Most B2B teams still run campaigns on their calendar. Buyers don’t. Account-Based Experience (ABX) fixes the timing gap by engaging only when accounts are ready and by coordinating Marketing, Sales, and CS across the entire journey.
This guide gives you a Signal-Heat Score to spot in-market accounts, a 30-day launch plan, and KPIs that prove impact, so you win more deals, onboard faster, and expand intelligently.
ABM vs ABX: What Actually Changes
Table of Contents
| Dimension | ABM | ABX Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Acquire target accounts | Win, expand, retain |
| Scope | Pre-sale campaigns | Full lifecycle (awareness → advocacy) |
| Timing | Calendar-driven | Intent / buyer-readiness driven |
| Ownership | Marketing + Sales | Marketing + Sales + CS |
| Targeting | Named accounts | Named + in-market subset |
| Personalisation | Ads & messages | All touchpoints (site, demo, onboarding, QBRs) |
| Metrics | Leads, pipeline | Win rate, deal size, NRR, TTV |
| Typical plays | Ads, ebooks, SDR sequences | 1:1 hubs, role-based demos, onboarding preview, QBRs |
How We Actually Do ABX
Stage 0: Strategy setup
- Define ICP tiers and deal archetypes (e.g., Mid-market SaaS vs Enterprise BFSI).
- Choose readiness signals (topic surges, pricing/comparison revisits, competitor research, RFP indicators).
- Document handshakes across Marketing → Sales → CS (who triggers what after which signal).
- Decide review cadence: weekly KPI check; monthly program retro.
Stage 1: Prioritise with a Signal-Heat Score (0–100)
- Score weekly on Fit, Intent, and Engagement Velocity (details in the next section).
- Cohort accounts into Hot / Warm / Watch.
- Example threshold: ≥70 = MQA → move from nurture to sales-assisted engagement.
Stage 2: Orchestrate experiences by journey
- Attract: topic-led content, dynamic site modules, 1:1 content hubs.
- Engage: stakeholder maps, role-specific nurtures, demo mapped to their stack and pains.
- Close: proof-of-value mini-pilot, security/compliance pack, exec alignment, CS-led onboarding preview.
- Grow: 30-60-90 adoption plan, QBR dashboards, advocacy/reference plays.
Stage 3: Measure & iterate weekly
- Every play ties to a KPI; if the metric doesn’t move in 30–60 days, fix or retire it.
- Keep ABM and ABX complementary: ABM = targeting foundation; ABX = timing & experience engine.
Know Who’s Ready: The Signal-Heat Score
What it is
A simple 0–100 score that operationalises “in-market” so teams know when to switch from nurture to sales-assist.
Components & suggested weights
- Fit (0–30): ICP match, industry, size, technographics.
- Intent (0–40): topic surges, pricing/comparison revisits, competitor research, category searches.
- Engagement Velocity (0–30): recency, frequency, breadth across roles/seniority.
Example signal mapping
- Pricing page revisit (last 7 days) = +15 Intent
- Competitor comparison page viewed = +10 Intent
- Third-party intent surge on 2+ topics = +10 Intent
- New senior stakeholder engaged (Dir+ level) = +10 Engagement
- 3+ roles active in 14 days = +10 Engagement
Thresholds & cadence
- 70–100 (Hot): sales-assist now.
- 40–69 (Warm): accelerated nurture; monitor for new signals.
- 0–39 (Watch): education-first; no SDR touch.
- Refresh weekly.
Routing logic
- Hot: BDR/AE runs a role-aware sequence tied to the last asset consumed; Marketing serves a 1:1 hub; CS previews onboarding to de-risk.
- Warm: Marketing nurtures problem→solution with progressive personalisation; no sales call yet.
- Watch: thought leadership only; build familiarity and trust.
Cool-down rules
- If intent cools for 14–21 days, step down one cohort and pause outbound until momentum returns (prevents chasing noise).
Worked example
- Fit 24/30 (great ICP); Intent 28/40 (pricing revisit + competitor page); Engagement 20/30 (3 roles active this week) → Score 72 → MQA/Hot. Route to AE with security-first demo + CFO ROI one-pager; attach CS 90-day onboarding preview.
Launch ABX in 30 Days
Days 1–5
- Finalise ICP tiers and readiness signals
- Draft the Signal-Heat Score (weights, thresholds, cool-down)
Days 6–10
- Build account dossiers (fit, contacts, past engagement, pains)
- Map buying groups for your Top-50 accounts (roles, influence, gaps)
Days 11–15
- Create a 1:1 content hub template
- Produce role-based demo assets (CTO architecture brief, CFO ROI model, Ops plan)
Days 16–20
- Define stage entry/exit signals (Attract, Engage, Close, Grow)
- Write 3 intent-triggered Engage plays (e.g., pricing revisit → demo offer; compliance page → security pack)
Days 21–25
- Build a CS “onboarding preview” pack (30-60-90 plan, success metrics)
- Draft QBR templates tied to customer KPIs
Days 26–30
- Launch your first three plays
- Start weekly KPI reviews; fix or retire anything not moving a metric
Measure What Matters: ABX KPIs & Formulas
Coverage
- % of buying-group roles reached (by seniority)
- Goal: broaden and deepen stakeholder penetration
Engagement Quality
- Weighted score = Σ(touches × role weight × recency factor)
Pipeline Velocity
- Formula: (# Qualified Opps × Avg Deal Size × Win Rate) ÷ Avg Sales Cycle
Win Rate
- Formula: Closed-Won ÷ (Closed-Won + Closed-Lost)
- Track by segment, program, and stage
Average Deal Size
- Track New vs Expansion separately
Time-to-Value (TTV)
- Days from go-live to first agreed outcome
Net Revenue Retention (NRR)
- Formula: (Start ARR + Expansion − Contraction − Churn) ÷ Start ARR
Review rhythm
Monthly: NRR, adoption depth, expansion pipeline, advocacy output
Weekly: velocity, win rate, stage conversion, experiments
Don’t Do This: Common ABX Mistakes
Quick side-by-side of the mistake and the fix.
Campaign-first thinking
Blast outbound when readiness is weak or unproven.
Wait for readiness
Gate sales-assist behind the Signal-Heat Score. Nurture until accounts qualify.
Marketing-only ownership
Run ABX as a marketing campaign and loop CS in after the close.
Include CS pre-sale
Preview onboarding and value early; measure time-to-value (TTV).
Lead-only reporting
Judge ABX on MQL volume or click-through alone.
Report at account level
Track coverage, pipeline velocity, win rate, NRR, and adoption.
Shallow personalisation
Swap names in copy and call it “1:1”.
Mirror role & last touch
Align to role (CTO ≠ CFO) and the last interaction; keep channels consistent.
Over-fitting to intent noise
Chase every spike in activity as a buying signal.
Use corroborating signals
Add a 14–21 day cool-down; step accounts down when momentum fades.
Try These ABX Plays Next
Play 1: SaaS → Enterprise BFSI (India)
- Signals: data-residency/SOC2 surges; 3 roles active (CTO, Security, Finance)
- Experience: security-led demo; CFO cost-of-delay one-pager; CS 90-day onboarding preview pre-close
- Watch: win rate ↑, TTV ↓
Play 2: Cybersecurity → Healthcare network (APAC)
- Signals: HIPAA checklist downloads; hiring for SOC lead
- Experience: demo mapped to EHR stack; compliance pack; role-based training plan post-sale
- Watch: adoption depth ↑; expansion by first QBR
Play 3: FinTech infrastructure → Neo-bank
- Signals: repeat visits to real-time ledger benchmarking; CFO on pricing
- Experience: CTO reference architecture; CFO unit-economics model; QBRs with a live ROI dashboard
- Watch: average deal size ↑; NRR ↑
ABX 101: Your Top Questions
Short answers you can skim. Tap to expand.
No. ABX extends ABM. ABM decides who to target; ABX aligns when & how to engage and carries the experience beyond the sale.
Data, insights, orchestration, and measurement—delivered consistently across Attract, Engage, Close, and Grow.
Use weights: Fit 0–30, Intent 0–40, Engagement 0–30. Set thresholds (Hot/Warm/Watch), add a 14–21 day cool-down, and refresh weekly.
Pipeline velocity, win rate, average deal size, time-to-value (TTV), and net revenue retention (NRR). Coverage and engagement quality help diagnose early.
ICP + signals → account dossiers → 1:1 hubs & role-based demos → stage entry/exit signals → CS onboarding preview → launch three plays → weekly KPI reviews.
Use one shared account dossier, clear MQA thresholds, pre-agreed handshakes, and a weekly metric review focused on velocity and win rate.
Conclusion and next steps
ABX is how modern B2B teams turn precise targeting into compounding revenue. Start with the buyer’s timing, orchestrate experiences across the entire journey, and hold yourself to revenue-grade metrics. Launch the Signal-Heat Score, ship three intent-triggered plays, and review KPIs weekly. In 30 days you’ll have momentum; in 90 you’ll have proof.
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.
