Overview
Total Addressable Market (TAM), Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM), and Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) should live in one dynamic system—not three static spreadsheets. This guide shows you how to build, refresh, and action those market layers inside Unstuck Engine.
The 3 steps:
Build a live TAM with zero intent data
Carve SAM from real-time ICP scoring
Isolate SOM with engagement signals and stages
Follow these steps to ensure every GTM play—from ads to outbound—hits only the companies that actually matter.
Prerequisites: Before starting this guide, you should have:
At least one published ICP: read Setting up ICPs
At least one published Persona linked to your ICP: read Setting up Personas
Basic understanding of how Signals work: read Understanding Signals
Step 1: Build a live TAM with zero intent data
Goal: Capture every company that could ever buy from you, then keep it fresh automatically.
How to do it:
Navigate to Signals in the sidebar
Activate zero intent Signals:
Extract ICP from Sales Navigator People search – Use Sales Navigator's advanced filters to find all potential prospects
Extract ICP from LinkedIn People search – Use LinkedIn's standard search for broader coverage
Find buyer personas from your Sales Navigator Companies search and extract ICP – Search for companies, then extract relevant personas
For bulk uploads, use:
Extract ICP from your incoming Webhook – Connect your conference lists, CSVs, or analyst market data ([How to set up outbound webhooks])
When configuring these Signals, apply only hard filters (deal breakers):
Region restrictions
Company type requirements
Minimum headcount
Compliance requirements
Run the Signals
Navigate to Records → Companies tab to view your TAM
Unstuck Engine automatically enriches each record with full ICP attributes (headcount, tech stack, funding, languages, pricing model, etc.)
Why it works:
Zero intent sources give you maximum reach without intent bias. Unstuck Engine's enrichment keeps that giant list accurate, deduplicated, and ready for quick segmenting later.
Plays to run:
Board-level market sizing and coverage dashboards
Brand-awareness campaigns aimed at untouched verticals
Low-cost newsletter drips to stay on the radar
Step 2: Carve SAM from real-time ICP scoring
Goal: Shrink TAM to only the accounts you can serve this year—your Serviceable Addressable Market.
How to do it:
Navigate to ICPs & Personas in the sidebar
Open your ICP configuration
Convert hard Filter parameters to Score mode with weighted values:
Click on existing Filter parameters
Change Mode from Filter to Score
Set Score weight based on importance (e.g., +20 for United States, +15 for AWS users, +10 for SaaS pricing model)
For parameters you want to deprioritize (but not exclude), use lower weights
Click Update draft then Publish ICP
Navigate to Records → Companies tab
Click the ICP Score column header to sort descending
Decide on a threshold that matches your capacity (e.g., ICP Score 60+)
Use filters to show only companies above your threshold
Export this view as your "SAM-High-Fit" list using Export current view
Note: Your SAM list will automatically refresh as company data changes and ICP scores recalculate. Return to Records regularly to see updated scores.
Why it works:
ICP scoring moves beyond blunt filters, allowing you to keep promising outliers while downgrading fringe accounts. No hidden gems lost, no time wasted.
Plays to run:
Mid-funnel content syndication to warm accounts
Persona-specific ads that speak to validated pain points
Quarterly territory planning for SDRs and AEs
Step 3: Isolate SOM with engagement signals and stages
Goal: Identify the fraction of SAM that is in-market right now—your Serviceable Obtainable Market.
How to do it:
Navigate to Signals in the sidebar
Activate multiple signal types to capture engagement:
1st party signals (direct engagement with you):
Extract ICP from viewers of your LinkedIn profile
Extract ICP from likers of your posts
Extract ICP from commenters of your posts
Extract ICP from your company followers
2nd party signals (social interest in your topics):
Find posts of selected competitors and extract ICP from likers
Find posts of selected competitors and extract ICP from commenters
Find posts with selected keywords and extract ICP from likers
Find posts with selected hashtags and extract ICP from commenters
3rd party signals (external behavior):
Activate any available 3rd party integrations
Let Unstuck Engine calculate Engagement Stage automatically:
A-Stage (Hot) – Multiple 1st party signals
B-Stage (Warm) – Single 1st party signals
C-Stage (In-Market) – 2nd/3rd party signals
D-Stage (Cool) – Minimal signals
E-Stage (Cold) – No signals
Navigate to Records → Companies tab
Apply filters:
Set ICP Score filter to your SAM threshold (e.g., 60+)
Click Engagement Score column and filter to A-Stage and B-Stage only
This filtered view is your live SOM
Use Send Records to auto-sync "SOM-Ready" prospects to your CRM, sequencers, and ad platforms ([How to set up outbound webhooks])
Or use Export current view for manual processing
Why it works:
Fit tells you who, engagement tells you when. Combining both slashes CAC and lifts win rates because reps and budget aim only at buyers showing heat right now.
Plays to run:
Hot-50 daily call lists for SDRs
Demo or trial offers in ads and email
Direct-mail gifts timed to A-Stage transitions
Monitoring and iteration
Track your funnel metrics:
Navigate to Records → Companies tab and use sorting/filtering to measure:
TAM size – Total companies in Records (clear all filters)
SAM size – Companies with ICP Score above your threshold
SOM size – SAM companies with A-Stage or B-Stage engagement
Conversion rates – Track how prospects move from E → D → C → B → A
Key metrics to monitor:
% of TAM covered by live data – Target 90%+
Meetings booked per 100 SOM accounts – Measures conversion efficiency
CAC by stage – Expect A-Stage and B-Stage to be 30-40% lower than D-Stage and E-Stage
Win rate vs. ICP Score bands – Sort Records by ICP Score and track win rates by score range
Pro tip: Sort by ICP Score descending and Engagement Score to quickly identify your highest-priority prospects (high fit + high engagement).
Best practices
Review TAM sources quarterly – Add or remove zero intent Signals as your product evolves
Re-calibrate ICP weights monthly – Until win rate stabilizes, then quarterly
Track stage velocity – Monitor D → B transitions as a leading indicator of pipeline health
Keep teams aligned – Ensure Marketing, Sales, and CS use the same dynamic audiences to avoid channel conflict
Activate multiple signal types – Don't rely on one signal category; layer 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party for complete coverage
Common pitfalls
Freezing TAM in a static CSV Data decays in weeks. Keep your zero intent Signals running to automatically refresh TAM with new companies and updated information.
Over-filtering in the SAM step Using too many Filter mode parameters removes potential future wins. Use Score mode for most parameters to maintain flexibility.
Treating all intent the same A single post like (B-Stage) is not the same as profile view + post like + connection request (A-Stage). Signal aggregation matters—multiple signals indicate stronger intent.
Ignoring E-Stage(Cold) and D-Stage(Cool) prospects These prospects fit your ICP but haven't shown signals yet. Don't abandon them—use inbound tactics (content, ads) to nurture them into higher stages
FAQs
What's the difference between TAM, SAM, and SOM?
TAM (Total Addressable Market): Every company that could ever buy from you
SAM (Serviceable Addressable Market): The subset of TAM you can realistically serve this year based on capacity, geography, and fit
SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market): The subset of SAM that's in-market right now, showing active buying signals
Why use zero intent data for TAM?
Zero intent Signals (Sales Navigator searches, LinkedIn searches) capture maximum market size without intent bias. This gives you the full universe before narrowing down based on fit and engagement.
How do I know what ICP Score threshold to use for SAM?
Start with your current capacity. If you can only serve 500 accounts this year, sort Records by ICP Score descending and draw the line at account #500. That score becomes your threshold.
Alternatively, analyze your current customer ICP Scores—if most customers score 60+, use 60 as your SAM threshold.
How often should I refresh my SOM list?
Daily or weekly depending on signal volume. A-Stage and B-Stage prospects should be actioned quickly while intent is high. Set up automatic syncing using Send Records to keep your CRM updated in real-time.
What if my SOM is too small?
Option 1: Expand signal activation—add more 2nd party Signals (competitor engagement, hashtag engagement) to capture C-Stage prospects
Option 2: Lower your ICP Score threshold to expand SAM (e.g., from 60+ to 50+)
Option 3: Include C-Stage (In-Market) prospects in your SOM definition
What if my SOM is too large?
Option 1: Raise your ICP Score threshold to shrink SAM (e.g., from 60+ to 70+)
Option 2: Focus only on A-Stage prospects instead of including B-Stage
Option 3: Add additional Persona filters to narrow targeting
How do I track stage velocity?
In Records → People or Companies tab, review the signal history for individual records. Look at Event Date and Engagement Score columns to see how quickly prospects move from E → D → C → B → A.
Companies moving quickly through stages indicate strong buying intent.
Do I need different ICPs for TAM vs SAM?
No. Use the same ICP for both, but configure it differently:
For TAM: Use mostly Filter mode (hard requirements only)
For SAM: Convert most parameters to Score mode with weights
This lets one ICP serve both purposes while maintaining flexibility.