One of the biggest blind spots in ABM programs is also one of the simplest: job-changers.
When someone steps into a new role — especially in leadership — they almost always reassess the tools, processes, and vendors around them. They review budgets. They import past preferences from their old company. They look for quick wins to prove their value. However, many businesses entirely overlook this instance.
In a recent episode of the ForgeX Files podcast, hosted by Davis Potter, Justin Fordham, Head of ABM at 360Learning, explained how his team uncovered that over 70% of their open opportunities came from contacts who had started a new role in the last 90–180 days. Instead of treating this as a coincidence, they built an entire campaign around it.
The decision shows why “job-changers” might be underutilized purchase signals, revealing information regarding ABM methodology. It also reinforces a core principle in my work: ABM should be built on signals, not wish lists.
Why job-changers matter in ABM targeting
Justin’s own background matters here. He started in sales, then moved into ABM, which gave him a different lens than many marketers. Where marketers often obsess over campaigns, clicks, and MQLs, Justin saw the real metric: revenue.
That perspective shaped his approach to ABM at 360Learning. Instead of drowning in dashboards, the question became: where are we actually winning? What’s the pattern behind the deals?
The answer that surfaced was clear: new-in-role decision makers were driving most of their pipeline.
This is the same approach I take with clients — before you design plays, identify the signals that consistently lead to revenue.
How 360Learning built a job-changers campaign
At 360Learning, this insight turned into a structured program:
- Identifying job-changers. Using tools like ZoomInfo and Cognism, the team filtered for contacts who had changed jobs in the last 90 days.
- Distributing at scale. Instead of dumping lists on sales, they dripped two job changer accounts per day per rep, with a 24-hour SLA to ensure fast follow-up.
- Personalized gifting. In the first 90 days, when leaders are overwhelmed with onboarding, the focus wasn’t “book a demo.” It was goodwill: sending The First 90 Days of Leadership book, a MasterClass or Skillshare subscription, even small gifts to mark the milestone.
- Follow-up with timing in mind. After the initial 90 days, BDR outreach kicked in, once job-changers had settled and were ready to evaluate tools.
The goal wasn’t just to grab attention. It intended to nurture relationships during periods receptive to alteration.
Why this signal works: timing and budget shifts
The brilliance of this play is that it’s not magic. It’s common sense made systematic.
- New role, new budget. Within six months, most leaders have the authority (and often the mandate) to reassess tools.
- Past experience travels. If they used your product before, or a competitor, they bring that bias with them.
- First impressions matter. Reaching out with a congrats and a gift isn’t a gimmick — it creates goodwill that lasts into the evaluation stage.
In my framework for account mix, net-new accounts usually sit in Tier 2 or Tier 3, after retention and expansion. Job-changers are one of the rare signals strong enough to justify moving a net-new account higher.
Personalization over volume
Another important lesson from Justin’s team is restraint.
At one point, they scaled too fast and lost personalization. The emails became generic. The motion felt like just another campaign. They’re now shifting back to “do less, but do better” — fewer accounts, deeper personalization, better execution.
This is something I stress constantly: inflated account lists kill ABM. Focused, signal-driven targeting beats volume every time.
Alignment is still the make-or-break
The ForgeX conversation ended with a point I’ve seen repeatedly: alignment. ABM collapses when leadership isn’t clear about which play the company is running — strategic 1:1, one-to-few, or growth.
Job changers are a great play, but they only work if everyone agrees on their role in the GTM mix. If Marketing thinks it’s strategic ABM, Sales thinks it’s logo-chasing, and the C-suite thinks it’s all about SQL volume, failure is inevitable.
Signals only create value when Sales, Marketing, and Operations all agree on what they mean and how to act on them.
ABM powered by signals
Job-changers are just one signal. But they’re a perfect example of why I push companies to stop chasing logos, stop drowning in dashboards, and start building their account mix around real, human signals.
They prove three things I anchor my work on:
- Signals > wish lists. ABM works when you target based on evidence, not dreams.
- Timing > volume. Two accounts per rep per day, done well, beats ten random accounts sprayed at once.
- Alignment > assumptions. Clear expectations across Marketing, Sales, and Ops matter more than any platform.
Takeaways
ABM intent signals are data points that indicate when an account is more likely to buy, expand, or churn. They go beyond basic firmographics and focus on behaviors or changes that reveal intent, such as job changers, funding rounds, hiring trends, or technology adoption. The goal is to prioritize accounts showing real buying conditions instead of chasing logo wish lists.
Job changers are one of the clearest ABM intent signals because new leaders almost always reassess their tools, vendors, and processes within their first six months. They bring in past preferences, look for quick wins, and often have budget authority. At 360Learning, over 70% of opportunities came from contacts who had recently changed jobs, proving the impact of this signal.
In an ABM account mix, net-new accounts are usually lower priority than retention or expansion. But job changers are an exception: the signal is strong enough to move these accounts higher in the mix. By targeting job changers, marketing and sales can focus outreach on the few net-new accounts most likely to convert, instead of inflating lists with low-probability targets.