We have worked across hundreds of companies over the last decade on their ABX strategies and have seen an evolution.

Account-Based Experience (ABX) has evolved beyond traditional ABM approaches to create more personalized, effective engagement with target accounts. Here are eight best practices to elevate your ABX strategy:

1. Treat Each Account as a Market of One

The original definition of ABM from ITSMA is “treating each account as a market of one,” but many implementations fall waaaaay short of this ideal. True ABX requires a genuinely personalized approach tailored to each priority account’s specific needs and challenges.  Really think through what accounts you are going after and why as part of your outreach strategy.

2. Build a Strong Data Foundation

Quality data is the lifeblood of effective ABX. Focus on first-party data you own and can validate, then supplement with third-party data. Tools like Clay (see our prior blogs) can help Implement processes to clean and maintain data quality, as poor data quality can undermine your entire ABX strategy and ABX investments.  We have seen situations of sellers unable to sell in their CRM systems because data quality was so poor!

3. Develop Clear Playbooks with Cross-Functional Buy-In

Successful ABX requires detailed playbooks that outline exactly how different teams should engage with target accounts. Your playbook should define roles, responsibilities, and handoffs between marketing, sales, and customer success teams.  This can also be augmented with a RACI model depending on how your company is going about their approach.

4. Focus on Buying Groups, Not Just Accounts

Understanding and engaging the entire buying committee is crucial. Why?  This economy is making the buyer quantity larger as people naturally want to take the least amount of risk in making a decision. Map out the key stakeholders at each account, identify gaps in your coverage, and develop strategies to engage the full decision-making team.

5. Orchestrate Multi-Channel, Multi-Threaded Engagement

Effective ABX requires coordinated outreach across multiple channels. Rather than just running digital ads, create integrated campaigns that include personalized content, events, direct mail, and one-to-one outreach. True ABX orchestration aligns all touchpoints for a cohesive account experience.  This is across all functions – Marketing, Sales, Customer Success.

6. Personalize Content at Scale

Content personalization is essential but often challenging to scale. Leverage modular content approaches and AI tools to create personalized experiences without overwhelming your content team.  AI can be extremely helpful here, either with existing tools like Pathfactory, AI Agents trained on message, or individual subscription tools.

7. Start Small and Show Success

Rather than trying to boil the ocean, begin with a focused approach. Consider starting with either your highest-value existing customers for expansion opportunities or a small set of ideal-fit prospects. Demonstrating success with a smaller initiative builds momentum and buy-in for broader ABX adoption.

8. Measure Beyond Traditional Marketing Metrics

ABX requires different success metrics than traditional demand generation. Instead, track account engagement, buying group coverage, sales and marketing collaboration, pipeline velocity, and ultimately, revenue impact. This holistic measurement approach better reflects ABX’s true business impact.

By implementing these best practices, you can transform your ABX strategy from basic account targeting to a comprehensive, personalized approach that drives meaningful business results. Remember that ABX is not just a marketing initiative but a business strategy that requires alignment across your entire go-to-market organization