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Most teams stop at their ICP and think they’re done.
“This is our ICP. These are the accounts we should target.”
On the surface, sure, that makes sense.
But in practice, that’s where a lot of ABM strategies fall short.
Because your ICP is not your strategy.
It’s simply your starting point.
The problem with stopping at ICP
When teams treat ICP as the end of segmentation, everything starts to flatten.
Same messaging
Same content
Same channels
Same spend
Across hundreds… sometimes thousands of accounts.
That’s not what ABM is about.
That’s just broad targeting with a better filter.
And it usually leads to:
Lower engagement
Poor conversion rates
Wasted budget
Friction with Sales
Because not every account in your ICP is the same.
Segmentation is where ABM actually begins
Once you’ve defined your ICP, the real work starts.
The first split is simple, but critical (I’ve seen people not do this):
Customers vs. Prospects
From there, things should get more intentional.
On the customer side:
Not every customer should be treated the same.
You should be segmenting based on:
Upsell opportunities
Cross-sell potential
At-risk of churn
Strategic / expansion accounts
Each of these groups requires different messaging, different timing, and often different stakeholders.
On the prospect side:
This is where most teams oversimplify.
Instead of treating all ICP accounts the same, start segmenting based on:
Product or solution fit
Vertical or sub-vertical
Closed lost opportunities
Churned customers
You can go even further by anchoring segments to:
Competitor usage
Strategic partners
Now your ABM strategy starts to look a lot different.
Why this matters
When you segment at this level, everything improves.
Targeting becomes more precise
Messaging becomes more relevant
Content becomes easier to create
Paid spend becomes more efficient
And most importantly…sales actually cares.
Because now you’re not handing them a generic list.
You’re handing them context.
Why this account matters
What problem they likely have
How it connects to the business
The shift to make
If you’re leading ABM, don’t stop at:
“We have our ICP.”
You need to start asking:
How are we segmenting within it?
Because the difference between average ABM and high-performing ABM isn’t more tools or more channels.
It’s better segmentation.
That’s what drives relevance, alignment, pipeline, and revenue.
Your ICP tells you who you can sell to.
Segmentation tells you who you should focus on right now.
And that’s where ABM starts to work the way it should.
If you’re working through account selection and segmentation and want a second set of eyes on how you’re structuring it, I’m always happy to compare notes.
ABM Consulting Now Available!
Are you building or refreshing your ABM strategy, but not sure where to start? I’m now offering limited spots for ABM consulting services to help you get your ABM strategy in the right place to be successful.
This is a low-cost, high-reward offer for your team to build a strategy that works and makes an impact, this year.
Simply fill out this form with your details and we’ll schedule time to talk soon!
For more details on ABM Tactics consulting services, click here.
