You’re Measuring TAM and SAM... But What About NAM?

• NAM: The Market That Actually Buys

• How to Map and Measure Your NAM

• How to Grow Your NAM (Without Cold Spam)

• Know Your NAM, Know Your Next Deal

NAM: The Market That Actually Buys

NAM is the subset of your market that’s already connected to you through first- and second-degree relationships, past customers, warm referrals, and engaged prospects. 

It’s who you can realistically reach without resorting to the cold, brutal grind of outbound.

Think about it like this:

📞 TAM and SAM are a list of names in a database, everyone who could one day buy your product.
🔥 NAM is the subset of TAM/SAM that you can actually get in touch with now.

The difference? One’s just a number. The other’s your unfair advantage.

And data backs this up. 

The average cold outbound close rate? 0.071%.

The average referral close rate? Up to 50%.

When sellers ignore NAM, they default to grinding out thousands of calls and emails to reach people who, statistically, aren’t going to respond.

But when sellers prioritize NAM, everything gets easier. 

More replies.
Faster cycles.
Higher conversion rates.

That’s why Scott Martinis, CEO of B2B Catalyst, says: 

Of course, not every deal or prospect will be reachable through your NAM, but your NAM represents the list of prospects you should prioritize. It’s the lowest hanging fruit. Then you can task marketing and demand gen with bringing more low hanging fruit into your orbit.

How to Map and Measure Your NAM

Most sales teams measure their TAM and SAM down to the last decimal point. 

But ask them to quantify their NAM?
You get blank stares.

The good news: NAM isn’t some vague, intangible concept. You already have one. The key is knowing how to map and track it effectively.

Here’s how to do it. 

Step 1: Start with LinkedIn

Your LinkedIn network is the easiest way to get a rough sense of your NAM.

Start by pulling lists of:

✅ First-degree connections (direct relationships with potential buyers, partners, and advocates)
✅ Second-degree connections (buyers you can reach via mutual connections)
✅ Followers of your team and company page (people already engaging with your content)

And here’s the kicker: NAM is a team sport. Leadership, sales, investors, and advisors all bring warm connections. Track them all.

Step 2: Tap Your Extended Network: Email, Calendars & More

LinkedIn is just the start. Your team’s inboxes and calendars hold stacks of warm connections.

Continue by pulling lists of:

✅ Past email & meeting contacts (buyers, champions, and partners you’ve engaged with)
✅ Recurring interactions (people consistently engaging via email, calls, or events)
✅ Engaged followers (buyers liking, commenting, and sharing your content)

Oh, and your CRM isn’t just a graveyard for lost deals. Dig into past customers, friendly prospects, and partners - they can be leverage points if you’ve built goodwill

Step 3: Keep It Dynamic

Your NAM isn’t static. New relationships form, engagement shifts, and past connections fade. 

To keep it updated:

✅ Track engagement with your team’s LinkedIn and company content
✅ Monitor responses to warm intros, referrals, and partnerships
✅ Use a tool like Commsor to automate mapping across multiple channels

Know your orbit. Prioritize warm paths. Stop throwing Hail Mary cold emails.

How to Grow Your NAM (Without Cold Spam)

Now, it’s time to grow. But let’s be clear - this isn’t about blasting connection requests or shoehorning your way into random conversations.

It’s about growing a network that actually leads to deals.

Here’s how to do it right:

1. Show Up Where Your Buyers Are

✅ Join (and contribute to) industry communities and Slack groups
✅ Attend events — virtual or in-person — where your buyers gather
✅ Engage with their content on LinkedIn, not just in DMs

Be a familiar name before you ever send an email or make a call.

2. Create Value Before You Need It

✅ Share insights that help your industry (not just promo posts)
✅ Make intros that don’t directly benefit you, but strengthen relationships
✅ Offer expertise freely - jump on calls, answer questions, be helpful

Build social capital before you need to spend it.

3. Leverage Your Advocates

✅ Ask for referrals at the right moments (post-onboarding, at renewal, after a great outcome)
✅ Co-market with customers - invite them onto webinars, case studies, or podcasts
✅ Build a partner network that extends your reach into new accounts

Every warm intro expands your NAM and increases your chances of closing.

That’s the flywheel in action.

P.S. Want to grow your NAM even faster? Grab 5 Ways for Sellers to Get More Referrals - a tactical breakdown of how to systematically increase warm intros (with plug-and-play scripts and without needing any tooling).

Know Your NAM, Know Your Next Deal

NAM isn’t rocket science. The better you track and understand your network, the more effectively you can prioritize the warm paths to revenue.

The hardest part? Getting started.

Here’s how to move from zero to one: 

1. Make NAM Tracking a Habit. Build it into weekly pipeline reviews and deal strategy sessions. If it’s not a habit, it won’t drive results.

2. Activate Your Whole Team.  Sales, leadership, marketing, investors - everyone plays a role. Align them or leave deals on the table.

3. Turn Intel into Intros. NAM tracking without action is just admin work. Prioritize warm leads, lean on referrals, and make intros a two-way street.

Until next time,
Mac 🦕

🦕 Dino fact of the week

Did you know the T.rex likely had lips?

Unfortunately, it’s probably not what you’re picturing right now (not human-style lips). It simply means that they likely had flesh covering their teeth, so when their mouths were closed the teeth weren’t visible.