Mapping Buying Groups, PLG Signals, and Real Channels That Your Target Accounts Actually Use (with Liam MacCormack) | Ep. 225

Scrappy ABM returns with host Mason Cosby and guest Liam MacCormack, founder and solopreneur at Growth by Liam, breaking down how real account-based marketing gets built when the ACV is high, the deals are complex, and shortcuts fail. Liam starts at the only place that matters: historical closed won accounts, not guesses. He walks through a massive breakdown of who books demos, who joins calls, who gets added into the product in PLG motions, and how that activity builds a clear picture of the buying group.

ㅤ

The conversation moves into where those personas actually spend time, why LinkedIn audience assumptions fall apart, how Reddit and niche communities come into play, and why talking directly to happy customers beats any ad platform pitch. Mason and Liam press into problem content versus solution content, high-intent measurement signals beyond revenue alone, and the scrappy, manual, “pain in the ass” direct mail and gifting-style plays that stand out in a world of ignored cold emails and identical ads.

ㅤ

👤 Guest Bio

Liam MacCormack is the founder and solopreneur at Growth by Liam, partnering with early and growth-stage companies on growth programs across channels. In this conversation, he shares firsthand experience building account-based motions for enterprise and high-ACV deals, grounded in closed won data, buying group behavior, and real-world engagement signals from digital and offline channels.

ㅤ

📌 What We Cover

• How Liam starts ABM and targeting with a massive breakdown of closed won accounts, demo bookers, call participants, and product users.
• Why PLG signals—like who opens free trials, who gets added to the account, and when executives show up—reveal real buying committees and conversion windows.
• The ACV reality check: when a $10K deal should not trigger a heavy ABM program and why enterprise and high-ACV motions justify one-to-one or one-to-few plays.
• Using Sales Navigator, posting activity, and real behavior to confirm if target personas are actually active on LinkedIn instead of trusting audience estimates.
• Talking directly to customers and target personas to learn where they discover solutions, including subreddits and niche communities that never show up in generic targeting.
• Balancing problem content and solution content so target accounts recognize their pain, see new ways to solve it, and understand specific use cases by industry and persona.
• Early indicators that ABM is working: target accounts visiting the site, consuming content, booking demos, and moving into real sales conversations long before deals close.
• The challenge of digital ad fatigue, ignored cold outreach, and how thoughtful direct mail-style plays and personalized touches create excitement, word-of-mouth, and executive-level association.
• The biggest miss Liam sees: teams skipping deep upfront research, failing to map each member of the buying group, and only speaking to the initial contact instead of every decision-maker.

ㅤ

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Mason Cosby on LinkedIn
• Liam MacCormack on LinkedIn
• Growth by Liam website: mentioned as Liam’s site for learning more about his work
• LinkedIn & Sales Navigator: for building and validating target account lists and activity
• Reddit & subreddits: as real communities where specific personas learn and share
• Direct mail-style campaigns and custom postcards: tactile plays to stand out with target accounts
• Scrappy ABM: Visit for more ABM tips and strategies
• Connect with Mason on LinkedIn for a conversation about ABM

ㅤ

If you enjoyed today's episode and found valuable insights for your business, be sure to subscribe to the Scrappy ABM podcast for more expert discussions. Don't forget to leave a review and share this episode with your team or fellow marketers!