over 70% of their open opportunities came from contacts who had started a new role in the last 90\u2013180 days<\/strong>. Instead of treating this as a coincidence, they built an entire campaign around it.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe decision shows why \u201cjob-changers\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why job-changers matter in ABM intent targeting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Justin\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That perspective shaped his approach to ABM at 360Learning. Instead of drowning in dashboards, the question became: where are we actually winning? What\u2019s the pattern behind the deals?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe answer that surfaced was clear: new-in-role decision makers were driving most of their pipeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the same approach I take with clients \u2014 before you design plays, identify the signals that consistently lead to revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How 360Learning built a job-changers campaign<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
At 360Learning, this insight turned into a structured program:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Identifying job-changers.<\/strong> Using tools like ZoomInfo and Cognism, the team filtered for contacts who had changed jobs in the last 90 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Distributing at scale.<\/strong> Instead of dumping lists on sales, they dripped two job changer accounts per day per rep<\/em>, with a 24-hour SLA to ensure fast follow-up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Personalized gifting.<\/strong> In the first 90 days, when leaders are overwhelmed with onboarding, the focus wasn\u2019t \u201cbook a demo.\u201d It was goodwill: sending The First 90 Days of Leadership<\/em> book, a MasterClass or Skillshare subscription, even small gifts to mark the milestone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Follow-up with timing in mind.<\/strong> After the initial 90 days, BDR outreach kicked in, once job-changers had settled and were ready to evaluate tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The goal wasn\u2019t just to grab attention. It intended to nurture relationships during periods receptive to alteration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why this signal works: timing and budget shifts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The brilliance of this play is that it\u2019s not magic. It\u2019s common sense made systematic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- New role, new budget.<\/strong> Within six months, most leaders have the authority (and often the mandate) to reassess tools.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Past experience travels.<\/strong> If they used your product before, or a competitor, they bring that bias with them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- First impressions matter.<\/strong> Reaching out with a congrats and a gift isn\u2019t a gimmick \u2014 it creates goodwill that lasts into the evaluation stage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Personalization over volume<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Another important lesson from Justin\u2019s team is restraint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At one point, they scaled too fast and lost personalization. The emails became generic. The motion felt like just another campaign. They\u2019re now shifting back to \u201cdo less, but do better\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 fewer accounts, deeper personalization, better execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis is something I stress constantly: inflated account lists kill ABM. Focused, signal-driven targeting beats volume every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alignment is still the make-or-break<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The ForgeX conversation ended with a point I\u2019ve seen repeatedly: alignment. ABM collapses when leadership isn\u2019t clear about which play the company is running \u2014 strategic 1:1, one-to-few, or growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Job changers are a great play, but they only work if everyone agrees on their role in the GTM mix. If Marketing thinks it\u2019s strategic ABM, Sales thinks it\u2019s logo-chasing, and the C-suite thinks it\u2019s all about SQL volume, failure is inevitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Signals only create value when Sales, Marketing, and Operations all agree on what they mean and how to act on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ABM powered by signals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Job-changers are just one signal<\/a>. But they\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThey prove three things I anchor my work on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Signals > wish lists.<\/strong> ABM works when you target based on evidence, not dreams.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Timing > volume.<\/strong> Two accounts per rep per day, done well, beats ten random accounts sprayed at once.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Alignment > assumptions.<\/strong> Clear expectations across Marketing, Sales, and Ops matter more than any platform.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
ABM intent Takeaways<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n
What are ABM intent signals?<\/strong><\/strong><\/summary>\nABM intent signals are data points that indicate when an account is more likely to buy, expand, or churn.\u00a0They 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.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\nWhy are job changers an important ABM intent signal?<\/strong><\/summary>\nJob 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.\u00a0They 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.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\nHow do job changers fit into an ABM targeting strategy?<\/strong><\/summary>\nIn an ABM account mix, net-new accounts are usually lower priority than retention or expansion.\u00a0But 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.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n