What you'll get
- 1 copy-ready blocks
- 2 tables
- 9 min read
- Programme sheet (copy this block)
How to use it
- Step 1: Read the table in Part 1 and the five set ups in Part 2. Take 20 minutes.
- Step 2: Use the questions in Part 3 to choose the set up closest to your firm. Pick one, not two.
- Step 3: Fill in the programme sheet in Part 4 for your own list. Take 30 minutes.
- Step 4: Run it for six weeks. Count at the end of week two and week six, using the counts in Part 5.
- Step 5: Change one thing only after the six weeks, and write down what you changed.
Most ABM examples are about software vendors with large budgets and a marketing team. A services firm has a different shape. It has a few partners, a handful of past clients, a sales cycle that runs on trust and nobody whose job is to run campaigns. This page gives five examples sized for that firm.
The firms below are invented. They are not clients of ours and none of the numbers is a result. Each one shows a set up: how the list was built, what the first move was and what was counted. That is the part you can copy. What happened afterwards depends on your market and your work, so this page claims no outcomes.
Part 1: Five set ups side by side
| # | Firm (invented) | Where the list came from | Size | First move | Count to watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A software build firm | Clients of a partner it already works with | 12 | An introduction asked of the partner | Introductions made |
| 2 | A management consultancy | New senior hires at target companies | 20 | A note on the first 90 days of the new role | Accounts with a reply from the new hire |
| 3 | A staffing firm | Past clients and lost proposals | 25 | A short review of what changed since last time | Old contacts who reply |
| 4 | A design studio | Companies launching a product in the next two quarters | 15 | A one page view of the launch from the customer's side | Accounts where a second person joins |
| 5 | An engineering test firm | Companies that must meet a new standard | 18 | A plain summary of what the standard changes for them | Accounts that ask a question back |
The channel is not in the table because it does not decide the set up. Every one of them used email, LinkedIn or a call, and any of those would have worked.
Part 2: The five set ups
1. The borrowed list (a software build firm)
The situation. Arden Build is a ten person firm that builds software for logistics companies. It has one steady partner, a systems integrator that serves 30 large logistics groups.
The list. Arden asked the partner which of its clients were planning new projects. The partner named 12. Arden did not research them first. It asked to be introduced.
The first move. One request to the partner: "Would you introduce us to the head of operations at these three first?"
What it shows. The list was short because the route was a person, not a database. The risk is dependence: if the partner's priorities change, so does the list. Arden kept two other routes alive.
2. The trigger list (a management consultancy)
The situation. Pellam Partners is a four person consultancy for retail finance teams. Its work starts when something changes.
The list. It followed 20 retailers and wrote down every new finance director or chief executive within the year. A new person often reviews what they have inherited in their first months, so a note then is timely.
The first move. A short note to the new person, written about their role, not about Pellam. It offered one page on what finance teams in their position tend to ask in the first 90 days.
What it shows. The timing came from the trigger, not from a calendar. The risk is a long wait: some months, nothing changes at any of the 20. Pellam kept a second list of ten to fill the quiet weeks.
3. The win back list (a staffing firm)
The situation. Corran Talent places technical staff. Its best list was already in its files: former clients and proposals that were not accepted.
The list. 25 companies it had worked with or quoted in the last three years, each marked with the reason the work ended.
The first move. A two line note to the old contact: "A lot has changed since we last spoke. Can I send you a one page review of how the hiring market looks for [role]?" It referred to the earlier work honestly and did not pretend it had not happened.
What it shows. An old relationship is a true reason to write. The risk is stale contacts: some of the names will have left their roles. Corran spent the first week finding who had replaced them.
4. The launch list (a design studio)
The situation. Lowden Studio designs digital products. Companies need it most just before and just after a launch.
The list. 15 companies that had announced a product release in the next two quarters, taken from their news pages and job adverts.
The first move. A one page view of the launch from the customer's side: three things a new customer would see in the first five minutes. It was specific to each company, written by a designer, not a seller.
What it shows. The sample of work was the message. The risk is effort: one page per company takes real time. Fifteen was the limit Lowden could keep up.
5. The rule list (an engineering test firm)
The situation. Kestrel Testing certifies components. A new standard sends manufacturers looking for a lab.
The list. 18 manufacturers that made products covered by a standard that took effect within the year. The list came from the standard's scope, which is public.
The first move. A plain summary of what the standard changed for that type of product, in two paragraphs, with an offer to talk through how it applied to them.
What it shows. The reason to write was a fact, not an opinion. The risk is that competitors write too, so Kestrel's note was the more specific one, not the first.
Part 3: Which set up fits your firm?
Answer the questions in order. Stop at the first yes.
- Do you have a partner who serves the companies you want? If yes, start with set up 1.
- Can you name the companies you want and watch them for changes? If yes, set up 2 or set up 4.
- Have you worked for, or quoted, a number of companies that no longer talk to you? If yes, set up 3.
- Is there a rule, standard or deadline that forces your buyer to act? If yes, set up 5.
- None of these? Start with set up 3 on the clients you have, then add one other.
You may end with two answers. Pick the one with the most true reasons to write.
Part 4: Your programme sheet
Programme sheet (copy this block)
FIRM: [Name] SET UP: [1 to 5, or your own] START DATE: [ ]
WHO THE LIST IS FOR: [one sentence]
WHERE THE LIST CAME FROM: [partner / trigger / past clients / launch / rule]
HOW MANY ACCOUNTS: [number] OWNER: [Name]
THE TRUE REASON TO WRITE TO EACH ONE: [one line per account, or one for the whole list]
FIRST MOVE: [what you send or ask for, and by when]
WHO RECEIVES IT: [role, not just name]
COUNT AT WEEK 2: [number of accounts with a reply]
COUNT AT WEEK 6: [accounts with a second person involved]
RISK TO WATCH: [one line]
WHAT WE WILL CHANGE AFTER WEEK 6: [one line, written before the start]Write the "true reason to write" line for every account. If you cannot write one for an account, take it off the list for now.
Part 5: What to count
Count accounts, not messages. Two counts are enough for six weeks.
| When | Count | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | Accounts with any reply from a named person | Whether the reason to write was true enough |
| Week 6 | Accounts where a second person is involved | Whether the account is moving beyond one contact |
Write each as a fraction of the list, for example 5 of 20. A fraction keeps the size of the job in view. If neither count moves, the first thing to change is the reason to write, not the channel.
Check before you send
- Every account has a true reason to write, in one line.
- The message is about the reader's situation, not your firm.
- The list is small enough that you can write each note by hand.
- You have named who gets the reply and who follows up.
- You wrote down what you will change after week six, before you started.
Five mistakes to avoid
- Copying a channel and not the set up. An event or an email sequence is only a way to deliver the reason to write.
- Starting with 100 names. Examples that work for a services firm start with 12 to 25.
- Choosing a list because it is easy to get, not because there is a reason to write.
- Counting messages sent. Count accounts that replied and accounts where a second person joined.
- Changing three things after two weeks. You will not know which one mattered.
Why this works on named accounts
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