Episode Summary
In this episode of Tech Qualified, host Baylee Gunnell sits down with Tristan Pelligrino, Co-Founder at Marketers in Demand. They explore the realities of account-based marketing (ABM) for small B2B tech teams, focusing on practical ways to build effective programs without big budgets or expensive software.
Tristan explains how scrappy ABM differs from enterprise approaches, breaking down the process of connecting with target accounts using lean tools and smart workflows. He highlights the value of layering outreach—using cold email, targeted ads, and LinkedIn sequences—to create momentum and gather early signals. Tristan shares how his teams track website visits and ad engagement to spot interest before leads fill out a form, making sure marketers have data to report real progress.
The episode closes with advice for teams getting started: focus on a strong, relevant offer and keep friction low for your prospects. Tristan stresses that even with modest tools, clear messaging and ongoing testing drive the best results.
Key Insights
Scrappy ABM Wins with Smart Offers, Not Big Budgets
Small teams can run strong account-based marketing (ABM) programs without expensive tools or huge spend. The real differentiator is the offer—what you put in front of your target accounts to break the ice and start a conversation. Personalized, frictionless offers—like a tailored audit or report—create more value and spark real engagement. Generic content and broad outreach only go so far. Instead, focus on what your product or service can do for each specific account. When you dial in your offer and keep things simple, you lower barriers for prospects and raise your chances of serious interest. Even a scrappy team can see results by leaning into creativity and testing, not just technology.
Data Layers Matter: Track Early Signals Before the Lead Is Warm
Fewer buyers fill out forms or reply to emails right away. That means you need a way to spot interest earlier in the cycle. Tracking website visits, ad engagement, and LinkedIn activity helps you see who’s paying attention before they raise their hand. Building an intelligence layer—connecting tools to your CRM or database—lets you collect these signals and share early traction with sales or leadership. This approach turns anonymous actions into useful insight, so you can personalize follow-up and show progress even before a lead converts. For small teams, this data-driven workflow offers proof that your ABM effort is moving the right accounts, not just guessing.
Tech Stack Is Secondary—Clarity in Messaging Drives Results
The best ABM programs don’t start with software. They start with a deep understanding of the customer and a clear, relevant message. Tools make outreach and tracking easier, but they can’t fix a weak offer or muddy positioning. Success depends on matching your messaging to each account’s needs and testing to see what resonates. Strong workflows help you gather and use data, but the biggest wins come from honing your pitch and iterating on what you learn. For teams with limited resources, this focus on messaging and process—rather than chasing the latest tech—delivers better results and more sustainable growth.
Episode Highlights
Defining Scrappy ABM vs. Enterprise ABM
Timestamp: ~ 00:04:05
Scrappy account-based marketing (ABM) takes a flexible, targeted approach, unlike enterprise ABM that relies on expensive, all-in-one platforms. For small teams, scrappy ABM means stitching together different tools, focusing on personalized outreach, and working within tight budgets. The goal is to engage key accounts with tailored offers instead of mass campaigns. This approach is less about scale, and more about relevance and adaptability. Scrappy ABM lets teams test, learn, and adjust without being locked into costly contracts or rigid software.
“If you think about account-based marketing, if you’re going out to engage with a certain prospect that fits your ideal customer profile, that can be done on a one-to-one basis in a targeted, non-scalable way. You can build a custom landing page, an offer for a specific point of contact at an account, and try to get an early conversation.”
Building a Lean, Multi-Layered Tech Stack
Timestamp: ~ 00:07:27
Launching ABM doesn’t require enterprise-level spend. Small teams can start with the basics: cold email platforms, targeted ads, and LinkedIn sequencing tools. Adding website visitor tracking gives more insight into who’s engaging with your efforts. Stitching these together creates a multi-layered system that’s flexible and cost-effective. With this stack, teams can run campaigns, gather early data, and adapt quickly—without waiting for big investments or complex software rollouts. This setup allows for testing new tactics, iterating, and scaling up when the time is right.
“ABM can be very simple, where you’re doing cold outreach to accounts that aren’t aware of you. You can put together a Smartlead campaign, a cold email system with different domains. The way I view account-based marketing, especially for a lot of the clients that we’re working with, is really an omnichannel approach. It’s multiple layers to an account-based approach to your marketing.”
Proving Early Traction with Data
Timestamp: ~ 00:12:22
Early signs like ad clicks, website visits, and LinkedIn interactions matter—especially when prospects are slow to fill out forms or reply to emails. Tracking these signals lets marketers show progress and justify their approach to leadership. By connecting ad platforms, website analytics, and CRM tools, teams can see which accounts are warming up. This early data supports smarter follow-up and helps tell a fuller story of account engagement, not just lead conversion. For small teams, these insights are practical proof that ABM efforts are moving the right accounts forward.
“Our clients are asking for this information, so we have to have a way to provide this data in some of the signals. The LinkedIn ads that we’re running—Factors connects with LinkedIn ad platforms, so we can see if the ads we’re running are getting in front of the right accounts. We’re able to show that to clients.”
Tailoring Offers for High-Value Engagement
Timestamp: ~ 00:24:51
For ABM on a budget, the offer matters most. Teams should focus on creating high-value, low-friction offers that speak directly to each account’s needs. Examples include custom reports, personalized audits, or features that solve a real problem for the prospect. These targeted offers go beyond generic guides or broad content—they’re designed to spark a real conversation and demonstrate value up front. The right offer lowers barriers for the buyer and increases the odds of early engagement, even if the marketing budget is modest.
“The best thing to focus on is the offer. What can we put together that will really be high value for this account and have the least amount of friction for them to get started? Some examples I can think of are: can you do a custom report, an analysis, or an audit that very deeply uses their data or information that you gather from the client? It’s very customized to them.”