FY27 Enterprise ABM Pilot · KickoffNew York · 13 and 14 October 2026
zip × Innovative Group
100 million Americans. One merchant at a time.
Zip already serves 4.6 million of the Americans underserved by traditional credit. The way to the rest runs through the merchants they already shop with. These two days are about reaching them faster.
4.6M
US customers, NPS +72
+42%
US volume in FY26, to $8.6B
30,000+
US merchants, up 25%
+30%
US growth expected in FY27
Tuesday 13 OctoberDay one
Tuesday
Two days. Ten accounts. One scoreboard we read together.
8:45
Coffee and arrivals
9:00
Introductions and how we will work
Everyone
9:30
Marketing objectives and the brand campaign
Kathryn, Alyson
10:30
Break
10:45
Sales objectives: where deals stall
Vaneet, Anne, Caroline
12:00
Working lunch: the ten and the comparison ten
Zip and IG
12:45
Definitions, and definition of success
IG
2:15
Break
2:30
Measurement, attribution and Salesforce
IG
3:45
Read back and confirm
Everyone
4:00
Close, then drinks for anyone able to stay
Tuesday · Session 1 of 730 minutes
9:00
Introductions and how we will work
Your team out front. We run the engine room.
Zip has the brand, the sellers and the merchant relationships. Innovative Group adds the machinery underneath: account intelligence, buying committee coverage, content in sellers' hands, and a measurement model that says plainly whether it worked.
Everyone
What we cover
- What executive leadership is out to accomplish, and how this program reports upward
- Roles and responsibilities on each side
- The shift this pilot makes: from lead volume to pipeline movement
- How success gets measured, and when
Leaves with
A shared view of ownership, success metrics, and what leadership expects to see in March. When Zip wins, we win.
Done
How it landed on Tuesday
- Scope confirmed: move existing pipeline in ten accounts. New lead generation stays with the SDR and field programs.
- Roles set on both sides, with the program reporting through marketing and the commercial team.
- Leadership reporting: leading indicators monthly, with a clear value read at six months.
- The ambition: prove the model on ten, then scale to 25 or 50 accounts.
+Documents
Tuesday · Session 2 of 760 minutes · break at 10:30
9:30
Zip presents
Marketing objectives and the brand campaign
What marketing is accountable for this year and what gets reported up, plus the brand campaign and the Jennifer Hudson Show work.
Kathryn and Alyson
What we cover
- The numbers marketing is judged on this fiscal year
- The brand campaign: reach, timing, what it is meant to do
- Where B2B sits in the marketing story upward
Leaves with
We know what marketing is judged on, so the ABM scorecard ladders into it.
Done
How it landed on Tuesday
- Company priority: new customer acquisition, much of it through merchant partners, then total transaction volume.
- Positioning: the underestimated American. "In you, we trust" carries forward, with chapter two in development.
- Where we help: B2B messaging by persona inside compliance guardrails, thought leadership, and a syndicated webinar series.
- This fiscal year B2B marketing spend goes to field and this ABM program, so both are read side by side.
+Questions we will ask, and documents
Questions
- What does the CMO report upward each quarter, and which of those lines can this program move?
- How is the brand campaign measured, and is there a B2B readout from it?
- Can we sequence merchant outreach behind the consumer moments the campaign creates?
- What would make this pilot a line in the board deck in March?
Documents
Brand campaign overviewZip shares in the room
We take the deck away afterward if shared.
Definition of SuccessOpen →
We come back to this at 12:45.
Tuesday · Session 3 of 775 minutes
10:45
Zip presents · the session that shapes Wednesday
Sales objectives: where deals stall
Account by account. Where deals stall today, what works when they move, and the talk track that competes well.
Zip presentsVaneetAnneCarolinePatrickMallory
What we cover
- Each named account: last movement, why it stopped, who went quiet
- The objection heard most in the second meeting
- What a competitor win looked like, and what they did
- Our Salesforce read on the named accounts
Leaves with
A stall reason, in the sellers' own language, for each of the named accounts.
Done
What we heard
- Why deals stall: no compelling event, one contact per account, Q4 code freeze and annual roadmaps, and legal review in newer categories.
- What sellers want: more of the buying committee aware before the second meeting, and a steady drumbeat by persona between check-ins.
- What works: executive briefings, organic Zip volume at the merchant, and the "and, not or" story next to existing BNPLs.
- Sales assets route through Zip's enablement team. Our focus is reach, intelligence and measurement.
+Questions we will ask, and what we will share
Questions
- For each account, when did the deal last move, and what made it stop?
- Who on the merchant side has said yes, and who has said nothing?
- What do you wish you had in your hand walking into the second meeting?
- Where did TJX in-store land, and what did the merchant learn from it?
- When a deal moves fast, what was different about it?
Tuesday · Session 4 of 7Decided 13 October
12:00
Working lunch
The ten and the comparison ten
Confirm the named accounts and select the matched comparison group. The 48 merchants are the first Tier 1 tranche, drawn from about 600 that fit the Ideal Merchant Profile.
Zip and IGVaneetAlysonKathrynRitaJinal drops in
Agreed in the room
- Big box: Target, Walmart, Costco
- Department: Nordstrom (incl. Rack), Macy's, Kohl's
- Brand and specialty: Nike, Chewy
- Grocery: Albertsons, H-E-B
Next
Comparison ten matched one to one where possible, with the big box three read on their own. Accounts in the agentic pilot stay out of both lists.
Decided
How it landed on Tuesday
- Kept to known categories: eight accounts that already understand BNPL, plus two grocers.
- Nordstrom and Rack are one account with one CMO. Rack is the way in.
- Comparison ten: one-to-one matches where they exist (for example Sam's or BJ's for Costco). The big box three get their own read.
- To confirm this week: the final comparison list.
+Questions we will ask, and documents
Questions
- Which of the 48 have a live opportunity today, and which have gone quiet for 45 days or more?
- Who owns each account, and is that person in the room?
- Is there any account we should leave alone: a renewal in flight, a legal matter, a channel partner?
- For the comparison ten, who confirms they stay on normal coverage?
Documents
48-merchant Tier 1 sheetIn the room
Received 8 October.
Pairing methodOpen deck →
How we match each comparison account. In the shared deck.
Tuesday · Session 5 of 790 minutes · break at 2:15
12:45
Signed off in the room
Definitions
Stages, qualified opportunity, where marketing hands to sales, and what counts as influenced. Every number in the March review depends on these four answers.
IG drivesKathrynVaneetZmicerMarkAlysonEmmy
The four definitions
- Stage: which Salesforce stages are real, and what moves a deal between them
- Qualified opportunity: in sales' words
- Handoff: where marketing stops and sales starts
- Influenced: a meeting, a named contact engaged, a content touch, or all three
Leaves with
Four definitions written down and signed off by leadership.
Partly agreed
How it landed on Tuesday
- Committed next step: a call booked, executive alignment, or an event attended. A request for information is logged but does not count.
- Lead routing: director and above go straight to the account seller.
- Rules of engagement: marketing reaches anyone a seller is not actively working. After 21 days quiet, a contact returns to marketing.
- Influence: every tracked interaction counts while we build the baseline.
- Account scoring weights adjusted in the room: product added, marketing weighted up, procurement moved to awareness.
- Still to sign off: written stage definitions and the updated scoring model.
+Questions we will ask, and documents
Questions
- Which stages exist in Salesforce today, and which are actually used by sellers?
- What has to be true for a seller to call an opportunity qualified?
- Is there a stage where a deal can sit for months and nobody is wrong?
- If a merchant exec attends a dinner we arranged and the deal moves a week later, is that influenced?
Tuesday · Session 5 of 7, continuedUpdated after Tuesday · sign-off Wednesday
Definition of success
The scorecard, updated after Tuesday.
| Metric | Baseline | Day 90 | Day 180 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipeline acceleration · primary measure | |||
| Pipeline velocity score New | Six-month look back | First read | Lift against comparison |
| Pilot accounts against comparison group | Paired day 45 | First read | Full comparison |
| Commercial value of the movement | Model agreed | Early view | At least the program spend |
| Buying committee expansion · leading indicators, reported monthly | |||
| Committee members reached per account | About 3 | 40 to 50% | 55 to 65% |
| Named contacts engaged per account | About 3 | 18 to 22 | 25 to 30 |
| Committee members active on a live deal | 0 | 6 to 8 | 10 to 14 |
| Committed next steps New | Set at baseline | Tracked | 2 to 4 meetings in 75% of accounts |
| Meetings and field moments created | 0 | Tracked | Reported |
| Tracked for context · not a success measure | |||
| Days in stage, stage-to-stage conversion | Six-month look back | Tracked | Reported, not judged |
| Milestones such as an NDA signed | Logged | Tracked | Reported |
| Enablement assets in sellers' hands | Moved to Zip's enablement team | ||
Why the change: the room agreed that committee expansion and a velocity score built from real activity tell the six-month story more clearly than stage movement, which enterprise cycles of a year or more rarely show inside a pilot. Stage data is still tracked. Full notes →
+Who carries which number
Marketing carries
- Buying committee reach and contacts engaged
- Content and messaging delivered per opportunity
- Audience built through the always-on campaign
- Meetings and field moments created
Sales carries
- Days in stage
- Stage-to-stage conversion rate
- Close date accuracy
- Committee members active on a live deal
Shared
- Qualified lead definition and handoff points
- What counts as an influenced opportunity
- Opportunity inventory staying current
- Win rate and average deal size, executive view
Tuesday · Session 6 of 775 minutes · after the 2:15 break
2:30
Separate invite, RevOps joins
Measurement, attribution and Salesforce
How movement gets attributed, how the comparison group is read, what each review contains, and the baseline.
IG drivesZmicerAlysonMarkEmmyMichael by Zoom
What we cover
- The measurement model, line by line against the scorecard
- How the comparison read is done, and by whom
- What a monthly review contains versus the day 90 and day 180 reads
- The day 45 baseline: who records what
Leaves with
The measurement model agreed, with a named owner and a date for the day 45 baseline.
Direction agreed
How it landed on Tuesday
- Leadership wants this view. The read has to hold up to questions and connect to commercial value at six months.
- The value story combines three views: a pipeline velocity score, before and after against each account's history, and lift against the comparison ten.
- Baseline includes a six-month look back for each of the ten.
- Plan to socialize: after day two, a short plan for leadership with the ten, the approach and how we measure.
- Open: contact data permissions and the site consent and tracking setup.
+Questions we will ask, and documents
Questions for Zmicer and Emmy
- Where does stage history live, and how far back is it reliable?
- Are close dates maintained, or do they drift until the quarter ends?
- Can we see opportunity contact roles, and are they populated?
- What can Pardot see that Salesforce cannot, and the reverse?
- Who refreshes the baseline at day 45, and what access do they need?
Documents
Measurement modelOpen deck →
Attribution logic and the review cadence. In the shared deck.
The scorecardPrevious slide
Baseline, day 90 and day 180 targets.
Tuesday · Session 7 of 7Moved to Wednesday 9:00
3:45
Then close, and drinks for anyone able to stay
Read back and confirm
What we agreed, in writing, while everyone is still together. We read it from the screen and anyone can correct a line on the spot.
Everyone
What gets read
- The ten, and the comparison ten
- The four definitions, as signed
- The measurement model and the baseline owner
- Anything still open, with a name and a date
Leaves with
One page of agreements, confirmed out loud, in everyone's inbox that evening.
Moved
How it landed on Tuesday
- We wrapped early after a full day, so the read back opens Wednesday at 9:00.
- The agreements are on the next slide, ready to confirm.
Tuesday 13 OctoberRead back · Wednesday 9:00
Day one
What we agreed on Tuesday.
Read the full day one readout →1
Scope
Move existing pipeline in ten accounts. New lead generation stays with the SDR and field programs.
2
The ten
Target, Walmart, Costco, Nordstrom, Macy's, Kohl's, Nike, Chewy, Albertsons, H-E-B
3
How we measure
Buying committee expansion and a pipeline velocity score built from real activity, read against the comparison ten
4
Next steps that count
Committed ones: a call booked, executive alignment, an event attended
5
Lead routing
Director and above go straight to the account seller
6
Rules of engagement
Marketing reaches anyone a seller isn't actively working; 21 days quiet returns a contact to marketing
7
Reporting
Leading indicators monthly; a clear value read at six months, with the option to expand sooner
8
This week
Updated scoring and KPI framework, ROI approach, baseline, comparison ten, one sample account plan
Wednesday 14 OctoberDay two
Wednesday
Tuesday's agreements, turned into a plan.
9:00
Recap and open items
Done
9:30
Messaging and the always-on campaign
Done
10:45
Break
11:00
Sports partnerships and field activation
Done
12:30
Lunch
1:15
Frame the six months: the next three months and blockers
Everyone
1:50
Decisions: go-live, owners, cadence
Alyson, Vaneet, IG
2:20
Read back and next steps
Everyone
2:35
Close
Wednesday · Session 1 of 530 minutes
9:00
With a night to work with it
Recap and open items
A quick read back of Tuesday's agreements, then anything still open.
Alyson and IG
What we cover
- The eight agreements from Tuesday, confirmed out loud
- Open items: comparison ten, sign-off on definitions and measures, contact data permissions
- Anything from Tuesday that changes today's plan
Leaves with
Every Tuesday open item either closed or given an owner and a date.
Done
How it landed on Wednesday
- Day one confirmed in the room: the ten, scope and operating rules.
- Seller owners: Chad (Target, Kohl's), Patrick (Walmart, Costco, H-E-B), Anne (Albertsons, Chewy, Nordstrom, Macy's), Caroline (Nike).
- Velocity score: built from a menu of deal milestones, calibrated on recent wins and losses. Working session Monday 4 pm ET.
- Collaboration: shared Drive folder and external Slack channel. Reporting in Zip's existing monthly and QBR format.
Wednesday · Session 2 of 575 minutes · break at 10:45
9:30
Working session
Messaging and the always-on campaign
Built on what the sellers told us on Tuesday. The merchant personas are the starting frame; we write against the stall reasons we heard.
IG drivesRitaAlysonKyleSteve by Zoom
What we cover
- Persona by persona: the stall reason, then the line that answers it
- The first wave of assets, and which sellers get them first
- What stays inside the lines: compliance, WebBank, claims we can make
Leaves with
A message per persona per stall reason, and agreement on the first wave of assets.
Direction agreed
How it landed on Wednesday
- Three pillars: access (finance and payments), payment experience (marketing and e-commerce), growth (C-suite).
- Proven formats: LinkedIn document ads, recut customer videos, the new B2B anthem with persona cuts.
- Workflow: Innovative Group drafts, Zip reviews. About a month end to end, with Target as the first test.
- Gaps to fill: persona entry points, microsites, and case studies from established merchants.
+Questions we will ask, and documents
Questions
- Which persona do the sellers actually meet first, and which one signs?
- What is the one line a seller wishes they were allowed to say?
- Which existing assets have sellers used unprompted?
- Who signs off on copy, and how fast?
Documents
B2B merchant personasOpen →
Zip's deck, shared 9 October. The starting frame.
SDR playbookIn the room
What outbound says today.
Wednesday · Session 3 of 590 minutes · lunch at 12:30
11:00
Zip presents, IG brings the Minnesota read
Sports partnerships and field activation
The Minnesota proposals, and how the Sixers, Phillies, Flyers and Atlanta Dream partnerships are performing.
Zip presentsTaylorVaneetSteve by Zoom
What we cover
- How the existing partnerships are measured today
- The Minnesota proposals: what is on offer, by when, for what
- Which of the ten have executives in Philadelphia, Atlanta or Minneapolis
Leaves with
A position on Minnesota, and a view on which partnerships can carry B2B field moments.
Principle agreed
How it landed on Wednesday
- Partnerships are a channel Zip has bought. B2B can draw on them alongside brand and consumer goals.
- Three-party plays: team, merchant partner and Zip, such as Rally House with the 76ers.
- Trust by association and community stories over logo placement. Hospitality builds relationships.
- Next: B2B activation themes for the 76ers, Atlanta Dream and a Minnesota option.
+Questions we will ask, and documents
Questions
- What does each partnership report back, and who reads it?
- Has hospitality from these deals been pointed at a merchant exec before?
- Minnesota: what is the decision date, and which budget line does it come from?
- If we put two of the ten in a suite in January, who hosts?
Documents
Wild and Twins noteIG brings
Our written read on the two Minnesota proposals.
Partnership performanceZip shares in the room
Wednesday · Afternoon1:15 to 2:35
1:15
After lunch · about 80 minutes
Frame the six months, then lock next steps
The full calendar comes once the account plans and review path are set. This afternoon we build the frame it hangs on, make the decisions that unblock the work, and read back both days.
EveryoneAlysonVaneetTaylor
Afternoon agenda
- 1:15 The next three months. Program milestones, Zip launches (Zip Cash, Puma, DSW), events and sponsorship moments, code freezes and holidays. Zip fills the gaps.
- 1:35 Blockers. Review time, merchant attention, contact route, data clean-up, content workflow.
- 1:50 Decisions. Go-live shape (December soft start or January), one owner each side for commercial and systems, weekly and monthly cadence.
- 2:20 Read back. Both days in one page: agreements, owners, dates.
- 2:35 Close.
Leaves with
A three-month frame everyone has seen, the blockers owned, and go-live, owners and cadence decided.
By close on WednesdayStatus Wednesday midday
What we walk out with
Eight things. Each one written down.
1
Ten accounts
Named and agreed
Agreed Tue2
Comparison ten
Matched, and untouched by program activity
This week3
Definitions
Signed off by leadership
Partly agreed4
Attribution
Model agreed, including what each review contains
Monday session5
Baseline
What gets recorded, by whom, by when
In progress6
Owners
One each side for commercial and for systems
This afternoon7
Calendar
Go-live, review dates, weekly cadence
This afternoon8
Sports
A view on Minnesota and the existing partnerships
Principle agreedEverything we are working fromLive links where one exists
The documents
One place for all of it.
Day two readout, 14 OctoberOpen →
Innovative Group · measurement, messaging, sports, next steps
Day one readout, 13 OctoberOpen →
Innovative Group · what we heard, what we agreed, who owns what
Kickoff agenda, 13 and 14 OctoberOpen →
Zip · the version of record
FY27 ABM Pilot, Definition of SuccessOpen →
Zip · the targets behind the scorecard
Account scoring, KPIs and attributionOpen →
Innovative Group · scoring, pairing, definitions, measurement
B2B merchant personasOpen →
Zip · shared 9 October · frame for Wednesday messaging
Asset and access trackerOpen →
Innovative Group · what we have, what is open, what we produced
48-merchant Tier 1 sheetIn the room
Zip · first tranche from about 600 fitting the IMP
Wild and Twins partnership noteIG brings
Innovative Group · for Wednesday 11:00
SDR playbookIn the room
Zip · shared after 5 October
Wednesday · 2:35 pmzip × Innovative Group
What we want to be able to say at the close
Zip trusts people with money. For six months, you are trusting us with your pipeline.
The ten are named. The comparison ten are matched. The definitions are signed. The model is agreed. There is a date in every diary for the first review. And in March, when the scorecard goes on the screen, the only conversation is about what the numbers say.