What 30 Years in Marketing Taught Robert Norum About ABM That Most Still Miss

What do fake ice cubes, Volvo airbags, and CFO meetings have to do with great ABM?

According to Robert Norum, everything.

We sat down with Robert, a seasoned ABM consultant with over 30 years of B2B marketing experience, to unpack what truly makes account-based marketing work. 

He’s helped companies of all shapes and sizes build internal alignment, tie marketing efforts to revenue, and even make the case for ABM directly to the CFO (Chief Financial Officer).

From snow-globe-style direct mail to hard-won lessons in sales collaboration, Robert’s stories are anything but ordinary, and his advice is practical, honest, and grounded in real experience.

In this episode of ABM Answered, we covered everything from fixing sales alignment to why one-to-many ABM might actually be the new demand gen. 

Whether you’re just starting out or rethinking your current approach, this one’s packed with insights you’ll actually use.

Navigating Change and the AI Curveball

Robert kicked things off by pointing out just how fast marketing is moving, and how vital it is to stay curious and adaptive. 

With AI acting as both a shiny new tool and a possible job disruptor, the marketers who embrace it early and thoughtfully are the ones most likely to thrive. As Robert put it: 

"It's not AI that takes your job, it's the person who knows how to use it."

Sales Alignment Starts With the Right Pitch

“I think the most important thing with ABM is that people understand what it actually is,” Robert said. And that starts by defining ABM in the context of your business, not just as a marketing tactic, but as a company-wide strategy.

Too many programs stumble early because sales aren't bought in. But for Robert, it’s not about convincing them, it’s about clearly showing them what’s in it for them. 

“Sales need to understand what role they play and what marketing is actually going to do for them,” he explained.

His advice? Build an internal ABM deck that doesn’t just talk theory. Show what success can look like real metrics, real deliverables, real examples. 

As he put it, “You have to market marketing.”

Weekly stand-ups, strong visibility, and quick early wins, like uncovering hidden stakeholders or surfacing new insights, go a long way in building trust. 

For ABM to work, you need alignment from day one. Define the strategy. Share the vision. Then prove it with momentum.

Start With Strategy (And Maybe a Chat With Your CFO)

Too often, ABM efforts jump straight into campaign mode without first understanding the business’s financial and growth priorities. 

Robert recommends doing the unglamorous work first: sit down with your CFO (Chief Financial Officer). 

“Find out where you make your money. Understand your most profitable accounts and where the business is going.”

This groundwork helps you set ABM objectives that actually support company goals whether that’s expanding existing accounts, breaking into new logos, or driving revenue in specific sectors. 

As Robert puts it, “Don’t call it a pilot if you’re not treating it like a real strategy.”

The Smart Way to Select Target Accounts

ABM beginners, take note. 

Target account selection doesn’t have to be a solo effort. Robert suggests looping in leadership and sales early to identify priority accounts and sectors. 

“That gets you 80% of the way,” he says. Then tools like intent data can help validate or prioritize decisions.

He breaks down account selection by approach:

• One-to-Many ABM if you need volume and broad engagement

• One-to-Few ABM for key verticals or strategic growth segments

• One-to-One ABM for your top 10 “must win or grow” accounts

ABM Research Isn’t Just a Phase; It’s a Superpower

For Robert, the level of research depends on your approach. Light CRM analysis and clustering works for one-to-many. But for one-to-one or one-to-few:  “You need deep account intel, structure, strategy, stakeholders, competitors,” he explained.

He often leans on offshore research partners and, increasingly, generative AI. But he warns: 

“AI can create beautifully written, confidently wrong output. It still needs a human to sanity-check it.”

The Channel You’re Probably Not Using Enough: Direct Mail

When asked about top engagement channels, Robert listed the usual suspects: email, targeted digital and LinkedIn, but made a compelling case for the underrated hero: direct mail.

From faux ice cubes with motherboards inside to car airbag-themed packages for Volvo, tactile, thoughtful packages help you stand out in a world drowning in emails.

“ABM is not digital marketing. It’s about getting in front of the right people in a way that makes them care.”

The MQL Debate: Is It Still Relevant?

When asked if the MQL is dead, Robert didn’t hesitate. “As a meaningful metric, it probably should be.”

Instead, he prefers the concept of the MQA (Marketing Qualified Account), where multiple stakeholders from a single account engage with your content. 

“A single person engaging means very little. You want to map the whole buying group.”

Still, he admits that in smaller buying groups, or less complex deals, an MQL might have its place, but only if it’s backed by context.

A Tool He’d Invent? One ABM Dashboard to Rule Them All

Robert’s wish: an integrated ABM platform that combines CRM, intent, campaign execution, and reporting. 

Until then, he dreams of a GenAI assistant that can: “interrogate all your tools and bring you back the metrics you actually need, without five dashboards and three coffee breaks.”

Last Words

Before wrapping up, Robert left us with a thought-provoking question for our next guest:

“What’s the optimal split between ABM for existing customers vs. new accounts? And based on your experience, how would you split one-to-one, one-to-few, and one-to-many?”

It’s a fitting closer from someone who’s made a career helping others figure out their own formula, not by copying templates, but by starting with business goals and building from there.

Want to learn more from the Batman of ABM or pick his brain for your own ABM journey? You can connect with him on LinkedIn. Just know his strategies come with impact.