We’re back with another look at our alumni’s answers to one of our favourite questions: If you could give aspiring ABM-ers one piece of advice, what would it be? This second edition brings together five more voices from the ABM Academy community, sharing wisdom that’s practical, hard-won, and refreshingly honest. So, whether you’re just starting out or deep in the work, there’s something here worth remembering.
Our alumni’s advice:
Immerse yourself in understanding the industry trends and growth opportunities. This will unlock ideas that will help you build existing accounts and expand to new ones enabling business growth and a higher market share.
– Reena Jagtap, ABX Vertical Strategy, Henkel.
Stay curious and collaborative. Don’t just market to target accounts – embed yourself in them. Learn their language, challenges, and ambitions as deeply as your own company’s.
ABM isn’t about perfection – it’s about progress, partnership and persistence.
– Sloan Newman, NA Lead Marketing Manager, Strategic ABM, NTT DATA, Inc.
Build your ABM network outside of your company. Being an ABM-er is a tough gig that takes patience and perseverance. I always say my external network are my cheerleaders — they understand the challenge. I’ve had numerous times where I’ve thought I’m not making progress, and then I speak to someone who thinks what I’ve achieved is amazing. Hearing how others have delivered successfully and the challenges they’ve faced is invaluable.
– Vicky Jones, Associate Director and UKIMEA, Head of Clients, Arup.
In ABM, align with the mission of the customer and key individuals in your accounts. Marketing can have a bigger impact on profit and other metrics when working with organisations where ABM interactions are focused on purpose and mission, rather than profit.
– Selina Moutia, Senior Principal Vertical & ABM Enterprise Strategy Marketing, EMEA, Red Hat.
Celebrate the small wins. ABM progress often shows up in subtle ways — a customer reposting your LinkedIn content, a sales leader shifting from sceptic to advocate, or a C-suite executive asking to be featured in a piece of content.
Those moments matter. They’re signals that trust is building, and that’s where real impact starts.
– Kelly Schermerhorn, Senior Manager, ABM & Regional Marketing Healthcare & Lifesciences, Pega.
Advice like this is just the beginning. If you’re ready to put it into practice, the ABM Academy offers courses at every level, from beginner through to expert, designed and delivered by practising ABM leaders.
Find the right course for you at our ABM Academy.
Read the full interviews with our ABM alumni:
1. Alumni Spotlight: meet Reena Jagtap
2. Alumni Spotlight: meet Sloan Newman
3. Alumni Spotlight: meet Vicky Jones
4. Alumni Spotlight: meet Selina Moutia
5. Alumni Spotlight: meet Kelly Schermerhorn
Want more ABM advice? Take a look at our previous Alumni advice article where we hear from Avishek Chakrobarty at Kyndryl, Pippa Anderson at Crowdstrike, Mercedes Calvo at Red Hat, Chantelle Minnie at Altron and Damien Skinner at Pegasystems.
