makers, a lead-centric model is no longer effective. It results in bloated CRMs, poor forecasting, and disengaged sales teams.
ABM improves forecasting accuracy and pipeline efficiency. By targeting only the accounts with the highest revenue potential, you drive better outcomes across the board, higher deal size, faster closing rates, and better retention.
Here’s how to shift your sales and marketing motion from lead-based chaos to account-focused clarity.
Step 1: Redefine Your ICP
Too many teams define their ICP on instinct, using vague labels like “mid-sized SaaS.” That often leads to poor targeting, wasted budget, and underperforming campaigns.
ABM changes this by grounding everything in data. Start by analyzing your CRM. Look at past wins to identify real patterns, what industries they’re in, what tech they use, how long the sales cycle takes, and the average deal size.
Then bring in tools like Clearbit, G2, and Bombora to layer firmographic and intent data. These tools reveal who’s actively researching solutions like yours. That’s where your attention should go.
Instead of chasing volume, ABM ensures you prioritize fit and readiness—two things that boost both efficiency and revenue potential.
Step 2: Align Sales and Marketing Teams
Sales and marketing are often out of sync. One team generates leads, the other complains they aren’t qualified. The result? Missed targets and internal frustration.
With ABM, these teams become one. You form micro teams, one marketer, one AE or SDR, focused on a shared set of high-value accounts. They plan together, execute together, and measure together.
Using shared tools like Slack Connect, Salesforce dashboards, and weekly check-ins, you foster alignment that removes bottlenecks.
According to Forrester (2023), companies with strong sales and marketing alignment see 38% higher win rates. That’s not just a collaboration boost; it’s a revenue win.
Step 3: Use Intent Data and Personalization
Relying on lead forms or demo requests means you’re playing catch-up. By the time a lead surfaces, competitors might already be pitching.
ABM uses intent data to flip this. Platforms like 6sense, ZoomInfo, and Bombora alert you when a target account is researching your category, even before they land on your site.
Now you can act early, with the right message. Tools like Mutiny and Uberflip personalize email journeys and website content, based on where the account is in their journey.
No wonder 62% of companies say intent data helped them increase pipeline by catching in-market buyers earlier (Demand Gen Report, 2023). It’s the proactive edge you need.
Step 4: Orchestrate Multi-Touch Campaigns
One message rarely seals the deal. B2B decisions are complex, and buyers need repeated, relevant engagement.
ABM lets you choreograph multi-channel campaigns. You might start with a LinkedIn infographic, follow up with a tailored email, and then invite them to a webinar based on their interests. A relevant case study can close the loop.
Platforms like RollWorks, Demandbase, and 6sense automate this flow and adjust touchpoints based on how the account responds.
And the results speak for themselves, ABM campaigns coordinated across channels drive 3x faster pipeline velocity, according to Forrester.
Step 5: Measure ABM Metrics, Not Vanity Metrics
Email opens and click rates are easy to track but they don’t show how close a deal is.
ABM tracks meaningful metrics like stakeholder engagement, progression from MQA to SQL, and deal velocity.
Use TOPO’s “3 R’s Framework”:
- Reach – Are you reaching decision-makers in the right accounts?
- Revenue – Is the account contributing to the pipeline?
- Relationship – Are interactions getting deeper and more consistent?
This approach shifts the focus from activity to impact, and that’s what truly makes the difference.
Time to Flip the Funnel
If your funnel still starts with “whoever engages,” it’s time to rethink. ABM doesn’t wait for buyers to show up. It helps you identify them early, engage them meaningfully, and move them faster through the pipeline.
In a world where inboxes are full and attention is limited; focused outreach wins over mass marketing. Flip the funnel, and you’ll stop chasing leads and start closing deals.
Vikas Bhatt is the Co-Founder of ONLY B2B, a premium B2B lead generation company that specializes in helping businesses achieve their growth objectives through targeted marketing & sales campaigns. With 10+ years of experience in the industry, Vikas has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by businesses today and has developed a unique approach to lead generation that has helped clients across a range of industries around the globe. As a thought leader in the B2B marketing community, ONLY B2B specializes in demand generation, content syndication, database services and more.
