Most sales and marketing teams have the same problem: too many leads, not enough focus. If you’re running account based marketing (ABM) campaigns and using Persana, you need to figure out who actually matters—fast. This guide is for anyone tired of staring at a messy lead list and wondering where to start.
We’ll walk through how to segment your leads in Persana so you can actually run targeted, effective ABM campaigns. No magical thinking here—just the stuff that works (and what to skip).
Why Lead Segmentation Makes or Breaks ABM
Let’s get this out of the way: ABM falls apart without good segmentation. Spray-and-pray campaigns waste time and budget, and nobody likes chasing irrelevant leads. The goal here is to cut through the noise and zero in on the companies and people who are most likely to buy.
Persana gives you a lot of raw data, but it won’t make decisions for you. Segmenting your leads is how you tell Persana where to focus—so you stop guessing, and start working smarter.
Step 1: Get Your Data House in Order
Before you start slicing and dicing leads, you need clean data. This step isn’t glamorous, but it’s where most teams mess up.
Here’s what you actually need:
- Up-to-date contact info (no bouncing emails)
- Company names, industries, and sizes
- Key titles/roles
- Any engagement history you’ve got
Pro tip: Don’t obsess over perfect data. Just weed out obvious junk—duplicates, empty fields, and contacts who left the company last year. If you’re missing a little info, that’s fine. You can enrich as you go.
What to ignore: Don’t waste hours filling in every blank field “just in case.” Focus on fields you’ll actually use for segmentation.
Step 2: Define What a Good Lead Looks Like (for You)
Generic filters like “Company Size: 1000+ employees” sound nice until you realize your best deals come from 200-person companies in weird verticals. This is the time to get honest about what works.
Think about:
- Firmographics: Industry, company size, revenue, geography.
- Roles: Who’s actually involved in buying? Don’t just chase “C-suite” if your deals close with directors.
- Intent signals: Has the account engaged with your stuff? Visited your site? Downloaded a resource?
- Past wins: Look at closed-won deals. What do your best customers have in common?
What to ignore: Vanity segments, like “Fortune 500 only,” unless you realistically close those deals. Don’t copy someone else’s ICP—build your own.
Step 3: Build Segments in Persana
Now you’re ready to actually use Persana’s segmentation features. Here’s how to do it without getting lost in the weeds.
3.1. Use Filters (But Keep It Simple)
Persana lets you filter by dozens of fields. Start with the basics:
- Industry (e.g., SaaS, manufacturing, healthcare)
- Company size (employee count or revenue)
- Geography (region, country, state)
- Title/role (job function, seniority)
- Engagement (opened email, visited page, etc.)
Pro tip: Don’t stack twenty filters hoping for a “perfect” segment. More filters = fewer leads, but not always better ones. Start broad, then narrow.
3.2. Save and Name Segments
Once you’ve got a useful filter set, save it as a segment in Persana. Give it a clear, honest name—think “Mid-market SaaS, US, Marketing Directors” instead of “Q2 Strategic Opportunity Cluster.”
- Create separate segments for different plays or messaging.
- Update names if your focus shifts. No sacred cows.
3.3. Test and Refine
Run a quick check: Are you getting enough accounts and the right people? If your segment only has five leads, it’s probably too tight. If it has 5,000, it’s probably too loose.
- Spot check: Pick a few leads and see if they fit your ICP.
- Adjust filters. Don’t be afraid to tweak.
What to ignore: Don’t try to cover every possible segment on day one. Three or four focused segments beat fifteen generic ones every time.
Step 4: Layer in Extra Data (If You Need It)
Persana can pull in more data from integrations (like LinkedIn, Salesforce, or enrichment tools). This is helpful if you want to get fancy, but it’s not required to get started.
When to use extra data:
- You have a clear pattern (e.g., all your best leads use a certain tech stack)
- You want to prioritize by buying intent (web behavior, product usage)
- You’re running targeted plays (like competitor displacement)
When to skip it:
- Your basic firmographic segments already work
- You’re not sure what to do with the extra info
- You don’t want to pay for enrichment tools yet
Honest take: Don’t let “data enrichment” become a distraction. If your team isn’t acting on the segments you already have, more data won’t fix that.
Step 5: Use Segments for Actual ABM Campaigns
Now the fun part: putting your segments to work. In Persana, you can use segments to:
- Build targeted outreach lists for sales
- Personalize emails or LinkedIn campaigns
- Score leads based on segment fit
- Track engagement by segment
Tips for execution:
- Sync segments to your CRM or outreach tools—don’t make reps copy-paste.
- Give sales context: why is this segment a focus? What do they care about?
- Track which segments actually convert, and adjust your criteria.
What to ignore: Don’t create micro-campaigns for every segment right away. Start with your top one or two, see what sticks, and go from there.
Common Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)
A few things to keep in mind as you go:
- Over-segmentation: More segments doesn’t mean more results. Each new segment is more work for sales and marketing.
- Set-it-and-forget-it: Segments aren’t static. Companies change, people leave, your ICP evolves. Revisit segments every quarter.
- Analysis paralysis: Don’t wait for perfect. Good enough beats never launching.
- Ignoring feedback: If sales says a segment is junk, listen. Refine your filters.
Quick Recap: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
ABM segmentation in Persana isn’t rocket science, but it does require a little discipline. Clean your data, define what matters for your business, build a few focused segments, and use them for real outreach. If it works, double down. If it doesn’t, tweak and try again.
Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Most teams get the biggest lift from just sorting their leads with a few practical filters—and ignoring the rest.
Get started, stay honest about what’s working, and keep it simple. That’s how you actually win with ABM (and keep your sanity).