All the Reasons Your ABM Program Will Fail—And Why That’s a Good Thing | Ep. 184

Scrappy ABM

On this episode of Scrappy ABM, you’ll hear Mason Cosby on Scale Your Sales with Janice B. Gordon, where he shares a brutally honest take on what causes most ABM programs to fail—and why that failure is the right place to start. From sales comp misalignment to over-engineered target lists, Mason breaks down why focusing on fewer, better-fit customers creates more momentum and less churn.

Mason also offers specific, repeatable plays: how to track champions who leave your client companies, how to earn 15+ referrals per quarter with a single list, and why getting “access” in sales is a marketing problem in disguise. If you’re in marketing, sales, or anywhere in a revenue team, this episode’s full of real strategies and red flags—straight from the front lines of ABM.

👤 Guest Bio

Janice B. Gordon is the host of the Scale Your Sales podcast, where she helps CEOs, CROs, and sales leaders grow revenue through key account expansion and customer-centric strategies.

📌 What We Cover

• Why Mason starts every pitch with “here are all the ways ABM programs fail”
• The counterintuitive power of trying to talk buyers out of working with you
• How to identify and remove small customer roadblocks before selling big ideas
• Why most “account-based marketing” is just high-volume sales with a new name
• The difference between reflective accounts and unexplored opportunities
• Two overlooked ABM plays: champion tracking and referral mapping
• The dangers of mismatched compensation between sales and marketing
• How Mason handles misaligned teams during the sales process (or walks away)

Resources:

🔗 Scrappy ABM: Visit for more ABM tips and strategies

🔗 Scale Your Sales Podcast

🔗 Connect with Mason on LinkedIn: for a conversation about ABM

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