Scrappy ABM All the Reasons Your ABM Program Will Fail—And Why That’s a Good Thing | Ep. 184
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
🔗 Connect with Mason on LinkedIn: for a conversation about ABM
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