The C-Suite Coach | I help senior leaders thrive in their roles by optimising their performance, energy and time to enjoy their careers once more (you deserve it). Book your discovery call today.

Most senior executives are technically brilliant but invisible.

I help C-suite executives build the executive presence and influence to get recognised as visionary leaders.

Why does this matter?

Despite your contributions, you're not getting the recognition you deserve. 
You're stuck managing tasks instead of leading strategically. 
Your boss wants you to be "more strategic," but you can't see the path.

Worst of all?

You're overlooked while others with less competence move ahead.
The problem isn't your intelligence or work ethic. 

It's your executive presence.

My Background: I've Walked This Path

I've spent 20+ years at the C-suite level at Citi and currently as GM at a Blackstone portfolio company. 
I know what it takes to command respect and lead with influence because I'm living it right now.
I coach from the arena, not the sidelines- which means I understand your current pressures and can help you carry the load. I'm also a Communications Professor at IESE Business School and have spoken at 50+ conferences globally.

The Transformation

I help senior executives who feel invisible become recognised leaders who:

→ Communicate with influence, not just authority 
→ Get recognised and advance their careers 
→ Command respect without demanding it 
→ Inspire teams instead of micromanaging 
→ Focus on strategy, not stuck in tasks

My Approach

Unlike coaches who only ask questions, I provide practical solutions based on C-suite experience.
I combine emotional intelligence with accountability to turn problems into action.
No corporate BS or cookie-cutter frameworks.

My methodology builds:

• Masterful Communication & Executive Presence 
• Authentic Leadership Identity 
• Resilient Inner Core 
• Strategic Influence

I integrate insights from marathon running, meditation, and Stoic philosophy for sustainable performance.

Who I Work With

C-suite executives across all industries who are ready to build executive presence that advances their careers.

What Clients Say

"Peter is a brilliant coach. He is a great listener, truly cares and freely shares his wisdom." 
Nora Tandberg, CFO, Papirfly

"Peter's unique perspective is very effective in a business setting and brings a fresh perspective to solving contemporary challenges." 
Guy Nicholas Mansfield, CFO, C-Quest Capital

Ready to Elevate Your Leadership Impact?

Book your strategy call today.

Peter McKenzie

The biggest mistake executives make when they prepare for presentations? 
They try to sound like someone else.

I've coached over 100 senior professionals improve their presentation style.

Most say they want to become a version of a leader they admire.

Think Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Barack Obama, Donald Trump.
Or their most impressive boss.

And that's exactly what holds them back. 

Executive presence isn't about copying someone else. 

It's about connecting by being you. 

Watch the video - I break down what that means and how to apply it.

What's your biggest challenge when you have to present when the stakes are high?

----------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Try my FREE Executive Presence quiz here:
https://lnkd.in/dQEr7KYG

The C-Suite Coach | Elevating Executive Presence for Greater Leadership Impact | C-suite at Citi, currently GM at Anticipa - a Blackstone portfolio company | I coach from the arena, not the sidelines.

"Don't bring me problems, bring me solutions" is a horrible way to lead your team.

It's one classic phrase that leads to another:

"Why didn't anyone raise this before?"

The reason: 
You trained them not to.

Your team may have seen a complex situation unfold.
But if speaking up means they must have the answer, most will stay quiet.

Because they know the situation isn't easy to solve.

And you've made it clear: 

“Bring me a problem without a solution, and you’ll get a rollicking.”

So they wait. 
They pray it resolves itself.
Then it blows up.

And you're frustrated that no one informed you.

And worse still, the buck stops with you.

My old Ops head did it differently.

He'd genuinely thank people for raising issues, even when there was no clear fix.
He'd reward honesty - as long as we'd work with him to figure it out.

And we built a reputation as a group: no nasty surprises. 

And crises caught early.

So if your team isn't vocal enough, redefine what your leadership looks like.

You can’t demand your team have all the answers.

Instead, make it safe for them to speak up when they have none.

-------------------------
Is your team 100% transparent with you? 
If not, how will you fix that?
-------------------------

I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

You don't have a leadership impact problem. 
You have a distraction problem.
 
Your phone is in your hand. 
Your mind is rehearsing. 
You're performing instead of delivering. 

You're focusing inwards.
 
Want presence? 
Be present.
 
Close the laptop. 
Drop the phone. 
Watch their faces. 

Listen to their point, not prepare yours. 

And when you speak? 

Observe how your message lands and connects.
 
It's called Executive PRESENCE for a reason.
 
Which habit trips you up - phone in hand or mind rehearsing?

---------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie 🕺

Try my FREE Executive Presence quiz here:
https://lnkd.in/dQEr7KYG

Michael's boss gave him candid feedback:
 "Your presentations lack energy. Your delivery is monotone."

Poor Michael had been delivering PowerPoints like that for years.

But three weeks later, the boss had changed his tune: 
"Whatever course you’ve been on, it’s working."

But he hadn’t been on any course.

We’d introduced one simple daily habit into his routine.

In this video: The 7-day smartphone challenge I use with C-suite clients.

No fancy equipment needed. 

Are you up for the challenge?

-----------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

What if your Impostor Syndrome is not a problem? 
Instead it's confirmation you're exactly where you need to be?

Most leaders see it as a weakness. 
It sends shivers down their spines. 

They try to push through it, 
To suppress it
Or pretend they have it all worked out. 

Its a mistake.

That's the path to cracking under pressure. 

In this video I describe the reframe: 

Imposter syndrome is a sign you're stretching yourself.

-------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie 🕺

Try my FREE Executive Presence quiz here:
https://lnkd.in/dQEr7KYG

A new year is like a new relationship based solely on physical attraction.  
Once that spark fades, the mundane takes over.  

You slip back into old habits. 

Your New Year's resolutions won't make 2026 different from last year. 

Defining a fresh identity will. 

The first CFO I worked for at Citi in London was Bob.

He was criticised for being too distant. 
People said he spent too much time in his office.  
He lacked presence and charisma. 

In fact, some of us had never spoken with him. 

At the start of the new year, he took the feedback on board and publicly committed to becoming more engaged. 

But he didn't go mad. 

He started monthly breakfast meetings with people he didn't know.

He led a cross-department project instead of staying in his silo. 

And something really simple:  

He walked the floor daily and kept his office door open. 

There was no massive overnight transformation. 
Just small things that became significant over time. 

By the end of the year, his team, peers, and boss saw him in a different light. 
He'd built a new leadership identity - not from a list of goals, but from changing how he showed up every day. 

So if you want more impact as a leader in 2026, forget that resolution list (the same one from last year, right?). 

Instead, decide who you want to be this year. 

Then take the small, daily actions that person would take. 

--------------------
PS The most powerful way to make lasting change is to be held accountable by a coach for what you commit to. 
If you want to explore how that works, DM me and let’s talk.

Most executives avoid the spotlight.
They're brilliant technically, but invisible when it matters:
 
Board presentations  
Investor pitches  
Townhalls  
Keynotes
 
These are your opportunities to step up.
 
But do you seek them, or shun them?
 
And what does that cost you? 
(It's more than you think.)
 
I've spoken at 50+ conferences across Europe. 
It took me years to figure out what works on stage.
 
Here are 5 mistakes I see leaders make when presenting (I've made them all).
 
Which one are you making?

<<<>>>

It's 8am on Day 1 as CEO of Github.
Nat Friedman gets everyone on a call.

People are expecting the usual new CEO stuff. 
The big vision speech. 
The strategic priorities.

Instead, Nat screen-shares a giant list of 100+ customer complaints.

Every bug. 
Every frustration. 

The stuff the team had been ignoring for months.

He says: 
"Today, we're going to pick one of these and fix it. 
Tomorrow, another one. Until we've knocked out 20+ of them."

The team were shocked. 

They were used to thinking in months. 
Now things were measured in hours.

It transformed Github within weeks. 

And showed everyone exactly who Nat was: 

Someone who acts, not plans.

Most new executives do the opposite.

They show up with process reviews and strategy sessions. 
Lots of meetings behind closed doors "getting the full picture."

Meanwhile, their number 2 is out on the floor fixing actual problems.

By day 30, it's clear to everyone who the real leader is.
(and who should have been promoted into the job)

Executive presence isn't built through careful planning.
It's built in the first 30 days when people watch what you DO, not what you SAY.

When you're the new leader, your team isn't waiting for your vision.
They're watching to see if you'll make their life better. 

Or just add more meetings.

You’ve got 30 days ahead. 
What are you going to fix?

And when?

PS What's the best (or worst) executive transition you've witnessed?
------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

Blindly following productivity advice keeps you exactly where you are.
Busy - but ineffective.
 
And no threat to anyone above you.

You know the feeling. 

• Your calendar is packed. 
• Your Inbox is close to zero. 
• Your to-do list is under control.

But then you have that Wile E. Coyote moment. 

You glance down...
Your legs are spinning...
But there’s no ground beneath your feet!

Splat!

And all that optimization stuff?

It made you excellent at tasks that don't matter.

• The Pomodoro technique powered you through mails.
• Time blocking stuffed meetings into your calendar. 
• Tasks got ticked off.
  
But none of it achieved anything.

Because the work that actually matters - the 20% that creates 80% of impact - doesn't fit into 25-minute sprints.

• Having that difficult conversation with your underperforming direct report. 
• Taking three days to think through a tough strategic decision. 

These things don't feel productive. 

Its the opposite - they feel so slow & inefficient that you procrastinate.

It’s easier to optimize the easier 80%. 

I know all of that because I was Wile E. Coyote.

It was only when I realised that the best leaders I worked with often didn't look productive that the penny finally dropped.

Productivity isn't the goal.

Productivity tips may make you faster.
But they won’t make you an effective leader.

So:

What's that uncomfortable important task you’re avoiding by staying so busy?

<<<>>>

➕ Follow me for more on leadership & executive presence 
♻️ Reshare if you found this helpful.

To become the best, you have to learn from the best.

The Australian Tennis Open champion, Carlos Allcaraz, is just that.

At the age of 22, he has made history by becoming the youngest player to lift the 4 major Grand Slams.

How does he do it?

Mindset.

And three words of advice from his grandfather.

If you want to know what they are, watch this short video.

You can learn from a 22-year-old, too!

-------------------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

Declan Mulkeen

Growth Marketing Director Spain

Need help with ABM? DM me | Host of Let's talk ABM podcast🎙 | CMO at strategicabm

Struggling to align Sales and Marketing? Or trying to turn Account-based marketing into your growth engine? 

These are the challenges I help solve every day as the CMO of strategicabm, a pure-play ABM Agency. 

At strategicabm, we specialize in creating full-funnel ABM strategies for B2B tech companies. 

Whether it’s refining ICPs, selecting high-value accounts, or executing personalized campaigns, we help businesses grow by winning, growing, and retaining the accounts that matter most.

With over 20 years of experience as a CMO in Professional Services and EdTech, I’ve led ventures from start-up to industry leader, delivering measurable results along the way. 

Now, I work to share insights on ABM and build meaningful relationships with clients who want to take their marketing to the next level.

We create some great ABM content to help you learn what good ABM looks like.

Let's talk ABM podcast: https://hubs.la/Q02_2T3d0
DashDot magazine: https://hubs.la/Q02_2T8w0
ABM under the hood podcast: https://hubs.la/Q02_2T9f0

Want to connect? Let’s make ABM work for your business.

📧 Email: declan@strategicabm.com
🌐 Website: strategicabm.com

There is such a proliferation of brands competing for the same customers making it much more difficult to cut through the noise. Sales teams get bigger and bigger but are yet less and less effective as buyer behaviour has changed beyond all recognition. 

Marketing budgets and technology innovation continue to grow apace but real ROI is hard to measure as the buyer journey now resembles a maze rather than a linear path to conversion.

Our mission at strategicabm is to enable B2B technology brands to accelerate their growth and maximise their investment resources by identifying and engaging with enterprise accounts actively in-market for their products and services.

We're Google, HubSpot, Drift, Vidyard and Cyance partners so have all the right tools and know-how to support you on your growth journey. Let's talk ABM!

Declan Mulkeen 🎯🎯🎯

Don't bet your house on ABM.

Here's what many marketers get wrong about ABM.

They treat it like it's the entire strategy. 

Like it's going to save their whole GTM motion. 

But if you're putting all your marketing eggs in the ABM basket... 

You're setting yourself up to fail. 

I'm Irish descent. 

My Dad loved Guinness and from an early age I learned what a good pint of Guinness looked like (and later tasted like).

I started working in my aunty's pub in Ireland from a young age...the local police were customers so no questions asked! 

I was taught by the demanding locals to serve a good pint with a "proper head". 

So...here's my visual metaphor...ABM isn't the whole pint. 

It's the cream on top. 

Think of it like a perfectly poured Guinness.

The cream (ABM): 

↳Precision-targeted
↳Personalized outreach
↳Strategic, focused effort
↳High-value accounts only
↳Organization-wide approach

The Black Stuff (Foundation Marketing):

↳Events 
↳Demand Gen
↳SEO, AEO, etc. 
↳Paid campaigns
↳Brand awareness
↳Content marketing 
↳Lead generation & nurturing
↳etc. 

ABM on its own is just foam. 

The "black stuff" without ABM doesn't taste right. 

But together? 

That's where the magic happens. 

ABM works because of everything around it: 

↳SEO captures intent
↳Brand builds credibility 
↳Events drive relationships 
↳Content creates awareness 
↳Demand Gen warms the market 
↳Product marketing sharpens the narrative 

ABM brings it all together for your most valuable accounts. 

It's the specialized layer that turns good marketing into revenue. 

But it only works if the foundation is solid. 

ABM doesn't replace your other marketing. 

It amplifies what's already working. 

If your core marketing engine isn't humming, ABM won't fix it. 

But if it is - the combination is unstoppable. 

So before you scale ABM, ask yourself: 

↳Is our demand Gen motion working? 
↳Is our brand recognized in our market?
↳Can we generate pipeline without ABM? 
↳Do we have consistent content production?

If you answered "no" to any of these... Fix the black stuff first. 

Then add the cream. 

What's your take? 

Hi! I'm Declan.

1️⃣ I help leaders build visibility, trust & impact through strategic storytelling
2️⃣ I share what great ABM looks like
3️⃣ I host the Let's talk ABM Podcast

I turn your expertise into visibility. CMO @ strategicabm. Host of Let’s talk ABM podcast 🎙️

23 marketing lessons from a 57 year-old B2B Marketer. 

That no one tells you until it's too late.

I've learned the hard way. (So you don't have to.)

1. Your best campaign idea will come to you when in the shower. 
Reality: You won't write it down. You'll forget it by the time you are dry.

2. You pump your heart and soul into creating white papers. 
Reality: No one reads white papers. Including you.

3. "Best practice" is what everyone chases. 
Reality: It worked for someone else in a completely different situation.

4. The prospect who ghosts you asks you for everything NOW! 
Reality: They'll suddenly disappear and never reappear. 

5. Your most viral post won't be the one you spent 3 hours on. 
Reality It'll be the one you wrote in 1 min. on your phone.

6. Everyone is obsessed with marketing attribution
Reality: We just don't know and can't know half the time. 

7. Everyone has an opinion about your marketing. 
Reality: You don't see people questioning a doctor! 

8. Your market doesn't care about your product. 
Reality: They care if you understand their Tuesday.

9. "Quick question" sounds harmless. 
Reality: It's never quick.

10. You spend hours defending the value of your work. 
Reality: You could've been doing marketing instead!

11. Your product team are obsessed about features. 
Reality: Your customers aren't. 

12. Every company thinks they're different. 
Reality: They're not.

13. "I've got an idea" says the CEO.
Reality: Oh God! Here we go again...

14. Your creative team spend weeks on a campaign.
Reality: The meme you posted drove more enquiries.

15. You draft a 3-year marketing plan.
Reality: You don't last 12 months.

16. You obsess over competitor battle cards.
Reality: Your customers don't know them! 

17. The Board asks for more leads.
Reality: Sales don't want them. 

18. You build a 12-step email sequence. 
Reality: Most people unsubscribe after email 2. 

19. "We need to be on TikTok!" says the CEO. 
Reality: Your buyers are 40-60 and live on LinkedIn.

20. You get one of your team to write some customer insights.
Reality: "em dashes" are everywhere!!!! source - guess! 

21. Your CEO demands an "AI strategy" by Friday. 
Reality: You're still trying to get Sales to use the CRM.

22. "We need to launch an ABM strategy"
Reality: Starbucks coffee vouchers and email blasts.

23. "Your job must be super interesting"
Reality: You wished you had chosen Medicine instead at university. 

I'm 57.

I've been doing Marketing and Sales since...well forever. 

Marketing is fun.

Marketing is frustrating.

We take a lot of kicks.

It's relentless.

It's hard.

But I don't think I wish I had studied Medicine at university.

What about you?

What's your favourite from the 23 above or what would be your No. 24?

Hi! I'm Declan.

1️⃣ I'm CMO at strategicabm | Account-based Marketing Agency
2️⃣ I share what great ABM looks like
3️⃣ I host the Let's talk ABM Podcast

The life of an ABMer.

Uncomfortable reading for many.

Often misunderstood.

Frequently mislabeled.

Regularly oversimplified.

Hence this little timeline. 

If you work in ABM, you’ll recognise the greatest hits:

↳“No, it’s not about leads”
↳“No, it’s not fancy tools”
↳“No, it’s not demand gen”
↳“No, it’s not targeted ads”
↳“No, it’s not AI automation”
↳“No, it’s not mass personalisation”
↳“No, it doesn’t replace all marketing”

And definitely…

“No, it’s not a silver bullet.”

ABM keeps getting misdefined because people try to make it something it is not.

If you label it:

↳A channel
↳A campaign
↳A toolset
↳A targeting tactic

…you can box it, label it, launch it, and move on.

But...real ABM doesn’t let you do that.

It forces you to:

↳Pick accounts that actually matter
↳Name real people, not personas
↳Align to real business problems
↳Commit to outcomes, not activity
↳Work "uncomfortably" close to Aales

That’s why it’s so often diluted.

ABM isn’t complicated.

But it certainly is demanding.

And that’s why it gets misunderstood.

What’s the most wrong description of ABM you’ve heard recently?

Want hear from all my ABM friends this weekend! 


1️⃣ I help leaders build visibility, trust & impact through strategic storytelling
2️⃣ I share what great ABM looks like
3️⃣ I host the Let's talk ABM Podcast

ABM doesn't replace Demand Gen.

It complements it.

Let’s clear this up.

When people talk about:

↳One-to-many ABM
↳Programmatic ABM
↳ABX at scale

What they’re usually describing is very good Demand Gen.

And that’s not a bad thing.

↳Using great tech
↳Casting a wide net
↳Driving awareness and interest.
↳Targeting 100s or 1000s of accounts

That’s Demand (Creation or Capture - up to you what you call it)

ABM is different.

True ABM is about:

↳Precision and not reach
↳Custom value propositions
↳Fewer, higher-value accounts
↳Unique messaging and content
↳Named people - not abstract personas
↳Executive briefings and tailored experiences

ABM doesn’t work without Demand Gen.

And Demand Gen becomes far more powerful with ABM layered on top.

One creates demand.

The other concentrates it.

I’ve never seen a successful ABM program without a strong Demand Gen engine underneath it.

So no...

ABM isn’t here to “kill” Demand Gen.

It complements it.

Sharpens it.

Pipeline, revenue, growth.

Agree?

Head to the comments to check out this fantastic Let's talk ABM Podcast chat with Nancy Carlyle Harlan where she digs into the subject of ABM + Demand Gen and much more. 

Hi! I'm Declan.

1️⃣ I help leaders build visibility, trust & impact through strategic storytelling
2️⃣ I share what great ABM looks like
3️⃣ I host the Let's talk ABM Podcast

Your North Star metric should not be ACV, MRR, or ARR.

If it is, you’re optimizing for the sale - not the customer.

For years, marketing and sales teams have been trained to obsess over:

↳Building pipeline (confidence)
↳Generating leads (volume)
↳Closing deals (revenue)

And yes, those things matter.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth. 

Winning a customer isn’t the finish line.

It’s the starting line.

The companies that will outperform in 2026 and beyond won’t be the best at acquisition.

They’ll be the most customer centric companies. 

The ones who obsess over their customers. 

The ones who maximize Customer Lifetime Value (CLV).

Yet many organizations still fall into the same traps.

↳ Treating marketing as “pre-sale” only
↳ Optimizing for new logos over retention and expansion
↳ Leaving enormous ROI on the table post-deal

Why?

Because we’ve misunderstood the roles.

ABM is a strategy, not a stage.

CLM (Customer Lifecycle Marketing) is a system (hell...a culture), not a team.

When ABM stops at the contract signature.

And CLM starts after the handoff (if it starts at all). 

Value leaks fast.

That’s why CLV needs to be your North Star.

↳It compounds revenue over time
↳It turns customers into your strongest growth channel
↳It forces alignment across Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success

I've created this ABM + CLM Lifecycle to show how this should work:

A continuous loop:

From Awareness to Advocacy.

Where every stage is an opportunity to:

↳Deepen relationships
↳Increase value exchange
↳Grow and retain the right accounts

If you’re wondering where to start:

↳Stop separating ABM and CLM
↳Design for collaboration - not handoffs
↳Apply the right plays at the right moment
↳Focus investment on accounts with the highest CLV potential

The real question isn’t:

“How do we win more customers?”

It’s:

“How do we win, grow, and keep customers for life?”

Are you seeing this shift inside your organization -  or still fighting old silos?

Comment "LOOP" and I'll send you an in-depth guide on how to build a winning ABM+CLM strategy. 

Hi! I'm Declan.

1️⃣ I help leaders build visibility, trust & impact through strategic storytelling
2️⃣ I share what great ABM looks like
3️⃣ I host the Let's talk ABM Podcast

CEOs don’t care about ABM.

They care about revenue, retention, and long-term value.

Most CEOs don’t ask:

“Is ABM a good marketing strategy?”

They ask:

“Does this drive revenue, retention, and long-term value?”

That’s the difference.

Too many ABM conversations still sound too much like marketing theory.

Boards don’t buy theory.

They buy outcomes.

When you look at ABM through a CEO lens, the story is clear:

↳Higher win rates
↳Bigger deal sizes
↳Higher lifetime value
↳Less wasted sales effort
↳Better retention and expansion
↳Stronger customer relationships

Business metrics. 

ABM works when it’s treated as a business strategy.

Not a marketing one.

ABM ROI comes from:

↳Focusing on the right accounts
↳Reducing noise and wasted effort
↳Aligning teams around shared outcomes
↳Going deeper where value actually exists

That’s why CFOs get it.

That’s why CEOs get it. 

ABM isn’t a cost.

It’s a growth multiplier when applied with discipline.

Pitch it always as a growth multiplier. 

And use these statistics to help you build your business case. 

What's your favourite way of explaining the value of ABM?

If you want to move from pilot ABM to board-level ABM, that’s exactly what we cover in our ABM Masterclass workshop. 

Grab your team and grab your slot:  https://hubs.la/Q03rr3j_0

Hi! I'm Declan.

1️⃣ I help leaders build visibility, trust & impact through strategic storytelling
2️⃣ I share what great ABM looks like
3️⃣ I host the Let's talk ABM Podcast

Nvidia's CEO just explained why your AI experiments aren't working.

"We will be more productive and yet still be busier."

That's Jensen Huang on AI's impact.

And he's right.

I'm seeing it everywhere in B2B marketing.

↳Generic insights (that don't sell)
↳Teams using AI for ABM are getting:
↳Faster content (but zero conversions)
↳More outputs (but less commercial impact)

Here's why:

AI doesn't reduce work. 

It raises the bar for what "good" looks like.

As one Forbes Technology Council member put it:

"AI collapses the cost of execution, which raises expectations. You're not busier with grunt work. You're busier thinking."

But most teams aren't ready for that shift.

They're still treating AI as a task-replacer. 

Not a strategy-accelerator.

That's AI chaos - more activity, less clarity.

The shift to AI confidence requires:

↳Strategy before speed
↳Frameworks before tools. 
↳Foundations before automation

AI fast. Human first.

This infographic maps the 7 stages from chaos → confidence:

1. Foundations: Human-first ABM model
2. Prompting: ABM-specific precision
3. ICP Development: Validated buying groups
4. Account Selection: Intent-led targeting
5. Research: Deep insights at speed
6. Value Props: Outcome-driven narratives
7. Personalization: Authentic 1:1 at scale

That's how you AI-enable your ABM journey.

Not by chasing productivity.

But by building the foundations that let AI actually work.

From AI chaos to AI confidence.

AI fast. Human first.

That's what we teach inside our ABM Mastery training programs. 

Comment "AI" and I'll send you info on these ABM+AI courses. 

Are you busier with AI but not seeing "real" results?

Hi! I'm Declan.

1️⃣ I help leaders build visibility, trust & impact through strategic storytelling
2️⃣ I share what great ABM looks like
3️⃣ I host the Let's talk ABM Podcast

ABM pilots don’t fail because the strategy is wrong.

They fail because teams aren’t built to scale it.

Scaling ABM is a whole different game.

If you’re asking:

↳Is our ABM model scalable?
↳How do we fix what's not working?
↳Are we measuring the right things?
↳How do we AI-enable our ABM journey?
↳What does “mature ABM” really look like?
↳How do we take our learnings and roll out to company?

You’re not alone.

And the good news is that you’re not stuck.

We've created a brand new workshop program to tackle these questions and many more.

ABM Masterclass.

For enterprise marketers ready to scale:

↳Align Sales and Marketing around growth-driving metrics
↳Reframe your ABM to span the full customer lifecycle
↳Learn what an ABM Center of Excellence looks like
↳Audit your ABM with our Maturity Framework
↳Apply AI to your ABM journey 

This isn’t a webinar.

It’s a free in-company strategy workshop for you and your team.

Built for:

↳Solo ABMers trying to scale
↳Enterprise GTM leaders
↳Post-pilot ABM teams
↳ABM CoE leads

Comment MASTERCLASS in the comments and I’ll send over the details.

Let's scale great ABM together! 

Hi! I'm Declan.

1️⃣ I'm CMO at strategicabm | Account-based Marketing Agency
2️⃣ I share what great ABM looks like
3️⃣ I host the Let's talk ABM Podcast

Here’s my litmus test for ABM. 

Did it drive pipeline?

Many Marketing teams are “doing ABM”…

…but can they answer this question:

Did it drive pipeline?

That’s the challenge Kevin Driscoll (Head of ABM & Campaigns, Datadog) set in our latest Let's talk ABM Podcast episode.

One North Star.

Pipeline. 100%.

And here’s the part that will challenge a lot of ABM thinking:

Datadog didn’t start as an enterprise ABM machine.

They started as PLG.

↳Big net
↳Volume trials
↳Self-serve growth

But Kevin explains why that breaks down fast in enterprise:

↳Some accounts can’t trial (security protocols)
↳Some accounts are entrenched with competitors
↳Some accounts need a different “hook” than generic broad marketing

So they built something different. 

Account-based Growth.

Not ABM as a “team” or “channel”…

…but as a growth engine for top accounts.

Here are the big themes Kevin unpacks in this episode:

1) ABM needs a litmus test

If it doesn’t create measurable pipeline impact then it’s noise.


2) Multi-threading is where marketing wins

Sales struggles to break from users to security to CIO.

Marketing can do it fast with:

↳Intent signals
↳Contact access
↳Role-based plays
↳Channel mix (LinkedIn, events, paid, even Meta)


3) ABM teams should wear 2 hats

Kevin’s team builds campaigns…

…and enables sellers with intent + engagement data.

They spend 30–40% of time packaging insights into:

↳Email reports
↳ABM platform access
↳Salesforce dashboards

…because “don’t change seller workflows” is a real rule.

Result?

65% of the sales org are monthly active users in the ABM platform.

That's no ordinary statistic.

That’s a GTM advantage.

4) B2B needs more B2C creativity

Kevin tested ad variables and found something wild:

Messaging tweaks ≈ small gains.
Creative + imagery ≈ 25% swing between top and bottom performers.

In a world of commoditized B2B ads…

Standing out matters.

5) Personalization has diminishing returns

A little personalization goes a long way.

Example: Just calling out the company name on ads / landing pages can drive 1.5–2x engagement.

But “perfect 1:1 everything” often doesn’t justify the effort.

6) ABM measurement: pipeline + meetings

Pipeline is a lagging indicator. 

Meetings are the leading indicator Kevin trusts.

And he warns against a trap:

If you optimize for leads, you can win CPL…

…and lose pipeline.

This episode is a blueprint for any team trying to:

Move from PLG to Enterprise growth without turning ABM into expensive theater.

Full episode with Kevin Driscoll is live (link in comments). 

P.S. Agree with this ABM litmus test? 

Hi! I'm Declan.

1️⃣ I help leaders build visibility, trust & impact through strategic storytelling
2️⃣ I share what great ABM looks like
3️⃣ I host the Let's talk ABM Podcast

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