4 Mistakes Killing Your ABM | RevvedUp Weekly

Hi ,

Last week I ran a workshop for founders and revenue leaders in Dublin, sharing the new Pipeline Playbook.

Some of the slides that sparked the most feedback and conversation were the 'what NOT to do' sections.

The own goals of sales & marketing campaigns.

So here are four mistakes I'm seeing that can kill the best ABM campaigns, even when so much else is right.

1️⃣ Boring copy

In the world of vibe coding and rapid product development, a more powerful competitive advantage is having a Unique Point of View (versus a Unique Value Proposition).

But if you have a unique PoV, and try to convey it in boring, 'safe' copy - who's going to pay attention?

No one! You have to elicit an emotional response if you're going to engage someone (and yes, that might include alienating a few folks who disagree with you).

It's landing in 'meh' that's the danger zone.

2️⃣ Sales-Marketing Misalignment

I know I know. It sounds boring. We've been talking about it for years.

But it's still a real issue. I'm seeing it derail campaigns right now.

Sometimes it's because the incentive structures are screwed.

Others, 'definitions' are loose and changes on a daily basis according to the whims of the sales team.

Most often its because teams are unwittingly pitted against each other, Hunger Games style, with how attribution is set-up and budgets/bonuses are allocated.

Winning is hard enough in today's competitive environment - competing internally is a sure-fire way to kill any hopes of emerging the front runner.

3️⃣ Unnecessary Friction

This is a painfully avoidable one.

But I keep seeing teams optimising for their internal stakeholders and selling process versus the prospects and how they buy.

Even when they're winning, it's seen as not done right. The brakes slam on; momentum is lost; and then eventually they see the light and want to turn the taps back on after a few months in the wilderness.

First, build momentum and optimise for ‘at bats’ then refine towards quality. It's easier to change the direction of a moving object than to get it going in the first place.

4️⃣ Bad Offers

Speaking to a sales rep for 15 minutes isn't an offer!

The best campaigns have genuinely compelling offers, that are valuable in and of themselves.

Think nice dinners, breakfast workshops or webinars with industry experts;

or sharing real insights into their business or those of their competitors;

or unique tools/calculators/playbooks that are not self-serving, but solve a specific painpoint.

These things cut through and generate a response.

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Want us to run a private workshop for your business? If you’re a business with clear PMF, looking at how to reach your next revenue milestones efficiently through the smart use of AI in your go-to-market team, we’re offering a handful of private in-person workshops over the next couple of months.

Apply here.

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This week on Marketing in the Age of AI: What if the real edge in the AI era isn’t more automation—but more humanity? In this episode, bestselling author and marketing strategist Mark Schaefer explores what it truly means to stay relevant when machines can do the busywork—and maybe even the brilliant work.

Drawing from his new book Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World, Mark breaks down why most marketing today is forgettable—and how that makes it dangerous. The good news? The antidote isn’t better prompts or tech stacks. It’s embracing what AI can’t replicate: rawness, connection, and shared human experiences.

In this conversation, Mark calls out the “scaffolding of fear” keeping brands stuck in boring—and why now is the time to break it. You’ll learn how to:

• Lead with emotional resonance instead of generic tactics

• Create marketing that sparks awe and builds belonging

• Reclaim creativity as your greatest differentiator in an AI-saturated space

If your team’s still playing it safe, this episode is your wake-up call—and your playbook for bold, human-first marketing in a world run by algorithms.

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