The 8 Must-Have Reports of the ABM Leader

Also - What to Do If You’re Feeling Stuck or Lost in Your Ops Career

In this edition:

1. The 7 Must-Have Reports for the ABM Leader

2. What to Do If You’re Feeling Stuck or Lost in Your Ops Career

3. POLL: What Was Your First Responsibility When You Started in Marketing Ops?

4. Exclusive For Paid Subscribers: A Real Look Into Marketing Operations Leadership at an Enterprise Org—and the Problems You Must Overcome

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The 8 Must-Have Reports of the ABM Leader

Doing ABM right is hard.

But measuring the right things is a great place to start.

Here are the 8 must-have reports of the ABM leader.

1️⃣ Target Account Revenue

This shows revenue by account and where we are falling short. Helps prioritize where to focus sales and marketing resources. Keep in mind that not all target accounts are equal in value.

2️⃣ Open Pipeline by Target Account

This tracks pipeline value for each account. If pipeline is off for target accounts, revenue will eventually be off.

3️⃣ Target Accounts by Stage (Funnel Progression)

This shows how accounts progress through each funnel stage—from awareness to opportunity. Used to identify drop-off points and bottlenecks in conversion.

4️⃣ Account Engagement Heat Map

This compares engagement levels across key channels (web, email, events, meetings). Helps to see which accounts are most engaged, where that engagement is happening, and where there are gaps.

5️⃣ Account Penetration

This shows the number of contacts reached per account, separating out the key decision makers and influencers. Helps assess whether your team is building the right relationships and achieving sufficient coverage across buying committees.

6️⃣ Time in Stage (Velocity)

This measures how long accounts stay in each funnel stage. Use this to detect friction, optimize handoffs, and improve overall sales cycle speed.

7️⃣ LTV:CAC by Initiative

This compares lifetime value to customer acquisition cost across different marketing plays (e.g., 1:1 ABM, field marketing, content syndication). Helps prioritize investments that drive sustainable growth.

8️⃣ Intent Heat Map by Topic

This reveals what topics target accounts are actively researching. Use this to refine messaging, trigger outreach, and build campaigns based on real buying signals.

This is how modern ABM teams stay aligned, focused, and accountable to revenue.

I want to thank the subject-matter experts who contributed to this graphic, Andrei Zinkevich, Brandon Redlinger , and Océane Li ✅. You are the real experts; I could not have done this without you! Please give them a follow on LinkedIn.

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What to Do If You’re Feeling Stuck or Lost in Your Ops Career

Most of us have been there. You're not learning. You’re not growing. You’re doing “the work,” but it doesn’t feel like it matters. That feeling of being stuck or lost hits ops pros especially hard—because we’re often behind the scenes, solving problems quietly, and not always getting visibility or feedback.

Here’s how I’ve worked through it—and how I coach others to move forward.

1️⃣ First, ask yourself: Am I stuck or just impatient?

Not enough people say this, so let me say it clearly: meaningful career growth in operations takes time. If you’ve been in a new role for 6 months and you’re not owning strategy yet, that’s normal. It takes 12–24 months to make significant impact. That means showing results, building credibility, learning the business, and forming relationships.

If you’re just getting started or in your first year in a role, stay focused and give it time. Don’t mistake early discomfort for failure.

2️⃣ If you’re really stuck, you’re probably not learning or being challenged

That’s usually the root cause. If every day feels the same, you’re not being stretched. The fix? Proactively seek out learning.

• Learn a new platform (even if it’s not in your job description)

• Pick up an adjacent skill: project management, analytics, data privacy

• Volunteer to lead a new initiative—something no one else wants to touch

• Shadow a cross-functional partner like sales ops or product marketing

When you're learning, time moves faster and momentum returns.

3️⃣ Change jobs

It’s the most obvious—and effective—option. A new job will:

• Force you to learn quickly

• Give you fresh challenges

• Often improve your financial situation

But a caveat: don’t make this your default move every time you feel stuck. If you do it too often, you’ll build shallow experience. Use this move when you know you’ve outgrown your current environment, or when there’s no path to growth ahead.

4️⃣ Build a network of advisors

This is one of the most underrated strategies. Find 2–3 people who are just a step or two ahead of you. Set up informal chats. Ask how they made decisions. Share what you’re thinking.

This isn’t about mentorship programs or big LinkedIn posts. Just real conversations with smart people you respect. I’ve gotten career-defining advice in 20-minute chats over coffee.

5️⃣ Start a side project

You don’t need permission to grow. One of the fastest ways to feel energized again is to create something of your own.

• Start moonlighting (consult nights/weekends)

• Build a simple tool or resource and launch it

• Write content or document what you’re learning

• Create a project with a friend

When you’re on your own timeline, things move faster—and you learn faster.

6️⃣ Teach what you know

This is my favorite one—and honestly, the reason this newsletter exists.

When you teach, you’re forced to clarify your thinking. You realize where the gaps are. You develop frameworks. You get feedback. And it feels good. You’re helping someone else skip the pain you went through.

You don’t need a massive audience to start. Share a playbook with your team. Write a short post. Speak at a local meetup. Teaching creates momentum.

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Final thought:

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. But the people who break through stagnation in their careers usually do one thing: they move. They try something new. They raise their hand. They don’t wait to be rescued.

You’re not stuck forever. And you’re definitely not alone.

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POLL: What Was Your First Responsibility When You Started in Marketing Ops?

Top Commentary From Social

I did a bit of a few things! Budgeting, program management, data hygiene, title mapping, owning project management tool - Samantha Nowak

Everything - Josh Hill

Back when "Marketing Operations" was a glint in the milkman's eye, it was in a Marketing Database team to build a reporting suite on an MS Access database.
They were simpler times. - Duncan White