High-Impact ABM Starts with Sales Thinking: Bolton Graham on Where ABM Goes Next
04/20/25 • 32 min
I am always looking for ways to improve. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! - Kevin
View the video version of the podcast here
The term "account-based marketing" gets thrown around so casually these days that its meaning has become diluted. Is ABM just targeted advertising to a list of accounts, or is it something deeper? According to Bolton Graham, Head of Marketing at JRNI, we've moved past the golden age of ABM into what he calls a "dark age" where everything is labeled ABM without the personalization that made it special.
Bolton brings a wealth of perspective from his time building ABM programs from scratch, scaling them across organizations, and now applying these principles at Journey. What makes his insights particularly valuable is his candid assessment of what works and what doesn't when taking the one-to-one approach with high-value accounts.
He argues that the best ABM practitioners occupy a unique space between sales and marketing—they need the analytical mind of a marketer with the relationship-building hunger of a salesperson. In fact, Bolton makes the provocative suggestion that perhaps ABM roles should include commission structures similar to sales positions.
Beyond the philosophical discussion, Bolton shares tactical advice on launching successful ABM initiatives, from managing the relationship with sales teams to defending your program from the inevitable pressure to scale beyond what's effective. He highlights the potential of "pattern interrupts" like direct mail, billboards, and in-person events as increasingly valuable tools as digital channels become saturated with AI-generated content.
As Bolton puts it, "The personal connection angle is going to be one of the last things we're left with."
Whether you're just starting your ABM journey or looking to refocus your existing program, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on an approach that, when done right, still delivers exceptional results for B2B marketers targeting high-value accounts. Connect with Bolton on LinkedIn to continue the conversation about the future of marketing in an increasingly noisy digital landscape.
Connect with Bolton on LinkedIn or check out his company, JRNI
🎧 Tech Marketing Rewired is hosted by Kevin Kerner, founder of Mighty & True.
New episodes drop regularly with unfiltered conversations from the frontlines of B2B and tech marketing.
Catch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.
👉 Subscribe, share, and connect with us at www.mightyandtrue.com
📩 Got a guest idea or question? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow Kevin on LinkedIn for more insights and behind-the-scenes takes.
📰 Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: https://kevinkerner.substack.com/
📰 Want more tech marketing insights? Subscribe to the Drag & Drop newsletter for fresh thinking, real talk, and tools that make your job easier.
I am always looking for ways to improve. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! - Kevin
View the video version of the podcast here
The term "account-based marketing" gets thrown around so casually these days that its meaning has become diluted. Is ABM just targeted advertising to a list of accounts, or is it something deeper? According to Bolton Graham, Head of Marketing at JRNI, we've moved past the golden age of ABM into what he calls a "dark age" where everything is labeled ABM without the personalization that made it special.
Bolton brings a wealth of perspective from his time building ABM programs from scratch, scaling them across organizations, and now applying these principles at Journey. What makes his insights particularly valuable is his candid assessment of what works and what doesn't when taking the one-to-one approach with high-value accounts.
He argues that the best ABM practitioners occupy a unique space between sales and marketing—they need the analytical mind of a marketer with the relationship-building hunger of a salesperson. In fact, Bolton makes the provocative suggestion that perhaps ABM roles should include commission structures similar to sales positions.
Beyond the philosophical discussion, Bolton shares tactical advice on launching successful ABM initiatives, from managing the relationship with sales teams to defending your program from the inevitable pressure to scale beyond what's effective. He highlights the potential of "pattern interrupts" like direct mail, billboards, and in-person events as increasingly valuable tools as digital channels become saturated with AI-generated content.
As Bolton puts it, "The personal connection angle is going to be one of the last things we're left with."
Whether you're just starting your ABM journey or looking to refocus your existing program, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on an approach that, when done right, still delivers exceptional results for B2B marketers targeting high-value accounts. Connect with Bolton on LinkedIn to continue the conversation about the future of marketing in an increasingly noisy digital landscape.
Connect with Bolton on LinkedIn or check out his company, JRNI
🎧 Tech Marketing Rewired is hosted by Kevin Kerner, founder of Mighty & True.
New episodes drop regularly with unfiltered conversations from the frontlines of B2B and tech marketing.
Catch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.
👉 Subscribe, share, and connect with us at www.mightyandtrue.com
📩 Got a guest idea or question? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow Kevin on LinkedIn for more insights and behind-the-scenes takes.
📰 Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: https://kevinkerner.substack.com/
📰 Want more tech marketing insights? Subscribe to the Drag & Drop newsletter for fresh thinking, real talk, and tools that make your job easier.
Previous Episode
Beyond Automation: What AI Agents Can Really Do for Your Marketing with Jacob Bank
I am always looking for ways to improve. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! - Kevin
Jacob Bank is transforming how marketers work with AI agents – and the results are extraordinary. As founder and CEO of Relay, Jacob brings a unique perspective shaped by his background as an AI researcher, founder of Timeful (acquired by Google), and former product lead for Gmail and Google Calendar.
In our conversation, Jacob cuts through the confusion surrounding AI terminology to explain what truly matters: AI agents are tools that work behind the scenes with human-level intelligence on tasks that previously required people. The technological leap enabling this revolution isn't just incremental improvement but a fundamental shift in how AI reasons and plans multi-step processes.
What makes Jacob's insights particularly valuable is that he's applying these technologies directly in his own marketing. At Relay, he operates as essentially a one-person marketing team, leveraging AI agents for competitor research, content creation, customer insight synthesis, community management, and lifecycle communications. From automatically analyzing customer calls to generating personalized outreach and tracking performance metrics, these agents handle the "busy work" while Jacob focuses on strategy and relationships.
Perhaps most compelling is Jacob's candid story about his content marketing journey. After nine months of consistent posting on LinkedIn and YouTube with minimal traction, his persistence finally paid off – exploding from 1,000 to 5,000 YouTube subscribers in a month and generating 4.7 million LinkedIn impressions in 90 days. This transformation didn't come from changing posting frequency but from refining his approach and persevering until breakthrough.
Looking ahead, Jacob believes marketers who build authentic connections and communities will thrive even as AI-generated content proliferates. The successful marketer of tomorrow will be a curious, adaptable generalist who embraces new tools while focusing on the human elements that technology can't replicate.
Ready to transform your marketing with AI agents?
Follow Jacob on LinkedIn or YouTube for detailed tutorials
Visit RelayApp.com to start building your own AI-powered workflows.
🎧 Tech Marketing Rewired is hosted by Kevin Kerner, founder of Mighty & True.
New episodes drop regularly with unfiltered conversations from the frontlines of B2B and tech marketing.
Catch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.
👉 Subscribe, share, and connect with us at www.mightyandtrue.com
📩 Got a guest idea or question? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow Kevin on LinkedIn for more insights and behind-the-scenes takes.
📰 Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: https://kevinkerner.substack.com/
📰 Want more tech marketing insights? Subscribe to the Drag & Drop newsletter for fresh thinking, real talk, and tools that make your job easier.
Next Episode
Human-First Marketing: Why It's Crushing Traditional Channels with Sendoso's Katie Penner
I am always looking for ways to improve. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! - Kevin
Watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube.
Katie Penner, Head of Sender Relations at Sendoso, takes us deep into how gifting is transforming B2B marketing by delivering remarkable results where digital channels fall short. With 64% of marketers struggling to hit revenue targets with current budgets, the renewed interest in thoughtful, human-first marketing approaches couldn't be more timely.
What makes modern gifting so powerful? Katie reveals how strategic gifting delivers a 4x return on investment and accelerates sales cycles by 29% when integrated properly. The key distinction she emphasizes is moving beyond transactional gifting to relationship-building approaches that connect with prospects as actual humans. Today's buyers crave this personalization—71% expect personalized interactions and 76% get frustrated without them.
Katie walks us through exactly how Sendoso integrates with marketing technology ecosystems including Salesforce, HubSpot, Clay, and Gong to create automated yet deeply personalized gifting moments throughout the buyer journey. From pre-demo coffee gift cards to help break through inbox clutter, to thoughtfully selected items based on a prospect's personal interests, these touchpoints create meaningful connections in an increasingly digital world.
Looking toward the future, Katie shares how AI is revolutionizing gifting by enabling true personalization at scale. Imagine AI agents that can identify when an account has gone cold, suggest the perfect gift based on a prospect's interests scraped from social media, and deliver it at exactly the right moment—all without adding to your team's workload. The possibilities for creating genuine human connections while maintaining efficiency are tremendously exciting.
Want to implement effective gifting strategies today? Visit sendoso.com/playbooks for free, ungated resources with proven playbooks you can adapt for your business.
Connect with Katie on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected] to learn more about transforming your marketing approach with the power of human connection.
🎧 Tech Marketing Rewired is hosted by Kevin Kerner, founder of Mighty & True.
New episodes drop regularly with unfiltered conversations from the frontlines of B2B and tech marketing.
Catch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.
👉 Subscribe, share, and connect with us at www.mightyandtrue.com
📩 Got a guest idea or question? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow Kevin on LinkedIn for more insights and behind-the-scenes takes.
📰 Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: https://kevinkerner.substack.com/
📰 Want more tech marketing insights? Subscribe to the Drag & Drop newsletter for fresh thinking, real talk, and tools that make your job easier.
Tech Marketing Rewired - High-Impact ABM Starts with Sales Thinking: Bolton Graham on Where ABM Goes Next
Transcript
Hey guys , this is Kevin Kerner with Tech Marketing Rewired . I had a lot of fun in this next episode , where I sat down with Bolton Graham , who is the head of marketing for Journey . Bolton and I have known each other for a long time and have worked on literally dozens of ABM campaigns over the years together , and we got really deep into what it takes to really succeed in
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