If you're in B2B marketing, you have heard the word account-based marketing or ABM. And for good reason; many marketers say ABM delivers better ROI than any other marketing strategy they've tried. 

This is because with ABM, companies only spend their time and money on accounts that are likely to buy.

Combined with lead scoring, companies will have full insight into how their leads interact with their products. They will be able to know which leads show interest in their services and will be able to create ABM ads that convert. 

What is Account-Based Marketing?

Account-based marketing is a type of marketing that focuses on personalised marketing campaigns that target high-value accounts rather than casting a wide net for individual leads. 

ABM treats each target account as a market of one, and this delivers customized buying experiences tailored to specific business needs and challenges.

This methodology ensures that every marketing dollar spent targets accounts with the highest potential value and conversion probability.

Here's why B2B companies love ABM 

• It actually makes money. When you focus your budget on accounts that are likely to buy (and buy big), you stop wasting money on leads that are not likely to buy and start seeing real returns.
• Sales cycles get shorter. Your sales team spends less time qualifying random leads and more time having meaningful conversations with people who actually have budgets and authority.
• Customers feel special. When someone sees content that speaks directly to their industry challenges and company size, they pay attention. It's like the difference between getting a form letter and a handwritten note.
• Everyone's on the same page. Your sales and marketing teams finally agree on what a good prospect looks like because you're both targeting the same carefully chosen accounts.

Why Regular Lead Scoring is Not Effective

Traditional lead scoring is straightforward. You give points for things like job title (CEO = 20 points), company size (500+ employees = 15 points), and behaviors (downloaded whitepaper = 10 points). Add it all up, and you know who to call first.

But here's the problem with traditional lead scoring.

Think about the last major business software your company bought. How many people were involved? Probably the department head who needed it, the IT person who had to implement it, the finance person who had to approve the budget, and maybe the CEO if it was not expensive.

Now imagine your traditional lead scoring only caught one of those people; maybe the IT person downloaded a technical spec sheet. Your system says "hot lead!" but meanwhile, the budget holder has never heard of you and the department head is looking at competitors.

This is what we call the "consensus gap." Individual interest doesn't equal account readiness.

Account-based marketing lead scoring solves this by looking at engagement across the entire buying committee. When you see multiple people from the same company checking out your content, attending your webinars, and asking questions, that's when you know something's happening.

Research backs this up: companies are 50% more likely to close deals when three or more people from the target account are engaged with their brand.

Building a Lead Scoring System That Actually Works

Let's get practical. Here's how to build an ABM lead scoring system that gives you real insights:

Start With Your Dream Customer Profile

Before you score anyone, you need to know what you're looking for. Be specific about:

• Company size (not just "enterprise" but actual employee and revenue ranges)
• Industries where you win consistently
• Geographic locations you can serve well
• Technology they're already using
• Signs they're growing and have budget

Map Out Who is in the Buying Process

Every B2B purchase involves different players:

• The budget holder (usually a VP or C-level executive)
• The problem owner (department head feeling the pain you solve)
• The technical evaluator (IT or operations person checking feasibility)
• The end users (people who'll actually use your solution daily)
• The internal champion (someone who really wants your solution to work)
• The skeptic (there's always one person asking "do we really need this?")

Understanding these roles helps you score engagement more intelligently.

Create a Scoring System That Makes Sense

Here's a framework that works:

Company Fit (30-40% of total score):

• Right industry and company size
• Growth indicators (hiring, funding, expansion)
• Technology stack compatibility
• Geographic location

Individual Role Fit (20-30% of total score):

• Job title matches buyer personas
• Seniority level appropriate for purchase decisions
• Department relevance to your solution

Engagement Behaviours (40-50% of total score):

• Website visits (especially pricing and product pages)
• Content downloads (whitepapers, case studies, ROI calculators)
• Email engagement (opens, clicks, replies)
• Event participation (webinars, demos, trade shows)
• Sales interactions (calls answered, meetings attended)

Set Realistic Thresholds

Don't make every lead look like gold. Set clear levels:

• Marketing Qualified Accounts (60-75 points): Worth nurturing but not ready for sales
• Sales Qualified Accounts (75+ points): Ready for direct sales outreach
• Individual contact minimums: Even in hot accounts, focus on people who've shown some interest.

Advanced Tricks That Make a Difference

Once you've got the basics down, try these refinements:

Weight recent activity higher. Someone who downloaded your pricing guide yesterday is hotter than someone who did it six months ago. Most systems can automatically decay scores over time.

Account for negative signals. If someone unsubscribes from your emails or their company announces a hiring freeze, adjust their score accordingly.

Look for account-wide patterns. When multiple people from the same company start engaging around the same time, that's usually a sign they're actively evaluating solutions.

Track the buying committee's completion. An account with engaged contacts across multiple departments and seniority levels is much more likely to close than one with activity from just one person.

Making It Work in Real Life

The best B2B ABM lead scoring system in the world won't help if your team doesn't use it properly. Here's how to set yourself up for success:

Align your sales and marketing teams. Both teams need to agree on what scores mean and how to act on them. Regular feedback sessions help refine the model based on what actually converts.

Test and adjust regularly. Start with your best guess, then refine based on results. What seemed like a strong signal might not predict purchases, while something you overlooked could be gold.

Wrapping it UP

ABM lead scoring isn't just another marketing tactic; it's a smarter way to identify and prioritize the accounts most likely to become great customers. When you combine individual prospect insights with a complete view of account engagement, you stop chasing random leads and start building relationships with companies that can actually buy what you're selling.

The key is starting simple, measuring what works, and continuously improving based on real results. Your future self (and your sales team) will thank you for taking the time to get this right.

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