Very soon, you are likely to be asked how you’re using GenAI to drive efficiencies in Account-Based Marketing (ABM). For many of us, that moment has already arrived. Maybe you sparked the question yourself when requesting budget for new AI tools — only to be met with the looming expectation: “And how are you going to use them to drive greater efficiencies?”
Let me be clear: AI can absolutely deliver efficiency in ABM programmes and plan execution. But efficiency without being more effective is a false economy. ABM programme leaders must understand this balance, as those who fail to own the AI narrative risk finding themselves cornered and having a cost-cutting conversation that strips ABM of its true value.
If you’re lucky enough not to have been asked about AI efficiencies yet, prepare now.
Here are seven things to consider when adopting AI in ABM, keeping your eye firmly on how your people will use it to increase their effectiveness and impact.
1. Prioritise AI use cases
AI has hundreds of possible applications — from insight generation to content creation and lead scoring. But which ones actually matter to your ABM programme?
You can use a simple ‘Impact versus Effort’ 2×2 matrix to map and rank these opportunities to apply AI in ABM. Select the ‘quick wins’ to show fast progress — but don’t ignore the ‘big bets’ that can fundamentally evolve your ABM strategy. Use your favourite AI tools to scan the most common ABM use cases, consider them in the context of your organisation and plan how to implement. Applying this mapping exercise will give your leadership the clarity it needs — and expects.
2. Experiment, but embed with purpose
Experimentation is essential, but bolting AI onto workflows without intention won’t get you very far. AI needs to be embedded where the work actually happens — not used as digital window dressing.
Ask yourself: is this AI tool improving our productivity? Purposeful experimentation — tied to real ABM outcomes — is better than random acts of experimentation.
3. Set the standard and upskill your team
AI adoption cannot be left to just the early adopters or hobbyists. As an ABM Programme Management Office (PMO) or Centre of Excellence, you should define a minimum base level of AI fluency for the whole team. Once you have your chosen AI tools and initial use cases, train, enable, and support your team to ensure they all grow to have the required level of AI literacy.
Track adoption and report AI impact across the whole team not just among the enthusiastic few!
4. Make AI adoption a team sport
Don’t go it alone. Build a culture of collaboration around AI.
Encourage your team to share how they have been using AI, describing effective use cases and examples of helpful prompts. Give the team a structured template to complete, capturing use cases in a standard way, making them easy to compare. Consider having a reward scheme for sharing or make sharing AI use cases part of an ABM-er’s objectives — whatever works. The real power of AI in ABM comes when it’s scaled across your team, not siloed with one or two power users.
5. Reassess ABM competencies in the age of AI
AI changes what being ‘good at ABM’ looks like. Yes, we need AI literacy — but not at the cost of the human side of the role.
The future of ABM demands technical skills and soft skills including collaboration, influence and creativity. Update your competency models to reflect this blended skillset of technical marketing and soft skills. Your team needs to be as confident at prompting AI as they are at leading strategic conversations with account teams.
6. Efficiency is important but effectiveness matters
AI can generate insights at speed. But if your ABM team isn’t skilled enough to act on them, what’s the point?
AI makes insight generation and account research faster — but your ABM team still needs the skills to facilitate strategic, peer-level conversations. Don’t see AI as a way to cut costs — use it to reinvest in your people, making them more effective.
7. Clarify the why before you implement
Finally, and most importantly, be brutally clear on your objectives with AI — but don’t lose sight of the fundamentals of your ABM programme. AI should support your strategy and people, not replace them.
Own the AI Narrative
AI can drive efficiency in your ABM programme — but the real value comes when it also drives the effectiveness of your ABM-ers.
Don’t wait to be asked. Lead the conversation. Show how you’re using AI not just to save time, but to invest in your people, scale the impact of your programme, and strengthen what makes ABM truly work.
Efficiency matters. But driving efficiency with improved effectiveness is what will set great ABM leaders apart.
