<!-- ABM account plan | install: npx skills add prosyo-ai/gtm-skill --skill abm-account-plan | source: https://github.com/prosyo-ai/gtm-skill/tree/main/skills/abm-account-plan -->

---
name: abm-account-plan
description: "Use this skill when you run account-based marketing or sales on a short list of named accounts: \"build an ABM plan\", \"account plan for our top 20\", \"how do we break into this enterprise account\", \"1:1 ABM program\". Picks the accounts and the ABM tier (1:1, 1:few, 1:many), maps the buying group, writes the account insight and value hypothesis, plans coordinated sales and marketing plays by stage, and sets the metrics (engagement, meetings, pipeline) that show it is working."
license: MIT
metadata:
  title: ABM account plan
  category: abm-expansion
  tags: "Marketing, Sales, Sales Leaders, Demand Gen"
  author: prosyo
  version: "1.0.0"
  keywords: "abm account plan template, account based marketing strategy, enterprise account plan, claude abm skill, 1 to 1 abm"
  inputs: "Target accounts, Account research, Budget and team"
  outputs: "ABM tiers, Account insight and value hypothesis, Play plan by stage, Metrics"
---

Use this when a small number of accounts are worth a coordinated effort. ABM works when sales and marketing run one plan per account (or cluster) with the same message, not when marketing runs ads at a list.

## Inputs

- Target accounts and why each matters.
- Research per account (or run an account research brief).
- Budget, team and timeline.

## The play

### 1. Tier the program
| Tier | Accounts | Effort |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1:1 | 5-15 | Custom insight, content and plays per account |
| 1:few | 20-100 in clusters of 5-15 | Content per industry or shared problem |
| 1:many | 100-1,000 | Segment-level messaging, targeted ads and outbound |

### 2. Map the buying group
Per account: economic buyer, champion candidates, evaluators, users, blockers. Five to ten names for 1:1 accounts.

### 3. Write the account insight
What is happening at the account that makes your value urgent: strategy, triggers, pains, initiatives. Then the value hypothesis: "Because <insight>, <account> could <outcome> by <how>, worth about <impact>." Read [references/abm-plan-template.md](references/abm-plan-template.md) for the full one-page plan.

### 4. Plan plays by stage
| Stage | Goal | Plays |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unaware | Get known by the buying group | Targeted ads to the group, executive content, events, insight-led outreach |
| Engaged | Start conversations | Personalised outreach to 3+ people, custom insight piece, invite to a roundtable |
| Opportunity | Win the evaluation | Business case built with the champion, executive sponsor, peer references |
| Customer | Expand | Value review, new-team plays |

Sales and marketing actions for each stage share one calendar.

### 5. Measure what matters
Engaged contacts per account, meetings with the buying group, opportunities created, pipeline and win rate versus non-ABM accounts. Impressions and clicks are inputs, not results.

## What good looks like

- Each Tier 1 account has a specific insight a rep could open a conversation with.
- Three or more people per account engaged before an opportunity is opened.
- Sales and marketing review accounts together every two weeks.
- The common mistake is "ABM" that is just ads to a target list, with no account insight and no sales follow-through.

## Rules

- MUST write an account-specific insight for every 1:1 account.
- MUST coordinate sales and marketing touches on one calendar.
- NEVER use personal data about individuals beyond their professional role and public work.

## Example prompts

- "Build a 1:1 ABM plan for our 10 enterprise targets in logistics."
- "Cluster these 60 accounts for a 1:few program and write the message per cluster."
- "How do we measure whether our ABM program is working?"


---

<!-- references/abm-plan-template.md -->

# ABM one-page account plan

```
Account: <name>                Tier: 1:1 / 1:few / 1:many       Owners: <AE> + <marketer>
Why this account: <fit + potential value>
Current status: unaware / engaged / opportunity / customer

INSIGHT
What's happening: <strategy, triggers, initiatives, with sources>
Value hypothesis: Because <insight>, <account> could <outcome> by <how>, worth ~<impact>.

BUYING GROUP
Name | Title | Role (EB/champion/evaluator/user/blocker) | Status | Angle

PLAYS (next 60 days)
Week | Sales action | Marketing action | Target person | Goal

ASSETS
Custom insight piece / business case draft / reference customer / event invite

METRICS
Engaged contacts: target N by <date>
Meetings with buying group: target N
Opportunity: by <date>, ~<amount>

RISKS
<incumbent, budget timing, blocker, competing initiative>
```

## Example insight and hypothesis

Account: a national 3PL with 40 warehouses.

- What's happening: opened 6 new warehouses this year (press releases), hiring 12 operations supervisors (careers page), COO said on an earnings call that labour cost per order is the top priority.
- Value hypothesis: "Because the new warehouses are being staffed now, the 3PL could cut overtime in its first year by scheduling across sites from one view, worth about $1.2M a year at their published volumes."

## Cluster messaging for 1:few

| Cluster | Shared problem | Message | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Expanding 3PLs | New sites, new staff | Staff new sites without overtime | Peer 3PL story |
| Cold-chain logistics | Compliance and shift rules | Compliance-safe scheduling | Audit outcome |
| E-commerce fulfilment | Seasonal peaks | Scale for peak without chaos | Peak-season numbers |