What 70% of ABM Effort Should Really Be Spent On (Hint: It’s Not Campaigns)

Meet James Davies: The Strategist Behind the Curtain

With nearly 15 years in B2B and a resume that includes the 6sense ABM Program of the Year award, James W. P. Davies knows a thing or two about running large-scale ABM. At Blue Yonder he leads account-based marketing for the retail vertical, overseeing programs that cover everything from intent-driven targeting to AI-enhanced research workflows.

What stood out most in our chat is the fact that James isn’t chasing short-term wins. He’s playing the long game.

"70% of our ABM effort is now focused before the typical sales touchpoint," he shared. "We're investing earlier so we can influence earlier." And it’s paying off.

This shift reflects a growing understanding that modern buying journeys begin long before sales ever gets involved. James wants marketing to have influence when it still has room to shape the conversation.

Sales Alignment Starts With Defining ABM (So Everyone’s Actually on the Same Page)

One of the biggest friction points in ABM is misaligned expectations. James tackles this by formalizing the definition itself.

Blue Yonder uses an internal ABM playbook to establish a shared understanding of what ABM means, how success is measured, and what roles each team plays. This helps eliminate confusion and ensures everyone’s working from the same assumptions.

"We built an internal ABM playbook to define what ABM means to us," he said. "That shared definition sets expectations, goals, roles, all of it."

Beyond the playbook, ongoing comms matter. From regular check-ins with sales leaders to campaign-level reviews with reps, James treats alignment as a muscle, not a one-time memo.

Choosing Objectives That Matter (and Scale)

When it comes to setting campaign goals, James starts at the top: business goals first, then ABM.

"We look at net-new acquisition and pipeline acceleration. Then we layer in data: past campaign performance, close rates, sales feedback."

Crucially, he adapts objectives by ABM type. A one-to-one play might aim to accelerate a single deal; a one-to-few campaign might target awareness or multithreading across buying groups.

Account Selection Isn’t One and Done

Account selection is a continuous, data-informed process, but human input still matters. No surprise here: James leans on 6Sense for segmentation and intent.

But that’s not the full story.

"The data gives us a foundation, but we pressure-test it with sales. Some things Salesforce can’t tell you, like if an account just went insolvent."

And yes, they might even disqualify accounts mid-campaign when needed. If the timing is wrong or the deal is lost, they reallocate effort rather than doubling down on a dead end.

"If the timing’s wrong or they’ve signed elsewhere, we refocus."

Research That Actually Gets Used

James has experienced the heartbreak: spending hours crafting detailed research decks only for them to be skimmed, or skipped.

Now, his approach balances depth with usability. His team still gathers deep insights, but translates them into concise formats like bullet points or battle cards that sales will actually use.

"We still build out the deep insights, but we translate them into bite-sized formats: a few bullet points, a battle card, something actionable."

And while AI is making research faster, James believes human interpretation is still crucial. Insight without context is just noise. 

"There’s nothing worse than getting personalisation wrong," he added. When it misses the mark, it backfires.

Engagement Channels That Flex With Format

Blue Yonder might be a large enterprise, but James doesn’t just chase big event moments. His team uses a mix of:

• Always-on LinkedIn ads triggered by funnel stage

• Expert-led ABM ads focused on education over hard selling

• Intimate, invite-only events that create genuine conversation

"We’re finding success in smaller, softer engagement plays," he noted.

Content Creation That Keeps Up

With a rebrand underway and new solutions rolling out, James admits content is still largely centralized through product marketing. But AI is already making waves.

"We’re exploring tools to scale and modularize content for different ABM tiers. This is a key area where tech will reshape how we work."

Templated content helps support one-to-few and one-to-one efforts, but the holy grail is modular content that adapts easily by persona, journey stage, and industry. This is a space where his team is actively experimenting.

MQLs debate: Still Alive, But Barely

When asked if the MQL is dead, James offered a balanced view.

"In terms of how people buy today? Yes, the single-lead MQL model is outdated. Buying groups are the reality now. But many orgs are still catching up in their processes and compensation models."

Translation: So while the MQL might not be gone yet, he believes its influence should be phased out, especially in enterprise settings.

What He Wishes Existed 

James dreams of a command center that pulls in all data sources: intent, ad engagement, event attendance, sales notes, and uses machine learning to suggest the next best play.

But it wouldn’t just be data-driven. He wants it to incorporate human nuance too. In other words, something smart enough to make recommendations, but grounded enough to reflect the real buying journey.

"Basically, a single view of the account with judgment built in," he explained.

Final Thoughts: Do the Unscalable

James left us with a quote that sums up his philosophy:

"Do the unscalable. That’s where the ABM magic really happens."

Even in a world driven by automation and AI, he believes the best moments in ABM are still the ones that feel human, thoughtful, and deliberately crafted.

Couldn’t agree more.

Connect with James Davies on LinkedIn for more on enterprise ABM, emerging tech, and how to balance scale with substance.