What’s up everyone! Welcome to 🌮 Taco Tuesday, a weekly newsletter by ForgeX.

In here we share the latest and greatest around our Account-Based GTM research, provide our perspective on trending topics, and highlight what’s new at ForgeX.

Send us any questions or topics we should break down here ⬇️

🪄 The Smoke & Mirrors Show of Some “ABM Agencies”

Just because an agency lists “ABM Services” on their website ≠ they can actually support your ABM needs.

The smoke and mirrors show of newly formed “ABM agencies” and large conglomerate agencies slapping on “ABM services” to their list of capabilities is increasing at an alarming rate.

Some B2B agencies are not only unequipped to support ABM…

1. ❌ They lack foundational ABM principles and steer clients down the wrong path.

2. ❌ Repackaged their lead gen offerings as “ABM”.

And even the agencies that are well poised to support ABM have unique niches, strengths, and capabilities.

As the market continues to grow, it’s becoming nearly impossible for ABM leaders to filter out which agencies are properly equipped to support their needs.

📈 89% of Agencies Anticipate Demand for ABM to Increase in 2024

According to our newly released research report, 89% of B2B agencies expect an increase in demand for ABM services in 2024.

As demand increases, the number of agencies trying to capitalize off of this wave is increasing as well.

This makes it increasingly critical to ensure that you’re evaluating the RIGHT agencies for your needs throughout the RFP process.

🤔 Considerations While Choosing an Agency

Before starting your initial discovery calls with agencies, it’s imperative to clearly list out your goal of the engagement.

This is mission-critical as some agencies are better suited to support the capabilities of different ABM deployment models.

⚠️ For example: You’re running an Enterprise ABM motion, and are in-market for an agency to provide additional support. You are looking for a partner who has deep expertise and focuses exclusively on this deployment model.

Only 9% of the agencies we surveyed focus entirely on Enterprise ABM…

Conversely, only 34% focus exclusively on the Growth ABM model.

Here are a few key questions to answer BEFORE you begin reaching out to agencies:

1. Will the ABM program be digital-first or dependent on manual processes?

2. Is expertise in specific industry verticals important?

3. What resources are lacking and must be provided by the agency?

4. [Read the report for more…]

🔬 Our New Research is Here to Help

All of the above is why we have released 2 new pieces of research to help ABM leaders navigate the complexity of the B2B agency landscape.

1. Report: The 2024 Strategy Guide and Landscape of B2B Agencies with ABM Capabilities

   • Understand the global ABM agency landscape.

2. Corresponding Agency Directory

   • Uncover each agency’s unique strengths and choose your partner with confidence.

The report and corresponding directory include:

• ✅ An independent and unbiased evaluation of +60 agencies and their individual capabilities to support ABM initiatives.

• ✅ Strategic guidance around the current B2B agency landscape, and the red flags to look out for during your evaluation process.

• ✅ A robust B2B agency directory, equipping ABM leaders with the data to uncover each agency’s unique strengths and build their evaluation list with confidence.

🎯 Need More Help? Book a Guidance Session with a ForgeX Expert

The ForgeX team is available to help you translate your unique requirements into strategic decisions. 

• Develop a shortlist of best-fit agencies.

• Evaluate RFP responses.

• Draft RFPs.

What’s New at ForgeX?

🌮 Research & Insights

For Existing ForgeX Members:

• Full Research Report: Read here

• Corresponding Agency Directory: Access here

For Non-Members:

• Access here

[Disclaimer: ForgeX membership is FREE for in-house practitioners and leaders. Agencies and consultants are not eligible for free membership.]

🌮 Events

On-Demand:

• ABM Platform Readiness: What You Need to Know

  • With: 

    • Anne Murlowski, VP of Marketing @ Terminus

    • Davis Potter, CEO @ ForgeX

  • We Discussed:

    • 👉 How to determine when it's the right time to invest in an ABM Platform

    • 👉 Evaluation criteria you should be using to choose the right tech for your organization

    • 👉 The red flags to watch out for while having your initial conversations with vendors

🌮 Podcasts

• Ep. 10 - The New Era of B2B: Redefining Attribution and Data Models | Data Axle

Have an awesome rest of the week y’all!

LFG,

Davis