ABM Mistakes + AI Wins: Expand Your ICP and Work Faster

Account-based marketing is supposed to focus your efforts—but what if your ICP is actually shrinking your pipeline? In Part 1 of our ABM Misfires series, we break down one of the most common ABM mistakes: building an ICP that’s too narrow (and getting narrower over time). You’ll learn why “in-market only” ABM limits growth, how the 95/5 rule reshapes your strategy, and what high-performing teams do to balance demand capture and demand generation. Plus, we dig into what it really looks like to operationalize AI in marketing, featuring workflow lessons from OpenAI’s communications team—moving beyond experiments and into repeatable daily execution. If you’re leading ABM, demand gen, or growth marketing in B2B, this episode is packed with strategy you can apply immediately.
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Jan. 14, 2026
2 min read
ABM Mistakes + AI Wins: Expand Your ICP and Work Faster

Account-based marketing is supposed to focus your efforts—but what if your ICP is actually shrinking your pipeline?

In Part 1 of our ABM Misfires series, we break down one of the most common ABM mistakes: building an ICP that’s too narrow (and getting narrower over time). You’ll learn why “in-market only” ABM limits growth, how the 95/5 rule reshapes your strategy, and what high-performing teams do to balance demand capture and demand generation.

Plus, we dig into what it really looks like to operationalize AI in marketing, featuring workflow lessons from OpenAI’s communications team—moving beyond experiments and into repeatable daily execution.

If you’re leading ABM, demand gen, or growth marketing in B2B, this episode is packed with strategy you can apply immediately.

In This Episode
- Why narrow ICPs can quietly collapse pipeline
- The 95/5 rule: most buyers aren’t ready yet
- How demand generation fuels future ABM success
- Expanding into adjacent verticals and use cases
- The ABM mistake of optimizing only for “in-market” accounts
- How marketing teams can operationalize AI (not just test it)
- AI workflows for comms + marketing efficiency and consistency

Key Takeaways
✅ ABM doesn’t work without demand gen—capture alone isn’t enough

✅ Over-filtered ICPs can miss future buyers and high-fit adjacent markets

✅ AI is most powerful when it’s connected to real daily workflows, not one-off prompts

Resources 
ABM Misfires, Part 1: Your ICP is Too Narrow, and it's Shrinking Your Pipeline
PipelineOperationalizing AI: How to actually use AI tools in your day-to-day

Contributors:

About the Author

Delaney Rebernik

Delaney Rebernik

Contributor

Delaney Rebernik is an independent journalist covering leadership, death, and digital life, and a writer and consultant for purpose-driven organizations. She’s also Design Observer’s Executive Editor. As an award-winning editorial and communications leader, Delaney helps media brands, memberships, and other champions of community, knowledge, and justice tell vital stories and advance worthy missions. 

In her spare time, Delaney consumes horror and musical theater in equal measure. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband Todd and pup Spud, named for her favorite food. Learn more at delaneyrebernik.com, and connect on Bluesky and LinkedIn.

Raissa Rocha

Raissa Rocha

Contributor

Raissa Rocha is Director of Custom Content, Content Studio at EndeavorB2B and has extensive B2B experience in editorial, custom media, sponsored content and marketing solutions. At EB2B she manages content development across all of Endeavor’s markets, working with brand teams and the SME network to produce high-quality, engaging content for clients. Previously Raissa served as Director of Nimble Thinkers, the in-house marketing agency at Scranton Gillette Communications, which was acquired by Endeavor in 2024. At Nimble, Raissa managed the agency’s operations and top clients, ideating and pitching campaign proposals as well as project managing all aspects of client programs from storyboarding and planning to execution and reporting.

A former editor, Raissa was part of the 2014 Neal Award-winning team at Building Design+Construction prior to moving over into marketing. She has worked on several association publications, including stints as managing editor for Chicago Architect, the official publication of AIA Chicago, and Environmental Connection, the magazine of the International Erosion Control Association. In addition to over a decade of B2B editorial and marketing experience in the residential and commercial construction industry, Raissa has worked in a variety of markets including horticulture, water and wastewater, infrastructure, health information technology, lighting and more.

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