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Edition #44 | Published August 4, 2025 Last issue we asked whether content should be gated in an AI‑shaped buyer journey. This week we zoom out: If there’s “an AI for everything,” where do humans still make the difference in GTM? Automation promises speed (e.g. personalization at scale within x minutes), but speed alone could be a trap. The reality often leads to missed fresh context, lack of company nuances, generic plays, and stalled deals. As SaaStr founder Jason Lemkin reminds us this month, sophisticated buyers judge your operational competence as much as your product. The real edge is balancing AI scale with human judgment . Our hands-on run with HubSpot’s new ChatGPT Deep Research connector  drives the lesson home. In this edition, we break down how to let AI handle the heavy lifting while protecting brand trust, pipeline quality, and the nuance that only humans can deliver. Let’s break it down. 🚀 The Pulse: AI in B2B Marketing Industry News You Shouldn’t Miss We read the latest AI x ABM News so you don’t have to.  Demandbase Unveils Major Buying‑Group Enhancements Demandbase’s July update introduced a set of New Buying-Group Agents , plus their super useful “ Unknown Visitor → Recommended High-Intent Buying Group Contacts from This Account ” alerts. Early users are reporting 2.6× larger deal sizes  and 65% higher CTR  when buying‑group coverage is complete.  GTM Partners Unveils “Intent Data Maturity Curve” Research New research shows multi‑signal programs outperform single‑source plays by 48%  in pipeline velocity, as putting too much weight on one type of intent is like basing your entire forecast on one weather app. The leading GTM teams go beyond and above, using AI predicts when prospects will be ready , what they care about, and how best to engage.  Demand Gen Report Released Key Trends Influencing Buyer Engagement 84% of ABM programs now rely on multi‑signal AI models , and teams personalizing beyond job title  see 30% higher opportunity rates . From a distribution channel perspective, conversational advertising represents a significant evolution beyond traditional display formats, frequently surface sales-ready opportunities significantly faster than conventional lead capture methods .  Zapier Publishes Its “AI Fluency” Framework to Assess Marketer’s Skills in Hiring  Zapier’s CEO Wade Foster defined four competency levels (Unacceptable, Capable, Adoptive, Transformative) to evaluate AI fluencies across roles . These are evaluated through screenings, async exercises, and live interviews. Signals compound across stages. Very interesting read! ChatGPT Agent is Launched  ChatGPT now thinks and acts, proactively choosing from a toolbox of agentic skills  to complete tasks for you using its own computer. The agent can also leverage ChatGPT connectors⁠ , which allows you to connect apps like Hubspot so ChatGPT can find information relevant to your prompts and use them in its responses.  🎙 Voices of Influence: Where AI Wins - and Where Humans Still Lead in Marketing The AI future isn’t going to be a handful of vendors pushing one-size-fits-all tools to the market. It’s every GTM team spinning up purpose-built agents  that solve their  specific bottlenecks.  The winners won’t be “most AI automated.” They’ll be the teams that combine AI’s scale  with human judgment and fresh context . Where does AI shine? In my humble opinion,  Heavy-lift, low-context, highly-repetitive tasks : preliminary research, basic lead qualification, first-draft copy, message optimization, etc.. Dynamic distribution : conversational ads that adapt to persona-tailored messages and capture real-time intent, far faster than static traditional ad forms. Strategy accelerators:  providing your data and tools are ready, optimized dynamic prospect lists, segment prioritization, always-on scoring models, etc.  Contextualized insight delivery:   HubSpot’s ChatGPT connector  (we tested in Sandbox) now drops tailored summaries and next-best actions directly into the CRM view. . But more AI isn’t always better. It shouldn’t be a disconnected, tactical fix for an isolated problem. Over‑implementing AI in B2B Marketing without human oversight or strong data governance, can hurt both your brand and your pipeline. Over-automation without proper human oversight and data governance can put brand trust at risk , especially when AI data privacy and security are still fuzzy.  Hyper-personalization at scale is powerful, yet SuperAGI’s latest report  reminds us the human layer is what keeps relevance from drifting into creepiness .  Bottom line here is, let AI handle speed and scale, but keep humans accountable for  fresh context,   industry nuances , data compliance , and the final “should we push send?” call . 🔥 What’s Trending This Week “Good Growth” Redefined:  SaaStr data shows 40‑60% growth  is now exceptional for pre‑$100M ARR. ChatGPT Hits 2.5B Prompts/Day :  Catching up to Google’s 14B daily searches. HubSpot Launches First CRM Connector  for Anthropic’s Claude. 🚀 Notable Funding Rounds in AI-Powered GTM Startups  Loveable  and Replit  both hit $100M ARR in 8 months. This is highlighting how successful AI‑powered startups are racing to category leadership .  🛠 Martech Spotlight: Cool Tools & Innovations Search Console Audit:  Identifies opportunities to boost traffic on Google and AI search platforms. Lindy.ai :  Smart automations connecting Gmail, HubSpot, Clay — enrich, trigger, and personalize follow‑up automatically. E.g. set up a trigger based on keywords, then move the leads into pipeline stage in Hubspot.  There’s an AI for That:  Curated directory of AI tools and workflows. 📚 Knowledge Vault: Must-Reads for ABM Operators What B2B Can Learn From Consumer Brands How to Get Recommended by ChatGPT  – Kyle Poyar Lean AI at Scale: The Official Playbook for Scale‑Ups Step‑by‑Step Guide: Using AI for Strategic Marketing Tasks ⚡ Execution Tips & Tricks for AI x ABM Success  Combine third‑party surge data  (topic research trends) with first‑party engagement signals  (e.g., pricing page visits) for stronger intent validation  before outreach. Repurpose event content  into months of LinkedIn posts using AI transcription + summarization workflows , shared by Lisa Shaw (my fellow MarTech contributor) Tap HubSpot’s AI Prompt Library  to improve campaign ideas and testing velocity. Record real conversations, feed transcripts into AI, and extract authentic content ideas   vs. generic prompts, published by Devin Reed ( Founder of The Reeder) 🎤 ABM Insider: Events We’re Attending  Ghosted to Growth: Revenue Leaders on Buyer Re‑Engagement – Aug 6 Zero‑Party Data in Action: Turning Discovery into Conversions – Aug 12 HubSpot Inbound 2025 – Sept 17‑19 ZapConnect 2025 – Sept 25 💬 Quote of the Week “The fundamental mistake today’s B2B marketers make is deploying artificial intelligence tactically rather than strategically. When AI is relegated to isolated point solutions — writing individual emails, optimizing ad creative, or repurposing content assets — it delivers incremental efficiency gains but fails to address the core challenge of engaging complex buying committees effectively.”  — Anna Eliot, CMO, pharosIQ, Source  “The most significant shift with AI isn’t tactical; it’s mental. Marketers must rethink their entire approach to the workday and workflow. Instead of asking, “How do I do this?” asking, “How can something else think or create for me so that I can focus elsewhere?”  — Madison Sofield, AI Expert at Tomorrow.io ,  Source “When you’re selling to sophisticated buyers, they’re evaluating not just your product, but your operational competence.”   — Jason Lemkin , Founder SaaStr  Source ABM is your go-to-market motion, not a marketing function.  🧠 Ready to revamp your strategy? Check out our past editions  or let’s chat . 🎯 Until next time—stay bold, stay targeted.  📩 Subscribe here  | More insights for you

Edition #43 | Published July 21, 2025 Last week, we explored how invisible buyer journeys dominate modern B2B sales cycles. This week, we’re getting tactical—with a sharp look at one of the most polarizing questions in ABM content strategy: Should you gate your content in an AI-powered buyer journey? In a world where discoverability and trust shape every pipeline, what you choose to restrict—or release—can either compound your influence or throttle it. Let’s break it down. 🚀 The Pulse: Industry News You Shouldn’t Miss We read the latest AI x ABM News so you don’t have to.  🧠 Demandbase Launches Agentbase on AWS Marketplace Agentbase, Demandbase’s new suite of GTM AI agents , is now available via AWS Marketplace. These AI agents automate campaign execution and account-level engagement, giving marketers and sellers faster paths to impact with less lift. Why it matters : You can now experiment with AI-led GTM strategies directly within your cloud ecosystem—no extra procurement headaches. 📺 MNTN + ZoomInfo: Precision Comes to Connected TV This new partnership blends ZoomInfo’s intent and firmographic data with MNTN’s performance TV platform. Expect sharper targeting, improved reach, and better ROI on your top-of-funnel B2B CTV campaigns . Why it matters : CTV is becoming an underrated ABM lever—this deal makes it more measurable and scalable for B2B teams. 🤝 TechTarget and Salesloft Link Up to Advance Buyer Engagement TechTarget and Salesloft announced a strategic partnership : leveraging TechTarget's person-level intent data and Salesloft's sales engagement platform, sales teams can now more effectively engage buyers with contextualized personalization  in outreach.  🧩 The Limits of LLMs: Why Full ABM Automation Is Overly Optimistic According to recent analysis by The Information , LLMs excel at pattern recognition but struggle with scenarios that have multiple unknown variables or that require live contextual information. This explains why full ABM automation claims, like launching campaigns with just 30 minutes of prep, remain overly optimistic . True success still demands strategic human oversight alongside AI. Watch the insightful TEDx talk: "How to Compete with AI—and Win" 🎤 Global ABM Conference 2025 – Speaker Submissions Now Open The ABM Global Conference , set for November 5, 2025, is now accepting speaker submissions . The theme focuses on technology-driven ABM methods to navigate today’s fragmented, AI-accelerated buyer landscapes .  📌 B2B Ignite 2025: The Top Insights from This Year's Flagship Event At B2B Ignite 2025 , industry leaders explored actionable strategies on how to shift from theoretical AI adoption to practical implementation in GTM strategies. Discussions focused heavily on aligning AI-driven ABM with buyer realities and stressed the importance of execution over hype. Catch the key takeaways from B2B Ignite 2025 🎙 Voices of Influence:  Gated or Ungated? Your Content Strategy Could Make or Break Pipeline Gating your content used to be a simple demand gen conversion tactic. In today’s AI-led buyer journey, it’s a brand trust decision. AI tools only access publicly available information . So if your premium resources are behind a form, they’re invisible not just to buyers, but to the AI engines that influence them. According to TrustRadius, today’s B2B buyers demand frictionless access  to high-value information, like pricing, use cases, competitive insights, before they ever talk to a rep. Does that mean everything should be ungated? Not quite. Image Credit: TrustRadius's Report " Bridging the Trust Gap: B2B Tech Buying in the Age of AI " The smart move: gate fewer assets, but make them count . Use forms on content that offers clear, immediate value to motivated buyers, like live events or strategic toolkits. And with Cloudflare’s new Pay-per-Crawl  model (which charges AI bots for content access), expect to see even more experimentation around value-based content monetization and visibility. Marketers now face the challenge of balancing openness with exclusivity. In this new environment, discoverability, authority, and owning your narrative are critical. First-party traffic is no longer enough, marketers must also prioritize their presence in AI responses and social feeds, shifting strategies toward “ credible mentions ”, by users, customers, and SMEs.  🔦 Case Study: Gated vs. Ungated Content – What Really Performs? The Juice's latest " State of Gated vs. Ungated Content " report provides some eye-opening insights: Ungated content drives 26% higher engagement than gated assets when everything else remains the same, and among the top 50 most engaged brands, 31 gate less than 3% of their content . Only Toolkits  and Event Sessions  justify a gate with engagement above 1%, as these formats naturally attract higher engagement. For ABM operators, that’s your cue. Gating should be selective and strategic , not your default. If you’re putting energy into producing standout content, put equal thought into how and when it gets discovered . 🔥 What’s Trending This Week No Longer Free : Cloudflare is enabling content owners to charge AI crawlers for access Source: Cloudflare's Blog " Introducing pay per crawl " AI Premium : AI-centric companies like Palantir and Snowflake outperform traditional enterprise solutions. Winning themes  like AI + Data Infra and Vertical SaaS are the keys.  Context Engineering - New Differentiator : Beyond prompt engineering, context engineering  emerges as the new competitive differentiator, for SaaS founders, also for tech-savvy marketers.  Reviews Win : 77% of buyers rely on peer reviews. Analyst reports? Down 60% since 2022. (Source: TrustRadius ) Lean Teams, Higher Output : ARR per FTE in early-stage SaaS is up 18% YoY. 🚀 Notable Funding Rounds in AI-Powered GTM Startups  Unify  raised $40M Series B (led by Battery Ventures + OpenAI Fund) to build AI agents that surface high-intent leads and personalize outreach at scale. 🛠 Martech Spotlight: Cool Tools & Innovations We’re testing all of them and stay tuned for more reviews!  Relay.app : Streamline cross-app workflow collaboration  by creating your GTM AI agents.  Browse Anything : AI agent for web browsing and automated task  execution, all from simple prompts, like a web assistant.  Meet Comet: An in-browser assistant  that helps users navigate and complete tasks—hands-free.  📚 Knowledge Vault: Must-Reads for ABM Operators How to spot real buying signals vs. false positives TrustRadius B2B Buyer Report : Where trust is won (and lost) ⚡ Execution Tips & Tricks for AI x ABM Success  ABM = GTM, Not a Campaign In her podcast, Catie Ivey (CRO and former leader at Marketo and Demandbase) reminds us: ABM is a strategy, not a campaign. Align across marketing, sales, ops, and CS to orchestrate journeys around the account—not the channel.  🎧 Listen here Make Email Interactive —Or Risk Being Ignored: According to fellow MarTech SME Alex Melone , interactive emails (carousels, polls, in-line pricing, videos) are turning stale nurture streams into immersive experiences. 📚 Why Interactive Emails Drive Better Funnels , 🎤 ABM Insider: Events We’re Attending  Zapier: Data Governance & Security  Clean data is your ABM engine. Learn how to balance AI integration with secure data ops. 🎥 Watch on-demand ZapConnect – Sept 18, 2025  Get hands-on with AI automations that improve GTM execution. 🔗 Explore ZapConnect Demandbase Webinar – “From MQLs to Buying Groups” (July 23) Hear from Workday and Forrester on activating full-funnel buying group strategies that outperform lead-based models.  Register for “From MQLs to Buying Groups” 💬 Quote of the Week "If you don’t shape the narrative, others will. And that impacts how fast you can move, how trusted you are, and how much support marketing gets across the business." - Florian Frese , Marketing Director at Wire, Heard from Florian's episode on Marketing Dilemmas! "The most valuable AI skills aren't about learning secret phrases or clever tricks. They're about understanding how to architect intelligent systems that have access to the right information at the right time." - Dharmesh Shah , Read from Simple.ai 's Post ABM is your go-to-market motion, not a marketing function.  🧠 Ready to revamp your strategy? Check out our Past Editions  or let’s Chat . 🎯 Until next time—stay bold, stay targeted.  📩 Subscribe here  | More insights for you

This week, we’re switching gears. Instead of a typical deep dive, I’m sharing a visual breakdown that challenges a fast-growing misconception in GTM teams: the idea that GTM Engineers can "do ABM" without strategic depth. I’ve mapped out what’s missing — and what a truly impactful GTM Engineer role should look like in an AI-powered, account-based world. Back to our regular insights next week . For now, enjoy this quick-scroll visual and let me know what resonates👇

Edition #42 | Published July 7, 2025 Last week, we explored the invisible 80% of B2B buyers who make decisions long before your reps or ads ever reach them. This week, we're diving deeper: Once you've captured their attention, how do you remain visible, relevant, and trusted throughout the buyer journey? The challenge today isn’t just about initial outreach. It's about full-funnel ABM : continuous orchestration , consistently influencing complex buying groups across multiple channels and formats . Leading ABM teams now view influence as an always-on process, rather than a series of isolated “campaigns”.  Let’s talk about it. 🚀 The Pulse: Industry News You Shouldn’t Miss We read the latest AI x ABM News so you don’t have to.  TrustRadius Acquired by HG Insights In a strategic move, HG Insights is  integrating TrustRadius data  into its platform, offering marketers enhanced buyer intent signals coupled with detailed review-layer insights. This could reshape how teams prioritize ABM outreach based on buyer sentiment, not just firm- and techno-graphic fit. Demand Gen Report’s “ 2025 State of ABM ” — AI & Hyper-Personalization Driving Results Demand Gen Report's latest survey underscores AI, hyper-personalization, and cross-functional alignment as critical for ABM success. Insights from Demandbase CEO Gabe Rogol highlight how GTM leaders now leverage account-level intelligence to drive scalable revenue. RedditMonitor Launches for GTM Teams Think Reddit for the unfiltered internet, especially for engineering and developers? RedditMonitor  let you now tap directly into intent-rich Reddit conversations, extracting real-time market signals, objections, and buyer language—without traditional surveys. I’ve signed up for a trial for my projects. Stay tuned!  🎙 Voices of Influence: Full-Funnel ABM in AI-Led Buying Journey B2B buying today isn't linear—and it's rarely a one-to-one engagement. We’re talking about in average 11-person buying committees  averaging 17 touch points each , according to leading industry reports. That’s 180+ possible moments of influence per opportunity! Not surprising that many teams feel overwhelmed rather than strategically orchestrated. The smartest ABM leaders are tacking these with the following strategies: ✅ Strategic omnichannel engagement : like coordinated campaigns across email, display, LinkedIn, content syndication, even emerging formats like CTV and audio ✅ Personalized full-funnel nurture : so relevance doesn’t stop after the first “hand raise” ✅ Relevance on demand : adjusting content calendars to match real-time buyer behaviors and emerging market trends using GTM signals   To truly master ABM, you need to close gaps in your nurture strategy , ensuring ongoing relevance and multi-channel personalization that drives urgency and action throughout the buyer journey.  Madison Logic puts it simply: “It’s not the best content that wins; it’s the most timely, well-distributed content.” And as Keith Turco, Madison Logic CEO, recently noted on their communications: “Companies are finally beginning to understand ‘ true ABM ’ means going beyond lead generation into the full funnel .” 🔦 Case Study:  FireMon ’s  Amy Yuan and Stephanie Peterson recently shared how they cracked the code to executing automated, personalized multi-channel campaigns in a webinar.  They faced a familiar B2B challenge: how to engage different personas across long sales cycles—without exhausting the team or overwhelming the audience. By mapping buyer journeys and using dynamic segmentation, they launched automated multi-channel campaigns   across display, email, and web. Each message was personalized based on buyer stage and persona —without manual effort. (Image Credit: 6Sense's Webinar Series ) 🔥 What’s Trending This Week 📈 New data from Emergence Capital shows that AI Startups Grow 4X Faster Than SaaS . The real acceleration is with GenAI-native companies.  Most of the market-share created in a technology shift goes to new entrants , not the legacy giants.  Best Practice on LinkedIn Is... No More “Best Practices.  The new play? Share your actual thoughts. B2B audiences are rewarding authenticity over formulaic thought leadership. (Source: Agent.ai )  The future of sales development lies not in outbound emails, but in structured rotations across GTM teams .  💸 $100K–$150K Is the New Enterprise Deals Sweet Spot . And 39% of buyers now prefer pay-as-you-go pricing . Source: G2 Buyer Report 2025 🚀 Notable Funding Rounds in AI-Powered GTM Startups  Deeto  (formerly B2B Voice) secured $12.5 million Series A  led by Jump Capital to scale its AI-native platform that amplifies “customer voice” across the buyer journey.  Octave  closed a $5.5 million Seed round . This AI marketing-tech platform helps companies build ideal-customer profiles  and shape GTM campaigns using GPT- and Claude-based models  - what modern ABM teams need for predictive, AI-driven campaign design. 🛠 Martech Spotlight: Cool Tools & Innovations RedditMonitor  — Gain real-time market signals and hot leads  from Reddit conversations. Clay’s SEMrush Integration  — Perfect for understanding what resonates with competitor audiences  (e.g. Discover competitor's highest-performing pages and analyze their geographic traffic distribution, Monitor social media engagement levels) 📚 Knowledge Vault: Must-Reads for ABM Operators Real‑World CustomGPT Lessons — explore live AI agent use cases in GTM How AI Agents Are Transforming Account-Based GTM  The How to Guide on Seamless Omnichannel Marketing 🎤 ABM Insider: Events We’re Attending  July 16, 11 a.m. ET  · The Strategic Value of ABM Audio Advertising Register here July 16, 12 p.m. ET  · Supercharge GTM with Gong & Clay Save your seat 💬 Quote of the Week “If you want to exploit even this early AI capability, it is so much easier to do that as a startup than as a big corporate that has to manage the cultural shift.” – Marc Roberge, Stage 2 Capital  (ex-HubSpot CRO), Source  "Marketers’ jobs will revolve less around creating and more around matchmaking" – Maya Grossman, CEO, Maya Grossman Group , Source: Hubspot Newsletter  🧠 Ready to revamp your strategy? Check out our past editions  or let’s chat . 🎯 Until next time— stay bold, stay targeted. 📩 Subscribe here  | Read more insights

Edition #41 | Published June 23, 2025 This week’s edition is a special one. I’m thrilled to share that NextGenABM is now officially a Demandbase Certified Agency and Service Partner . Why does this matter? Because as GTM teams start shifting their focus toward algorithmic buyers and AI-influenced journeys, partnering with the right data and orchestration layer becomes mission-critical. And Demandbase is where a lot of that action is happening. Read More . So in this issue, we’re going deeper into the new rules of influence—where ABM meets AI, silent buyers hold the power, and your GTM isn’t just about outreach... but about shaping the discovery layer itself . Ever feel like you’re chasing deals that already started without you? That’s because you probably are. Today’s B2B buyers don’t fill out forms or book demos. They dig through Reddit threads. They compare notes on Slack. They ask ChatGPT for the short list. And by the time your sales team gets a whiff, the decision’s mostly made. ✉️ According to Forrester, 70% of B2B buyers now complete 80% of their journey solo. 🤖 Gartner reports AI agents curate 68% of the insights they use to evaluate vendors. So if your GTM motion still assumes a human-on-human interaction is where things begin… it’s time to rethink the playing field. You’re not just marketing to buyers anymore. You’re influencing the systems they trust to make sense of the market. Let’s dive into what that means —and how smart ABM teams should be adapting. 🚀 The Pulse: Must-Know Related Industry News We read the latest AI x ABM News so you don’t have to.  1. HubSpot x ChatGPT: Deep Research Connector Goes Live   HubSpot just rolled out its long-awaited deep research connector for ChatGPT . Marketers and RevOps teams can now query their CRM like a data scientist without writing a line of code. Want to find high-converting cohorts or where accounts are stuck in the funnel? You can do that instantly, then spin up a nurture sequence or adjust workflows in HubSpot.  Also worth noting: the rollout sparked buzz and debate about hallucinations and data safety. More here 2. Gartner B2B Symposium: What Colorado Just Revealed About GTM   The recent Gartner Symposium (Colorado Edition) delivered a wake-up call to B2B leaders: GTM alignment is still the #1 challenge. Sessions emphasized cross-functional orchestration, generative AI for campaign design, and a fresh look at value metrics. Event recap 3. Demandbase Adds Intent Agent  The June product update delivers three GTM game-changers: – Intent Agent  provides daily AI-generated summaries and account heatmaps – Ad Journeys automates full-funnel account-based DSP campaigns – Multi-Channel Reporting brings LinkedIn, Google Ads, and onsite data into one dashboard  4. Gong x Madison Logic: SmartReach™ Gets Real-Time Sales Execution Muscle   Gong and Madison Logic have teamed up to deliver personalized outreach at scale . By layering Gong's conversation intelligence with SmartReach's buyer intent signals, sales teams can now surface high-fit accounts and get AI-curated messaging suggestions—inside the tools they already use.  🎙 Voices of Influence: The Silent Buyers in ABM and Things You Can Do in AI to Engage Them I used to think ABM was about precision targeting. Now I know: It’s about influencing the machines that guide our buyers. Here’s what I am seeing: 1. Your Buyer Isn’t (Just) Human  Today, decision makers don’t browse websites—they summon vendors via AI. If your site isn’t structured to answer prompts like "best ERP for mid-market SaaS under $20/user," you’re invisible. 2. Trust Is Built in the Shadows  Buyers trust each other, not your homepage. Reddit threads, G2 reviews, and peer guides are now indexed by AI tools to form reputational scores. 3. ABM x AI: From Ads to Algorithmic Influence  Traditional ABM pushed content. AI-led ABM earns attention by becoming useful. Let AI detect the intent, then deliver relevance before a rep ever hits send. Here’s what I have been helping GTM teams do (and seeing other winner teams do as well): 🛠 Restructure web content for generative search visibility 🛠 Build AI-native touchpoints and auto-personalized plays (e.g., build a ChatGPT plugin for G2 data). Let machines warm leads + reps close them. 🛠 Identify and partner with micro-influencers for comparative content.  → And if you're curious how this works in a real-world ABM environment, we just became a Demandbase Certified Agency Partner  - here’s what that means for our clients. 🔥 What’s Trending: Hot Picks from Web This Week Per SaaStr, Q1 ARR across the software sector dropped 30% YoY , amid the increased demand for collaboration software and vertical SaaS. Source Founders share their product’s best features —and how they pitch them. Answers boiled down to two things: automating pain points in one go and turning messy inputs into organized outputs.  🚀 Notable Funding Rounds in AI-Powered GTM Startups  Landbase raises $30M Series A for AI-driven GTM automation Led by Sound Ventures with Picus Capital, Landbase secured $30M to scale its Omni platform, which enables campaign launch, lead scoring, and targeting—all via single-prompt orchestration. Clarify lands $15M seed round for autonomous CRM innovation Clarify secured $15M to launch its AI-first CRM that automates data entry and insight delivery—positioned to compete with legacy CRM platforms. 🛠 Martech Spotlight: Cool Tools & Innovations Clay Adds On-the-Fly AI Enrichments - "Magic Columns." With no prompt engineering needed, GTM teams can now generate job-change alerts, social insights, or custom lead scores inside their CRM tables.  HeyBoss AI  “Boss Mode” One of the most viral launches this week: a prebuilt AI team  that designs, writes, builds, and markets your startup in minutes. 📚 Knowledge Vault: Must-Read Resources How to build B2B authority in the AI search era How to identify GenAI opportunities in your marketing stack From Pipeline to Profit: Reimagining Sales with AI Agents ⚡ Execution Tips & Tricks for AI x ABM Success  Check the “ Voices of Influence ” section 💬 Quote of the Week "The most value in B2B that we've ever seen will be unlocked when we allow humans to create ridiculously valuable content, and then allow AI to study the other humans who are connecting with these stories and nurture those relationships at-scale. And then AI can bring those two humans back together to do business."  - Ross Simmonds , Founder and CEO, Foundation Marketing , published on Hubspot Blog  🧠 Ready to revamp your strategy? Check out our past editions  or let’s chat . 🎯 Until next time— stay bold, stay targeted. 📩 Subscribe here  | Read more insights

We’re excited to share that NextGenABM is now an official Demandbase Certified Services Provider and Agency Partner , certified in Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and Demandbase Solutions. As a strategic ABM consultancy helping B2B startups and scaleups operationalize high-performing go-to-market programs, this partnership strengthens our ability to bring clients best-in-class tools, data, and insights to accelerate pipeline growth. “Becoming a certified Demandbase partner reinforces my commitment to combining AI-enabled targeting, signal-based orchestration, and scalable GTM execution for our clients,” said Océane Li, founder of NextGenABM. “We’re proud to partner with Demandbase and bring even more value to lean B2B teams building the next generation of growth engines.” Why Demandbase? Demandbase offers a comprehensive ABM platform that unifies account intelligence, personalization, sales enablement, and measurement, making it a natural fit for our data-driven, full-funnel approach to ABM. We look forward to helping more companies unlock the power of intent data, precision targeting, and integrated sales-marketing orchestration through our Demandbase-backed service offerings. 👉 View our Demandbase Partner Listing »

Edition #40 | Published June 9, 2025 Everyone loves to talk about building a Custom GPT. But few people talk about its strategy and use cases in GTM.  Last week I pulled back the curtain in MarTech  on how we’ve taken GPTs from prototype to production: mapping intent signals, drafting sales plays, and slotting them into ABM cadences alongside human teammates → Real-world insights from deploying Custom GPTs for GTM 🚀 The Pulse: Must-Know Related Industry News We read the latest AI x ABM News so you don’t have to.  ChatGPT Meets HubSpot: Turbocharge Deal Velocity with AI Insights Think: “Which cohorts closed fastest last quarter?” or “Which enterprise accounts show the strongest expansion signals by tech stack?” based on my CRM and marketing engagement history, and ChatGPT returns the answer, plus the next-best nurture or workflow to launch in HubSpot. Take actions   I’m really excited about this move from Hubspot and glad to see more MCP  starts to shape the B2B marketing landscape (read some context here ).  Zapier has moved its AI Agents out of the chat window and into always-on “Pods.” Each Agent now has one specific job (e.g. enrich leads, push data, draft emails) and work independently in the background, monitoring for triggers and taking action on your behalf. Some early tests show a single Pod sourced more than 2k qualified leads  in its first month.  Demandbase Launches Agentbase on AWS Demandbase introduced Agentbase , a suite of connected AI agents built on Amazon Web Services (AWS) . The new agents, e.g. Filter Agent and Action Agent, aim to enhance revenue team performance by turning data into actionable insights using secure, scalable AI on AWS. I’m super excited about this news.  "The next era of GTM is here: Assisted automation and insights powered by AI,"  said Gabe Rogol, CEO at Demandbase.  6sense’s Inspire UK pulled 300+ EMEA leaders into London for hands-on GTM accelerators Those sessions centred on multi-signal intent orchestration  and AI-driven pipeline forecasting.  Clay quietly shipped on-the-fly AI enrichment signal engines Need a custom job-change signal or a particular lead score that is specific for your ABM strategy? Just add a column, describe the output, and Clay’s model populates it, no prompt engineering or external API required according to their announcement.  Why it matters:  In one week we saw Hubspot meet ChatGPT, multiple agents unleashed, in-person AI playbooks shared, and data tables turned into on-demand signal engines, proof that every layer of the ABM stack is re-tooling for human × AI orchestration. 🎙 Voices of Influence: What C ustom GPTs for GTM Actually Look Like in B2B “The real unlock isn’t just building GPTs—it’s teaching them to think in go-to-market logic.” In my MarTech deep-dive  I share field notes from live deployments in work with clients: Surfacing ICP matches Prioritizing intent And many more My biggest takeaway for my readers:  Will AI replace your marketing team? Not likely. But marketing leaders who can direct and deploy AI effectively will have a major strategy and execution edge .  These AI tools are like junior teammates — they extend my capabilities, but still rely on my judgment, inputs and direction.  They perform best with strong leadership and guidance.  The organizations that thrive won’t be those chasing the latest tools, but those with leaders who: Understand where AI fits in GTM.  Build clear use cases aligned to business outcomes. Create systems to measure, refine and train AI agents. Your AI agents need those leaders as their managers . Because in the end, the tech stack alone doesn’t win. Strategy, process and human judgment do.  Read my full article:📖 Real-world insights from deploying Custom GPTs for GTM 🔦 Case Study: How the HubSpot Blog Team Uses AI HubSpot’s content org has quietly embedded AI across its editorial cycle . For example, Breeze Copilot drafts outlines, predictive search data guides topics, and a “human-in-the-loop” editor keeps nuance and brand voice intact. See how they do it in HubSpot Blog Team Uses AI .  🛠 Martech Spotlight: Cool Tools & Innovations HubSpot AI Search Grader  now shows how visible your brand is inside gen-AI answer engines—and offers quick wins to claim more answer boxes. Make  just shipped an AI flow builder : I just typed “sync 6sense intent to Slack” and it generated the scenario in seconds. Claygent  hit 1 billion agent runs  last week, underscoring how fast outbound teams are embracing task-specific GPTs. 📚 Knowledge Vault: Must-Read Resources B2B Authority in the AI Search Era  – why un-gating content trains both buyers and  LLMs. Lead Scoring for ABM  – Madison Logic’s framework pairs  fit + intent to prioritize buying groups , not just accounts. ⚡ Execution Tips & Tricks for AI x ABM Success  Seed the forums AI scrapes.  G2, Reddit, Quora—drop bite-size expertise where LLMs look for authoritative snippets. Score signals , not eyeballs.  When designing lead scoring for ABM, weight events like pricing-page visits or tech-stack swaps from buying groups (of your target accounts) above generic web traffic from targeted accounts.  🎤 ABM Insider: Events We’re Attending  June 10 · 9 AM PT – Beyond Automation: Identifying AI-Ops Opportunities Register A tactical session on mapping low-lift automations before you dive into custom agents. June 17 · 8 AM PT – Agentbase Unveiled: How AI Agents Are Transforming GTM Register Demandbase showcases live customer stories, ROI benchmarks and a peek at multi-agent collaboration. June 17 · 11 AM PT – Pipeline → Profit: Re-imagining Sales with AI Agents (Salesloft) Register First-hand playbooks for agent-assisted deal cycles and the workflows that keep reps in the loop. 💬 Quote of the Week ​​“The biggest mistake is using AI as a replacement instead of a catalyst.”  — Basha Coleman , HubSpot Media on Hubpost “B2Bs have long struggled with how much content to gate. But AI engines can’t access information hidden behind forms. That’s why expanding to other channels and prioritizing buyer education should take precedence over chasing MQLs.” – Andrea Cruz  wrote on MarTech   🧠 Ready to re-map your GTM for human × AI collaboration? Check out our past editions  or let’s chat . 🎯 Until next time— stay bold, stay targeted. 📩 Subscribe here   | Read more insights

Edition #39 | Published June 2, 2025 There’s a clear pattern emerging in the most effective revenue teams today: they’re not choosing between human or AI—they’re designing for both. From GenAI-powered GTM agents to human-in-the-loop  personalization systems, the new GTM blueprint isn't human vs. machine. It's human with machines.  For example, your reps may no longer start the call list, but they’re still closing it. And CMOs who design their strategy around this hybrid model are pulling ahead faster than those stuck in either extreme.  This week, we explore what this hybrid shift really means: new roles, new tools, and a new approach to orchestration, as highlighted in the most recent Saastr 2025: hybrid GTM teams (human + AI) consistently outperform both pure automation and human-only execution. 🚀 The Pulse: Must-Know Related Industry News We read the latest AI x ABM News so you don’t have to.  ForgeX x Demandbase Releases 2025 State of ABM Report ForgeX published its " 2025 State of ABM Report ," providing a comprehensive analysis of the current state of Account-Based Marketing. The report recognizes the varying deployment models of ABM and offers insights into effective strategies for account-based GTM approaches . Salesloft's Research Agents Go Live Salesloft’s May release  adds new Account Research  and Buyer ID agents . Together they are helping teams move beyond static data to dynamic, contextual insights. Simpli.fi  + Bombora Launch First Native Contextual B2B Ad Solution Simpli.fi  has partnered with Bombora to launch the first native contextual targeting solution for B2B—combining real-time Company Surge® intent data  with Simpli.fi ’s granular targeting capabilities. The result: more relevant, privacy-friendly campaigns that reach buyers when interest is high. With access to an extensive library of intent topics, advertisers can now deliver strategic, high-performing campaigns  without relying on third-party cookies. Clay Announces 'Sculpt' – Its First Annual User Conference Clay unveiled plans for " Sculpt ," its inaugural user conference scheduled for September 17, 2025, in San Francisco . The event aims to bring together GTM leaders to build AI workflows, share creative tactics, and gain early access to new features.  Apollo.io Achieves 500% Growth with AI Sales Platform Apollo.io reported a 500% year-over-year growth  in its AI-powered sales platform, now serving over 50,000 weekly active users. The company plans to add 300 new team members by the end of 2025 to support its mission of empowering sales teams with AI-driven GTM capabilities.  Zapier Evolves Its AI Agents for Enhanced Automation Zapier announced significant updates to its AI Agents , transitioning from chat-based interactions to fully autonomous agents that operate independently in the background. The new "one agent, one job" approach simplifies workflow building, and the introduction of Agent Pods and an activity dashboard enhances user experience.  🎙 Voices of Influence: The 2026 GTM Team is 50% Human, 50% AI “Hybrid teams—where AI automates signal capture and humans deliver tailored plays—are outperforming every other model.” A powerful piece via SaaStr founder Jason Lemkin  breaks down what many of us are already seeing: The best GTM orgs aren’t replacing people with AI, instead, they’re  reshaping roles around it.  For instance, SDRs focus on personalization. AI handles scoring, research, and follow-ups. Management are learning how to design and manage the best performing Human + AI hybrid teams .  🔦 Case Study:  (Skipping this week – back next edition) 🔥 What’s Trending: Hot Picks from Web This Week GenAI and software review sites like G2  are the top two sources that influence vendor shortlisting, according to Saastr 2025. Top-performing teams use AI to score and suggest, then let reps craft micro-personalized campaigns. The human-in-the-loop approach is winning , according to Saastr 2025.  Crowdsourced results from builders : What’s one part of your job that AI has already changed—or that you think won’t exist the same way a year from now? Creating BOFU content is the one I would pick from those crowd sourced use cases.  The best video marketing channels  with highest ROI and engagement  to grow your brand this year is Instagram (short to medium form videos), per Hubspot.  🚀 Notable Funding Rounds in AI-Powered GTM Startups  Salesforce acquires Informatica : This move signals deeper convergence between data infrastructure and GTM orchestration, across identity resolution, consent management, and ABM signal integration. We should expect more to come from Salesforce in the near future  Clay Secures $40M in Series B Expansion, Valuation Rises to $1.25B: Clay, a GTM development platform, raised $40 million in a Series B expansion round led by Meritech Capital, elevating its valuation to $1.25 billion. ⚡ Execution Tips & Tricks for AI x ABM Success  Use Lovable.dev  to build light AI tools from simple prompts. Create repeatable GPTs : try to turn your prompts into reusable assets that generate consistent content or competitor insights.🔗 Alex Lindahl explains → 🛠 Martech Spotlight: Cool Tools & Innovations HubSpot’s AI Clip Creator  – A quick-edit tool to turn long-form content into short, shareable video clips.  FirstQuadrant  – New AI sales execution layer that watches pipeline, flags follow-ups, and surfaces missed deals.  Founders and reps get one dashboard where emails, tasks, and deal health live together. I find it cool.  📚 Knowledge Vault: Must-Read Resources How Demandbase runs AI-Powered B2B Advertising  with targeting and dynamic personalization? Useful insights from the Demandbase marketing leaders.  How Digital Media Powers ABM Wins (feat. Saima Rashid & Adam Kaiser) Watch on 6sense  ABM Account Tiering Strategy Playbook 🎤 ABM Insider: Events We’re Attending  AI in RevOps: Lessons from the Frontline - June 9 · 10am PT – Featuring Kein Heraly, VP RevOps, DemandScience 🔗 Register First-Party Data & Trust: The Consent Strategy Marketers Need Now - June 10 · 10am PT🔗 Join  Agentbase Unveiled: How AI Agents Are Transforming GTM - June 17 · 8am PT🔗 Register  💬 Quote of the Week “CMOs want to use ABM, but they don’t implement it at a strategic level. They rely too much on technology without the right change management.” – Scott Stedman, The Imaginarium ( Source ) “Decision-makers rarely say, ‘We have a problem.’ But they drop hints everywhere—from competitor threads to Glassdoor reviews.” – Marcin Pienkowski, Think Beyond (Source: Hubspot's Tip of the Week ) “If your campaigns don’t influence the AI models, you’re invisible to the modern buyer.” – Guillaume Cabane, Hypergrowth Partners ( Source ) 🧠 Ready to revamp your strategy? Check out our past editions  or let’s chat . 🎯 Until next time— stay bold, stay targeted. 📩 Subscribe here  | Read more insights

Edition #38 | Published May 28, 2025 We’re past the point of asking “Should AI be in our GTM?” —it’s already there. The real question now is: Are we using it where it actually moves the needle? From Demandbase’s Agentbase on AWS rollout to ZoomInfo literally rebranding as GTM, the industry is making one thing clear: AI is the new foundation of go-to-market. But here’s the catch most teams are still working through: it’s not just about plugging in new tools. It’s about knowing where AI can truly amplify your strategy . In this edition, we break down the 4 AI x GTM plays every CMO  should have on their radar , plus the news, tools, and shifts shaping how modern ABM teams scale smarter. 🚀 The Pulse: Must-Know Releted Industry News We read the latest AI x ABM News so you don’t have to.  Demandbase Launches Agentbase – The First GTM AI Agents on AWS Demandbase has officially rolled out Agentbase , a suite of GTM AI agents built on Amazon Bedrock . The new Filter and Action Agents, co-developed with AWS’s GenAI Innovation Center is going to enable revenue teams to turn complex workflows into conversational actions . Early adopters saw +40% CTR and +25% more page visits . This marks a major leap in assisted automation, helping ABM teams access insights and execute faster. ABM Audio Advertising Is Gaining Tractions As workdays become more fragmented, audio advertising  is stepping up as a powerful ABM channel . Whether it’s a podcast or streaming app, audio fills those “screen-free” moments to keep your brand top of mind when decision makers are listening, not scrolling. With 83% of senior execs tuning in weekly  (according to MadisonLogic) and nearly half reporting audio impacts their buying decisions, it’s becoming a must-have in the multi-touch ABM mix . Demandbase × TechTarget: A Strategic Intent Power Play Demandbase  and TechTarget  have joined forces  to integrate their respective intent data sources. This partnership helps B2B marketers enhance prioritization and ROI  by merging content-consumption behavior with buying-stage readiness inside the Demandbase GTM platform. ZoomInfo Rebrands to GTM ZoomInfo has changed its Nasdaq ticker from ZI to GTM , which is a bold move signaling its commitment to becoming the de facto Go-To-Market Intelligence Platform . It also speaks to a broader trend of the rise of roles like GTM Strategy/Architect/etc. Salesloft Unveils 15 New AI Agents Salesloft expanded its AI capabilities with 15 new autonomous agents , bringing the total to 26. These agents aim to reduce manual work and accelerate sales execution, offering end-to-end support across the revenue cycle.  HubSpot's 2025 State of Marketing Report HubSpot's report explores trends, tools, and strategies defining 2025 marketing strategies , emphasizing AI's role in driving growth and the importance of staying ahead in an AI-first world. Key takeaways include Millennial and Gen Z audiences are taking the majority of B2B marketer’s target audiences, and short-form videos and influencer collaborations are delivering the highest ROI. 🎙 Voices of Influence: 4 AI x GTM Plays CMOs Can’t Ignore As CMOs recalibrate their GTM strategy to compete in an AI-shaped market , the priority is about understanding where AI delivers the most strategic lift in your marketing workflow. We can group today’s AI deployment in GTM across 4 core areas ( see the infographic below ). Together, they define how AI will scale both efficiency and impact across modern revenue marketing. 4 Strategic AI x GTM Plays for CMOs (Author: Océane Li @ NextGenABM) 1. AI-Augmented Platforms (Embedded AI in the Stack) These are your traditional GTM tools, think about your CRMs, MAPs, ABM, Sales engagement platforms, now they are adding AI layers (e.g. personalization at scale ) to stay competitive. Examples : HubSpot, Salesforce, ZoomInfo, Salesloft, Demandbase Strategic Use Case : Leverage those augmented capabilities to enhance existing workflows: lead scoring, buyer intent enrichment, predictive analytics, content suggestions, etc.  Consideration: This play has relatively low barrier to entry, but can be under-leveraged due to legacy workflows or playbooks. It often requires change management to activate the AI layer fully. 2. AI-Native Platforms (Born-AI Tools Driving Workflow Reinvention) Platforms built post-2020 that start with AI as the core logic , not an add-on. Examples : Clay, Jasper, Descript, Writer, Mutiny, Zapier (AI automation layer), Copy.ai Strategic Use Case : Redefine workflows like campaign automation, content ops, creative production, data integration.  Consideration: These tools drive speed, experimentation, and creative scaling, which are perfect for lean, agile teams. They have huge upside, but selection and leveraging them for marketing still require strategic oversight and someone who fully understands the potential.  3. AI Agents & Custom GPTs (Tailored, Task-Specific AI Operatives) Purpose-built agents (often built via OpenAI or third-party orchestration layers) designed for specific GTM tasks: messaging analysis, campaign planning, segmentation strategy, etc. Examples : Custom GPTs, RAG-powered chatbots, internal AI agents. Strategic Use Case : Fill strategic gaps in go-to-market execution, such as sales enablement, ABM orchestration, etc.  Consideration: While this AI play gives you the highest level of control, it typically requires internal AI fluency in the marketing team.  4. AI Infrastructure & Data Layer Tools (The “AI Plumbing” Behind GTM Insights) This includes data orchestration, LLM integration, prompt tuning, and analytics layers that power AI behind the scenes. Examples : Snowflake Cortex, LangChain, Databricks, Synthflow, Unstructured.io . Strategic Use Case : Create a reliable data + decision layer for AI outputs.  Consideration:  Although this AI play is typically owned by RevOps or Data teams, those who might not always report to marketing, CMOs need to influence this layer to ensure marketing use cases alignment. This is the most “invisible” yet essential layer. 🔥 What’s Trending: Hot Picks from Web This Week UGC (user generated content) & AI search push Quora/Reddit winning big on traditional search these days. This reminds us embracing multichannel, multi-format distribution  and building trust early on are so critical for ABM, you can even leverage those Reddit buying intents at scale. Series B “graduation rates” cooling  for 2021-era startups, with significantly lower progression percentages across all time horizons.  Databricks goes all-in on data + AI for marketers , as the lakehouse just became your CDP.  🚀 Notable Funding Rounds in AI-Powered GTM Startups  Sweep  raised $22.5 million in a Series B on May 22, 2025, focusing on AI-powered GTM automation for Salesforce/HubSpot. Siro raised $50 million on May 21, 2025 for AI-driven coaching for sales reps, which fits as an AI-powered GTM. 🛠 Martech Spotlight: Cool Tools & Innovations HubSpot “Breeze Customer Agent”  now covers the entire  buyer journey  and resolves 50%+ of support conversations via AI.  Clay  adds real-time TrustRadius intent signals  and uses natural language to find the most relevant enrichments   (based on your strategy/play) in Clay.  📚 Knowledge Vault: Must-Read Resources Salesforce’s strategic GTM playbook —from broad spray to precision ABM.  Why Net Revenue Retention  is the new north-star metric —ZoomInfo CEO explains.  ⚡ Execution Tips & Tricks for ABM Success  “ Find the conversations already happening —then insert value, don’t just broadcast.” — Shelagh Dolan, Quora for Business Audit agents overlap monthly to avoid redundant automations that make ops brittle. Use podcast ads to mirror the one-liner  your BDR opens with on LinkedIn in order to consistently drive recall. 🎤 ABM Insider: Must-Attend Events 🎯 May 28, 2025 | 8:00 AM PT | From Clarity to Conversion: Mastering Scalable Account-Based Experiences: Join the Director of Marketing Ops at a global identity security leader as they share how they transformed their Account-Based Experiences with Demandbase. 🔗 Register Here 🤖 May 29, 2025 | 10:00 AM PT | ABM + AI: 2025 Use-Cases That Actually Ship RevenueDiscover how Demandbase's intent data integrates with Adobe Real-Time CDP to enhance B2B marketing precision, ROI, and campaign performance. 🔗 Register Here 💬 Quote of the Week “Machines are now the best answerers in the room. But the ones who ask the right question? They’re still human. And still undefeated.”  - Jared Robin wrote it on RevGenius newsletter 🧠 Ready to revamp your strategy? Check out our past editions  or let’s chat . 🎯 Until next time— stay bold, stay targeted. 📩 Subscribe here  | Read more insights

Edition #37 | Published May 12, 2025 🚀 The Pulse: Must-Know AI x ABM Industry News We read the latest AI x ABM News so you don’t have to.  Why Technically Savvy Marketers Are Gaining an Edge in the AI Search Era ? AI is transforming online search and shattering old playbooks. 80% of users resolve 40% of their searches without a single click, according to WSJ . That means SEO alone isn’t enough. You need Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)  and AI Optimization (AIO)  to stay seen. Companies like Intuit, Mailchimp  are already optimizing for AI crawlers, not humans, prioritizing page speed, structure, and content legibility for machines.  Meanwhile, 60% of the U.S. B2B marketers  are doubling down  on AI tools and social media ads , shifting budgets away from legacy tactics.  And in a trend that’s critical for ABM leaders, Forrester  forecasts that over half of $1M+ B2B deals  will close via digital self-serve channels  in 2025. This raises the bar for personalized, data-driven ABM motions, because when buyers are in-market, you want to be their top-of-mind choice. HubSpot's MCP Launch  is another must-watch (see it in their co-founder/CTO's words ): by adopting Model Context Protocol (MCP). To Hubspot’s CTO’s point, the real magic in B2B marketing is when you combine tools from multiple MCP servers to accomplish higher-level goals , e.g. you want to get strategic advice on your pipeline data by querying your CRM in natural language.  "Analyze our sales pipeline, identify deals that haven't moved in 30 days, and suggest next steps for each based on the last conversation notes." This is a game changer that not many companies yet realize. Stay tuned  for an in-depth follow-up analysis on how this will redefine GTM workflows. 🎙 Voices of Influence: Insights from Industry Icons Mike Pastore  (MarTech’s Editorial Director)’s Insights from the State of Martech 2025  is a clarion call for B2B leaders: your marketing team needs to become more technical . The ability to work across open, interoperable platforms and integrate with cloud-native data layers is now foundational. Most importantly, AI's real power lies in unstructured data , from transcripts to Slack messages, and it’s up to marketers to harness that.  💬 My Take: How to Become Technically Savvy Marketers in the AI Search Era? If you're still organizing your GTM ops around a classic funnel, you're missing the shift. Here's what I’d suggest to help your team get ahead: Start by inventorying and mapping all your data sources and signals , like intent data, product usage, CRM activity, conversational intelligence, and more. This foundational step helps you understand where your insights live and how they connect. Then, work cross-functionally—especially with engineering and IT—to ensure those signals are accessible and actionable across your GTM stack. Next, elevate AI literacy across your marketing team . This doesn't mean turning your marketers into prompt engineers, it means helping them understand how GenAI can support strategic, data-driven decisions and automate operational inefficiencies. That’s how you build real ROI into your org’s AI investment. And finally, foster peer-driven learning . Encourage your team to follow and engage with leading voices in the AI and B2B marketing space. The best insights often come from practitioners actively experimenting with the same challenges you’re trying to solve. 🔦 Case Study: How ChatGPT Search Reshapes the B2B Buyer’s Journey In this week’s featured case study , we simulated a full B2B buyer’s journey using ChatGPT Search , from pain-point discovery to shortlisting and final decision. 📊 See my full simulation and takeaways published on Martech . Key Takeaways: Conversational Search Dynamics:  ChatGPT Search offers context-aware, conversational responses, enabling buyers to obtain tailored information quickly, reducing reliance on traditional search engines. Accelerated Decision-Making:  With up to 90% of B2B buyers already utilizing generative AI tools, the buying cycle is becoming more efficient, allowing for faster vendor comparisons and selections. Implications for Marketers:  This shift necessitates that marketing teams enhance their technical acumen, focusing on optimizing content for AI-driven search platforms to maintain visibility and influence in the buyer's journey.  🔥 What’s Trending: Hot Picks from Web This Week Threads hits 350M MAUs , adding video ads  aimed at digital-native founders. B2B SaaS is shifting post-sales engagement to Slack, Teams, and Discord  over email. ( Growth Unhinged ) Marketers at Meta are using LLMs to mine customer feedback for product and messaging insights, another unstructured data goldmine . 🚀 Notable Funding Rounds in AI-Powered GTM Startups  Landbase  raised $12.5M to launch GTM-1 Omni , an AI engine integrating go-to-market workflows  across sales tools. Early tests: 7x higher conversion. AirOps  closed a $15.5M Series A to scale AI-led growth ops . Think data orchestration + content generation  in one platform. 🛠 Martech Spotlight: Cool Tools & Innovations Clay + Google Slides: Auto-generate personalized decks using CRM + intent data. Huge for ABM personalization at scale . Blooming: Chain image, text, and video AI models to create campaign content fast. Your AI copilot for the next ABM campaign .  CreatorMatch Extension: Track performance of your posts + competitor benchmarking . 📚 Knowledge Vault: Must-Read Resources Run an Intent-led ABM strategy?   How to Do Keyword Research for Each Buyer Stage Leverage Real-Time Intent Data  for 15% lift in conversion Integrate ABM Across the Full Funnel  with cross-functional teams ⚡ Execution Tips & Tricks for ABM Success  This week’s tips were embedded throughout the piece — especially under "My Take" and "State of Martech." 🎤 ABM Insider: Must-Attend Events From MQLs to Buying Groups — May 20, 11am PT  — Featuring Forrester Principal Analyst Amy Hawthorne Southbound x AI Deep Dive: May 22, 10am PT  — A tactical look at GenAI in GTM. Campaign Optimization Series — On Demand Inside the C-Suite:The Top 5 GTM Metrics that CXOs Use to Drive Growth - On Demand 💬 Quote of the Week “Your company’s top execs are key to everyday LinkedIn success.” - Jim Habig , Ex-VP of LinkedIn Marketing  "Model Context Protocol (MCP) sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but in reality, it's a simple idea: let AI talk to your favorite tools using a standard language they all understand." - Dharmesh Shah , CTO and Co-founder, HubSpot "Sales isn’t about pitching a product—it’s about solving a problem. The sooner reps understand that, the better they can navigate both small and large deals." - Nelson Fernandes , Sales Coach, Big Leaps All content in this newsletter was curated and edited by Océane Li—not AI 🤖 🧠 Ready to revamp your strategy? Check out our past editions  or let’s chat . 🎯 Until next time— stay bold, stay targeted. 📩 Subscribe here  | Read more insights

5th Edition, Published in July 15, 2024 As we step into the heat of summer, we're excited to bring you the latest trends and invaluable insights shaping the ABM/ABX landscape. Stay informed with the latest G2 reports and investments revolutionizing the ABM world. Discover next-gen audience building strategies and tactics to boost your ABM effectiveness. Don’t miss out on this week’s must-attend webinars and workshops. Discover how you can leverage these advancements to elevate your ABM strategies. Industry News G2’s Summer 2024 Reports Recognize Demandbase as a Leader in 12 Categories: Demandbase was named a leader in 46 out of 66 G2 Summer 2024 Reports , showcasing its advanced features for demand generation, including account targeting, prioritization, and detailed reporting. Users praise its intuitive interface , strong customer support , and effectiveness in managing complex ABM strategies  across various regions and channels. 6sense Named a Leader in 11 G2 Summer 2024 Categories: 6sense® has been recognized as a Leader in 11 G2 Summer 2024 Categories , dominating the ABM and Advertising spaces. The platform is the only provider named a leader across all three ABM categories : Account-Based Orchestration, Analytics, and Advertising. Users highlight 6sense Revenue AI for its efficiency in lead management , its role as a top ABX solution, and the seamless implementation and support provided by the team. PathFactory Launches ChatFactory: An AI-Powered Buying Agent: PathFactory ’s new tool, ChatFactory , uses generative AI to offer tailored answers, content recommendations, and personalized microsites. It transforms static websites into interactive hubs, provides real-time support, and optimizes the buyer’s journey to help vendors generate leads and close sales more effectively. ABM Insights The State of Martech Report 2024  This year's new report reveals exciting trends like skyrocketing investment ambitions, game-changing platform migrations, and innovative strategic realignments in the Martech industry. Key takeaways from the report :   In B2B, data platforms are the number one  technology organizations would like to add to their stack. For 30%, their top priority is combining a CDP and data management platform .  Migration Trends and Acceleration : Over half of organizations have switched platforms in the past three years, indicating a market at an inflection point. This trend is set to accelerate, with even more organizations planning migrations in the next three years. Frequent Migrations : Organizations that have recently migrated are more likely to change platforms again within 2-3 years (51%) compared to non-migrators (26%). Primary drivers for migrations include misalignment with vendor roadmaps, platform standardization needs, and evolving business ambitions. Drivers of Migration: Migration is driven primarily by strategic factors, with 40% citing misalignment between vendor roadmaps and evolving business needs , and 38% recognizing shifts in internal requirements, highlighting the need for adaptable  and scalable  martech platforms. Hyper-Personalization Gap : Although 84% of marketers see hyper-personalized campaigns as relevant for 2024, only 11% of campaigns currently use such tactics. This is expected to grow to 19%  in the next three years, with major barriers being poor data quality, unintegrated systems, and insufficient marketing team skills. 6sense’s Definition of Marketing Qualified Accounts: 6QAs Explained 6sense  redefines lead qualification with its 6sense Qualified Accounts  (6QAs) , moving beyond traditional, subjective methods. Using AI and machine learning, 6QAs identify buying intent signals, understand account and profile fit, measure engagement levels through metrics like website visits and content downloads, and more. This approach allows sales and marketing teams to focus on the most promising prospects, adjusting priorities based on intent and engagement to drive higher conversion rates and revenue growth. Proven Strategies to Optimize Demand Gen for Sales Success In this episode of “Proven Strategies to Optimize Demand Gen for Sales Success”  ( Listen on Spotify ), Sylvain Awad  discusses effective demand generation strategies for B2B success. He advocates for simplified messaging , aligning marketing and sales goals , and prioritizing lead quality over quantity , using account-based marketing tactics , and leveraging storytelling  to connect with prospects. Key Takeaways:  Common Mistakes:  Overcomplicating messaging, expecting immediate revenue from leads, and excessive A/B testing. Aligning Goals:  Focus on target markets, maintain constant communication, and collaborate on content. Ensuring Lead Quality:  Thoroughly validate leads, avoid assuming content downloads indicate sales-readiness. Generating Lower Funnel Leads:  Optimize your website, focus on SEO, and maintain an always-on SEM approach. Approaching Multiple Leads:  Contact various stakeholders, identify decision-makers, and use an account-based marketing approach. Resources The Guide to Audience Building for B2B in 2024 6sense  offers a comprehensive guide to building and optimizing your audience for success in 2024. Read the Full Guide   Key Strategies: Uncover Your Target Audience:  Define your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)  using firmographic and technographic data. Identify Ready-to-Buy Accounts:  Use intent data  from first, second, and third-party sources to find high-potential accounts. Segment Audiences:  Implement dynamic segmentation  to categorize accounts and tailor messaging based on buying behavior. Timing & Personalization:  Reach out at the right moment and craft messages for different buying stages. Leverage Intent Data:  Use data to boost brand awareness , engage decision-makers , and recover missed opportunities. Thought Leader Recommendations In her recent article ( What It Takes To Build A B2B Dream Team ) published in Forbes, Kelly Hopping, CMO at Demandbase , offers strategies for building a successful B2B team by focusing on diverse backgrounds, operational and cultural gaps, and meaningful interviews. She stresses the importance of hiring for team success over personal gain. Beyond this article, she’s sharing many insightful ABM strategies. Follow her on Forbes .  Quote:  “To build a dream team, hire people who are focused on growing the team’s success over their own.” Upcoming Events Salesloft on Salesloft: How We Use Conversation Intelligence to Master the Sales Process for Managers  - July 16 @ 11 AM ET. Uncover conversation intelligence strategies that will transform your sales management game. [ Register Here ]. Going All In On AI-Powered Revenue Ft. Negotiation Skills from Chris Voss  - July 18 @ 10:30 AM ET. Get ready for an enlightening session on AI-driven sales excellence and expert negotiation tactics. [ Register Here ]. Crafting a Unified Revenue Engine with ABM  - July 23 @ 10 AM PT/1 PM ET. Learn how ABM can turn competitive friction into powerful partnerships. [ Register Here ]. —-------------------------------------- Thank you for reading the Weekly ABM/ABX Insights Newsletter! I’d love your feedback, ideas and tips: oceane@nextgenabm.io . If you think someone else might enjoy this newsletter, please pass it forward or they can sign up here. Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter  and follow us  on LinkedIn to get the latest insights on industry trends, tips, and useful resources on ABX. About Us NextGenABM  is a consulting and solution firm aiming transforms B2B marketing and sales strategies with ROI driven pipeline results through account-centric pipeline marketing. Looking to start your ABM journey or need help with your current program? Let's talk .

6th Edition, Published in July 29, 2024 Generative AI is revolutionizing the B2B landscape, but marketing buyers are grappling with a 'crisis of confidence' as they navigate its complexities and potential integrations into their tech stacks. In this edition, we summarized the latest industry news, ABX insights, essential resources, and upcoming events to provide you with relevant information and help you stay ahead in the rapidly evolving ABM/ABX environment. Discover how you can leverage these advancements to elevate your strategies. Industry News PathFactory Acquires Uberflip: Facing The Future of B2B Together PathFactory has acquired Uberflip, enhancing their mission to drive pipeline with innovative GenAI empowered solutions. This merger leverages both companies' strengths in content experience, aiming to reduce friction in the buyer's journey and address modern marketing challenges with AI and personalized, self-serve experiences. Read more  Data-Driven Marketing Trends 2024 Ascend2, a leading B2B marketing research firm, benchmarks the performance of marketing strategies (including ABM/ABX), tactics, and the technology that drives them in 2024. Read the full report  Or Read the key insights ABX Insights PathFactory Makes ABM Easy With Templated Experiences PathFactory’s Director of Pre-Sales Solutions Consulting Tim Dubroy shares how go-to-market teams can use Templated Experiences to drive content engagement. Read more Measuring Account-Based Success with Leading and Lagging Metrics   Understanding ABX campaign performance involves using leading and lagging metrics. Leading metrics predict future success, while lagging metrics reflect past performance.  Read more Old School Trade Shows Are Costing You Time and Money Hybrid and digital events offer better ROI and personalized experiences compared to traditional trade shows. By leveraging analytics and AI, companies can track buyer journeys, tailor interactions, and optimize marketing budgets effectively in the current economic climate. Read more Additional Insights from Data-Driven Marketing Trends 2024 Source: Data-Driven Marketing Trends 2024 by Ascend2 Effectiveness of Data-Driven Marketing: Email Marketing and Customer Experience : These areas remain top priorities, with 47% and 46% of respondents respectively highlighting their importance. The consistent focus on personalized and targeted communication is essential for marketing success. Paid Advertising : Its significance has grown from 29% in 2022 to 41% in 2024, showing an increased reliance on data to optimize advertising spending and targeting precision​.  Greatest Challenges: Targeting Segmented Audiences : This continues to be the primary challenge, cited by 45% of respondents, though slightly decreased from 49% in 2023.  Data Quality : Concerns about finding and maintaining quality data have risen from 34% in 2023 to 38% in 2024.  Tools and Technology Satisfaction: Overall Satisfaction : Most respondents are satisfied with their current tools and technologies, with 27% being very satisfied and 58% somewhat satisfied. However, there is still room for improvement as 15% express some level of dissatisfaction.  Adoption of AI: Growing Trend : 33% of respondents use AI for personalizing marketing content, and 31% use AI to improve customer service with chatbots. However, 23% are not using AI, indicating a significant opportunity for increased adoption​. Resources Nailing Prospecting on LinkedIn, According to AMP's CEO LinkedIn officially surpassed one billion users last year, making it one of the most effective resources for sellers to connect with buyers, as well as one of the key ABX tactical channels. Here's a clear strategy to leverage LinkedIn for generating pipeline and driving sales. Read more Recorded Webinar: Crafting a Unified Revenue Engine with ABM   A webinar focused on uniting marketing and sales efforts through ABM strategies, offering insights into how businesses can enhance their revenue engines by aligning their approaches and leveraging targeted engagement and personalized experiences. Watch now   Upcoming Events Demandbase: Getting Past the Lead  (August 6, 2024, 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET) An advanced-level webinar discussing account-based strategies to transform lead generation into high-value customer engagements, offering methodologies to identify, engage, and convert top-tier prospects. Register now   Get Your ABM Game On with Level Up  (July 31, 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET / 4 PM GMT) A beginner-level educational experience that covers essential Account-Based Marketing (ABM) knowledge and techniques, aimed at transforming revenue teams into efficient revenue machines. Register now   —-------------------------------------- Thank you for reading the Weekly ABM/ABX Insights Newsletter! I’d love your feedback, ideas and tips: oceane@nextgenabm.io . If you think someone else might enjoy this newsletter, please pass it forward or they can sign up here. Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter  and follow us  on LinkedIn to get the latest insights on industry trends, tips, and useful resources on ABX. About Us NextGenABM  is a consulting and solution firm aiming transforms B2B marketing and sales strategies with ROI driven pipeline results through account-centric pipeline marketing. Looking to start your ABM journey or need help with your current program? Let's talk .