Dear Customers,
We hope you're well!
ABM for Zoho CRM is built to sharpen your database so that you engage with the right set of customer accounts. To fine-tune it further, we have six new updates:
- New access location for ABM
- Refined account entry criteria
- Ability to clone segments
- Flexibility to change the contribution module in RFM
- Synchronization of ABM segments with lists in Marketing Automation
- Increased limits for segments and journeys
Let's look at them!
ABM's got a new home
When we launched account-based marketing for Zoho CRM, it was nested under Zoho CRM's Marketplace as a configurable extension. We've recently tweaked its placement.
Check out the video below to learn more:
TL;DR: We moved ABM from Marketplace into CRM's native interface, accessible via a switcher. This gives you quicker access to ABM.
P.S. This change is applicable only for standalone CRM subscriptions in Enterprise and Ultimate editions.
Refined account entry criteria
Global criteria is a setting that helps set the selection criteria of your target accounts. You can import all accounts from your CRM database into ABM, your top 500k accounts, or just accounts that meet your criteria.
We've changed and added a couple of things:
- Firstly, we renamed the term "global criteria" to "account entry criteria"—just to resonate more closely with its function as a setting that qualifies the entry of accounts into the ABM application.
- Secondly, we've refined the selection method. In addition to the existing selection methods (enumerated above), we're introducing the ability to use attributes (fields) from your Contacts and Deals modules to sharpen your account criteria further.
Imagine you want to import certain accounts from your CRM database into ABM—namely, accounts whose average deal values are above USD $150,000 and those with C-suite decision-makers as contacts.

This update gives you a means to select accounts using module attributes that are mapped in your ABM configuration.
Ability to clone segments
By applying basic and advanced techniques, you can group your customers into segments, which serve a rich variety of purposes. If you need another segment—one that's identical or one with minor changes—you can now simply clone a segment instead of building a new one from the ground up.

Synchronize ABM segments with lists in Marketing Automation
Zoho's Marketing Automation tool helps you automate your marketing efforts as journeys and campaigns through various channels.
With the ability to synchronize segments with Marketing Automation's contact lists, you get another way to nurture your targets effectively.
You can export all contacts from the segment or only contacts that meet a certain criteria, like a specific deal stage.
Note: Zoho CRM and Zoho Marketing Automation must be integrated in order to synchronize ABM segments and ZMA lists.
Change the contribution module in RFM
As you may know, RFM is an advanced, behavior-based segmentation technique that uses your customers' recency, frequency, and monetary behaviors to segment your target account database.
Deriving RFM values involves two modules: the Accounts module and a contribution module that tracks customers' transactions.
Previously, the ABM tool used the Deals module as the contribution module by default—a configuration you weren't able to change.
With this new update, you can change the contribution module used to calculate your RFM values. You can choose from Deals, Sales Orders, Quotes, Invoices, or any custom module that contains transaction information related to your accounts. This gives you flexibility and ability to define RFM inputs on your terms.
Note: To be able to set other modules as contribution modules, you must first set up a lookup relationship between the Accounts module and your chosen contribution module.
This enhancement also introduces the ability to use values from your selected contribution module to achieve precise segmentation.
Increased limits for segments and journeys
We've increased the limits on the number of segments and journeys organizations can have, as detailed below:
That's all for these enhancements!
Release plan: All of these are updates are live in all DCs, for applicable editions.
DC: US, EU, IN, CN, CA, JP, SA, AU
Editions: Enterprise, Ultimate, Zoho One, Zoho CRM Plus
Coming soon:
- ABM for sales reps: permission-level changes
- Adopting the 2.0 version of CommandCenter's Journey Builder for ABM's journeys
- Introducing the new "churn" technique for segmentation
- Segment suggestions based on your modules
- ABM/Marketo integration
With this, we say buh-bye! 👋 We'll see you soon!
Kind regards,
Saranya Balasubramanian
CRM Marketing