Don’t Chase the Golden Nugget

Build a Strategy That Finds It

By: Jake Sorensen

Remember that famous scene from the first Indiana Jones movie? Indy stares down at the golden idol, sandbag in hand, and then pulls off the old switcheroo, only for things to go spectacularly sideways. It’s a perfect metaphor for a common theme in ABM: how to interpret intent data. While we’d all love to be like Indy, uncovering once-in-a-lifetime hidden treasures in our data, the reality is far less cinematic. We’re more like gold miners, driven by grit and resolve, sifting through countless bits of data in search of something meaningful.

That golden idol, that moment of clear, high-value intent, is rare. I’ve only seen it a handful of times in my career. And yet, it’s easy to get caught up in the hope that every intent signal is a breakthrough. In reality, those clear, unmistakable indicators of buyer interest are few and far between. Most of what we see are hints and fragments, small pieces of a much larger picture revealed over time through buyer behavior.

Like in real gold mining, stumbling onto a chunky gold nugget is incredibly rare. According to geology experts, the chance of finding a gold nugget weighing over an ounce is about one in a million. So if gold panning was going to be your next side hustle, you might want to rethink that strategy.

If your ABM program is in a healthy place, intent data is likely flowing across multiple channels. That’s a good thing, but it can also be a double-edged sword, ripe for misinterpretation. Not every signal is a golden nugget. And expecting them to be can lead to frustration or false confidence.

The true value in ABM, much like gold mining, is found by patiently panning through smaller signals, the tiny specks of gold that don’t feel that valuable at first. These specks include things like web hits, keyword engagements, ad clicks, event registrations, and the mystical, yet crucial, dark funnel signals. Individually, they might not seem like much, just tiny flickers of interest.

Collect enough specks, nurture genuine interest, and suddenly you’ve crafted yourself a valuable nugget.

Treating specks like they’re gold nuggets and pouncing immediately is reactive and can be overwhelming, even off-putting, to the real humans you’re marketing to on the other side. The smarter play? Watch patiently and guide the journey as interest builds. Look for patterns of genuine engagement and repeatability, then unleash your fancy ABM playbooks.

Reactivity is often our default instinct because we’ve got numbers to hit and team members to support. But taking a proactive approach, reviewing recent account activity, identifying trends, and understanding behavioral patterns lets you pan for intent signals a few flecks at a time. That’s what transforms your ABM strategy from Indy cosplay into real treasure hunting.

5 Lessons Gold Mining Taught Me About ABM

Be ready for the gold nugget

Real, high-value signals are rare; and that’s okay. ABM is a marathon, not a sprint, and the goal isn’t to strike gold every day, but to always be ready to act when something of value surfaces.

Shift from reactivity to proactivity

Reactivity spreads your team thin, jumping at every signal dilutes your focus. As Seneca reminds us, “He who is everywhere is nowhere.” Proactive ABM is about focused effort, spotting real patterns, and finding repeatability.

Grow with your accounts

Intent signals aren’t one-time events; they’re part of a bigger story. The better you understand your accounts and how they engage with marketing, the more strategically you can align your outreach and timing.

Everyone at your company is a gold miner

Intent data isn’t just for the marketing team. Sales, engineering, executives. Everyone plays a role in spotting signals, surfacing insights, and turning flecks of interest into real pipeline.

Share the wealth

Your job isn’t just to spot the signals, it’s to help others understand what they’re seeing. When you teach your team how to recognize the power of small, consistent signals, you equip them to act with more clarity, confidence, and coordination.

So cue the Indiana Jones theme music, and remember: adventure awaits, but it’s rarely as glamorous as we imagine.