For years, marketing and sales have operated in silos: we speak different languages, chase different targets, use different metrics, and rely on different strategies to reach our goals. But the pressure to deliver measurable revenue impact has never been higher.
That model is breaking down.
Enter Account-Based Everything (ABX) – a go-to-market approach that builds on traditional account-based marketing (ABM), but goes further. Where ABM often focuses on top-of-funnel marketing tactics for target accounts, ABX aligns sales, marketing, and customer success around shared goals, coordinated execution, and full-funnel accountability. It’s not just a marketing strategy. It’s a revenue-team mindset.
While the benefits of ABX are compelling – stronger engagement, higher win rates, shorter sales cycles – implementing it comes with challenges. Many B2B organisations struggle to build ABX programmes effectively. But for those who get it right, the performance gains are significant.
A recent 6sense report found that organisations using ABX and intent data to align their go-to-market teams saw a 2X increase in pipeline efficiency and a 20% reduction in deal cycles. This isn’t just theory, it’s real-world outcomes.
So how do marketing teams take the lessons of ABX and use them to unlock better performance?
Why ABX, and why now?
Traditional lead generation models have their limits – particularly in complex enterprise buying journeys with large committees, long cycles, and high stakes. Throwing a high volume of leads over the wall to sales no longer cuts it. Buyers expect tailored, relevant engagement from day one.
ABX flips the model by focusing on quality over quantity. It aligns all revenue teams to engage a carefully selected list of target accounts with coordinated, insight-driven activity.
But running ABX isn’t plug-and-play. It surfaces operational hurdles and cultural challenges that can slow progress.
Misaligned goals and disconnected teams
For ABX to work, sales and marketing need to be on the same page from the start; targeting the same accounts, at the same time, with a shared definition of success.
Yet many marketing teams are still judged on MQLs, while sales focuses on closed deals. This disconnect creates inefficiency, missed opportunities, and, let’s be honest, frustration.
The cost of misalignment isn’t just strategic – it’s financial. According to Harvard Business Review (via TopLine Results), sales and marketing misalignment costs businesses more than $1 trillion annually.
ABX works best when it isn’t confined to sales and marketing. Product marketing, RevOps, and data teams are often critical enablers. Bringing them into the fold early helps drive consistency, insight, and scalability.
ABX action point: Alignment starts with shared KPIs
Think pipeline creation, account engagement, and revenue contribution, not vanity metrics. Unified goals foster collaboration and accountability.
Data visibility, access, and adoption
ABX thrives on data: firmographics, intent signals, technographics, and engagement activity. But most organisations hit a wall due to disconnected systems and limited visibility.
Platforms like HG Insights and 6sense can deliver rich account intelligence, but often the wider team doesn’t even know the tools exist. Or they do, but don’t know how to use them.
Ownership often sits with centralised data or analytics teams, while marketing and sales are left in the dark. Even when there’s awareness, training is limited, leaving teams unable to unlock the full value of the data.
You can’t act on data you don’t even know exists.
ABX action point: Democratise data access
Organisations must make data accessible and invest in cross-functional training. ABX success depends not just on the tools, but on the people using them.
ABX pitfall: Tech without strategy
Tools don’t align teams. People do. Without clear goals, processes, and ownership, even the best ABX platforms can underdeliver. The tech should enable the strategy – not replace it.
Content and messaging gaps
ABX isn’t just about targeting accounts; it’s about resonating with them. That means delivering relevant, personalised content for multiple personas across the buying committee. This is especially true in complex sectors like Cybersecurity or Cloud.
But many teams struggle to deliver content at scale that’s both tailored and timely.
ABX action point: Take a tiered content approach
Use hyper-personalised content for your top-tier accounts, and modular assets for specific roles or verticals across others. Focus on quality over quantity, and make sure messaging speaks to both business and technical pain points.
Measuring what matters
What we measure, and how, is a hot topic across marketing. Old models are being scrapped for metrics that better reflect real impact. And ABX is no different.
Lead-based attribution doesn’t reflect how modern B2B buying works. With multiple stakeholders and touchpoints across channels, proving ABX impact demands new thinking.
ABX is about building relationships with key personas through relevant, orchestrated content journeys. Metrics should reflect that.
ABX action point: Switch to account-based measurement
Track account engagement, buying stage progression, and pipeline velocity. 6sense’s Revenue AI is a standout here, using AI to connect engagement with revenue outcomes.
The human factor: cultural change
Beyond tools and tactics, ABX is a mindset shift.
For marketing, it means stepping up as a revenue partner, not just a lead generator. For sales, it means embracing insight-led engagement, not just cold outreach.
You may face resistance from leadership, teams, or legacy processes. That’s normal. The key is starting small and building momentum.
Climbing the ABX mountain begins with one step. Pilot a small programme. Prove it. Share results. Build advocates. Momentum will follow.
ABX action point: Prove it with pilot programmes
Test ABX on a defined account list, track results, and celebrate wins. Sales and marketing alignment doesn’t happen by mandate; it happens through shared success.
ABX as a path to better performance
In sectors like Cybersecurity, Cloud, Data, and Telecoms – where buyer journeys are long, pressure is high, and budgets are tight – ABX offers a smarter path forward.
It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.
By tackling challenges around alignment, data access, content delivery, and measurement, marketing can move from support function to revenue driver.
ABX isn’t a campaign. It’s not a tool. It’s a go-to-market philosophy. And the companies that embrace it build stronger relationships, better experiences, and sustainable growth.
Where onebite comes in
At onebite, we help B2B organisations turn ABX from a buzzword into a scalable, high-impact programme. We strategically partner with platforms like HG Insights and 6sense, and that means we know exactly how to help teams access and unlock the value of these tools.
Not sure who owns the data relationships internally? We can help you find out.
Need access to the datasets? We’ll help you get it.
Not sure how to use it? We’ll run workshops, build enablement resources, and show you exactly how it benefits your go-to-market efforts.
Let’s make ABX work for you – aligned, activated, and delivering real results.
Want to chat further? Get in touch.
Jamie MacDow, Head of Client Services
Jamie MacDow, Head of Client Services at onebite, is a strategic and creative problem solver with over 30 years agency-side experience in the marketing and creative industry. During this time, Jamie has won many awards for his client-focussed solutions across the B2Bs, ANAs, UK Content Awards…amongst others.
As well as being a Founding Member of MarketReach by Royal Mail, Jamie has given talks to British Ambassadors, spoken on webinars and podcasts, and created content around our beloved marketing landscape. Somehow, in between all of this, Jamie has also realised a life-long dream and written a fiction novel. Today, Jamie is as focussed on helping brands, big and yet-to-be-big, solve their challenges as he is on agency growth and team happiness.
