ABM is how we turn category attention into meetings and pipeline. We started by getting precise about who we serve, how we focus, and what plays reliably create meetings. Then we wired the system into Sales stages and OKRs so progress is visible every week.
1) Thesis
Outcome over outreach: the goal is qualified meetings and proof opportunities, not just touches.
Fewer, bigger bets: concentrate on Tier‑1/2 accounts with capacity to buy and a near‑term exploration program.
Proof‑led: every play advances proof → demo → win with clear next‑step asks.
2) ICP & Personas (who we serve)
Core ICP
Explorers with funding (active or imminent programs, credible management), operating in priority jurisdictions.
Adjacencies: producers (partnership path), funds/advisors (influence path).
Primary personas
CEO (capital, board, story)
VP Exploration / Chief Geoscientist (program design, technical validation)
Influencers: IR lead, Technical Advisor, key board member
Signals we look for
Recent raise or announced drilling program; JV/option activity; new leadership; land package expansion; data backlog.
Digital intent: site visits to use‑case pages, demo page engagement; event attendance signals.
Anti‑signals / de‑prioritize
No funding runway; halted program; regulatory constraints; repeated no‑shows.
3) Account Data Model (how we see the world)
Firmographics: stage, market cap (if public), geography, commodities.
Operographics: program status (planned/active/paused), datasets available, tech stack.
Buying committee: named roles + influence notes.
ABM status: Targeted → Engaged Proof → Meeting → Demo → Win/Loss.
Ownership: AE (first touch), AE & SA (meeting→proof), Exec sponsor (Tier‑1).
4) Tiering Logic (focus)
Tier‑1 (strategic, lighthouse potential): high program certainty, budget, brand impact. Coverage target: 70% of defined Tier‑1 list each quarter. Owner model: named AE + exec sponsor + SA.
Tier‑2 (high‑potential, shorter cycles): credible budgets, near‑term programs. Coverage target: 30%. Owner model:AE + SA.
Tier‑3 (monitoring): nurture and inbound capture.
Promotion/Demotion rules
Promote on funding/program announcements or new warm intent; demote on stalled programs, repeated no‑show, or budget freeze.
5) Plays Library (meeting creation)
Event‑anchored plays (PDAC, Beaver Creek Precious Metals Summit, Denver Gold)
Pre‑event (T‑6 → T‑2 weeks): executive intro + value hook; technical invite; 3‑touch proof teaser; scheduler link.
In‑event: on‑floor demos, private sessions; exec handshake routes.
Post‑event (T+1 → T+3 weeks): same‑day recap + asset links; pilot offer; 2nd‑order intro ask.
Always‑on proof plays
Use‑case deep dive (CEO + VP Ex): short Loom walkthrough of how DORA/Viz de‑risk their next program decision.
Customer proof spotlight: quantified case (e.g., RUA Gold, Canterra, SXG) → meeting ask.
Advisor route: warm intro via shared advisor/board relationship.
Outbound sequence skeleton (Tier‑1)
D1 email (exec POV) → D3 LinkedIn note → D5 call → D7 email (technical angle) → D10 social proof drop → D12 call → D14 recap + scheduler.
6) Channels & Assets (what we use)
Email (exec/technical tracks), calls, LinkedIn, field events, website landers, analyst briefs, one‑pagers (DORA, Viz), case studies, demo/pilot offers.
7) Orchestration (who does what)
AE/SDR: own sequences, book meetings, daily stand‑ups during event windows.
AE & SA: qualify, run discovery, propose pilot/proof, manage stage hygiene.
ABM (Marketing): list curation, creative, messaging, enablement, measurement.
Exec/Founder: strategic intros and late‑stage unblockers (Tier‑1 only).
DRIs & SLAs: named per account tier; same‑day follow‑up for Tier‑1 inbound.
8) Measurement (what good looks like)
Core targets (per quarter)
Coverage: Tier‑1 80% coverage; Tier‑2 40% touched with quality.
Meetings: Tier‑1 1.2 (list), 1.5 (engaged) meetings/account.
Pipeline: 20% of new pipeline sourced by ABM programs (blended across tiers).
Conversion: meeting→SQL 65%; proof→demo 60%; opp→win 80% (+30 pp).
Velocity: time‑to‑first‑meeting 30 days; proof-to-demo 60 days.
Dashboards
ABM Coverage (T1/T2), Meetings/Account, Pipe by Tier, Demo→Proof; weekly trendlines and stop/scale rules.
9) Operating Rhythm
Quarterly: refresh tiers & targets; new plays prioritized; OKR commit.
Monthly: list hygiene; creative refresh; experiment readout; re‑tiering.
Weekly: SDR/AE/ABM stand‑up; account‑by‑account unblockers; meeting reviews.
Daily: follow‑up SLAs; event windows run “war room” cadence.
10) Outcomes
Coverage: Tier‑1 80%, Tier‑2 40%; quality touches met.
Meetings: Tier‑1 1.2 (list), 1.5 (engaged)/account.
Pipeline: ABM‑sourced 20% of new pipeline.
Conversion: meeting→SQL 65%; proof→demo 60%; opp→win 80% (+30 pp).
Velocity: time‑to‑meeting 30 days; proof‑to‑demo 60 days.
11) What We Learned
Event‑anchored ABM outperforms generic outbound when execs, AEs, and creative ship together and meet daily.
Persona‑specific assets (CEO vs VP Ex) improve reply & meeting rates without adding touches.
Strict stage hygiene and next‑step specificity increase demo→proof conversion.