Learn how to implement ABM by stepping back to achieve Sales-Marketing Alignment and workflow alignment. ABM is a new world and here's how to tackle it.
6. IT’S ABOUT THE WORKFLOW,
STUPID
Division of labor and how to set it up.
7. Did roles and goals for marketing and sales shift?
Marketing Goals
• Acquire account data
• Build up Persona data within Accounts
• Keep Accounts Aware
• Engage Accounts
• Provide Sales with full covered,
engaged accounts based on agreed
data points.
• Provide better personalization based
on data (you should have done this
anyway).
Sales Goals
• Take MQL and MQAs seriously.
• Consider your cold call/email approach
carefully.
• Account Based Sales is highly relational
and solution based. Know your product,
personas, and solution area.
• Use cold calling to supplement Coverage.
Please do not use it to spray and pray.
(Marketing’s tried this, it’s not cool
anymore).
12. Using the Play or Nurture Waterfall
Goal: get in touch with a key Persona at the
Account
Goal: reach Mobilizers, engage in Collective
Learning with Buying Group
Goal: find the next Persona or
agree to next steps
Goal: confirm this person will
help you.
However you define the top logos, accounts, Tier 1 vs. Tier 2 larger firms you go after.
This is what we’ve been trained to see from OUR perspective.
Now funnel isn’t the ideal, I know about the crazy journey graphic, but the general idea, even for someone narrowing down 5 solutions to 1 would look like this. And customers don’t like to be Recycled, they defer action. Sales’s job to avoid deferment or status quo decisions.
Is this any different than before? Not really, but its viewpoint is a bit higher up
This is mostly if you are carving out a separate team.
The enterprise or ABM account team is together, with ONE coach monitoring the end to end process. It can look different, but the alignment is complete here because it is one team.
Since ABM arrived (again), I've advocated assigning an ABM manager to sit with the ABM SDR and AE team. They should act as a key coach on messaging and building out journeys or "plays". Sales often has great ideas, but needs the discipline to refine the steps and operationalize it. A very tight understanding is needed with sales managers. The most successful are likely marketers who were former salespeople. If you have loads of budget, hire a special direct response copywriter.
Again, this is about Strategy. There needs to be a total shift in mindset that ABM is a long term game for most B2B companies. This isn't about transactional prospecting SDR emails that everyone makes fun of, but still do. This is about solving real problems at companies and doing the dance to prove you are the right choice for each other. The strategy has to recognize that automated lead nurturing goes to a point - usually MQL or until Contact is made. Then ABM plays take over. There isn't just one play, there are dozens for each stage of the lifecycle, including Won/Customer.
What are some challenges with ABM that marketers are facing today?
The need for sales-marketing alignment is not the same as it was 6 or 7 years ago. Marketers are struggling to understand the systems and strategies actually require a change to workflow and team organization. I would argue most firms that sell to "Target Accounts" need a special ABM team that's less about the lead funnel and more about the skills.
Use an existing set of plays that top sales people at your firm use; if you’ve developed an SDR or BDR track, break them up into specific plays aimed at buying stage and persona.
Tools on your end that can help the customer reach your B conclusion faster and keep Sales focused on Mobilizers. Now funnel isn’t the ideal, I know about the crazy journey graphic, but the general idea, even for someone narrowing down 5 solutions to 1 would look like this.
Think of content in these stages, not your stages. I know you’ve seen the content matrix among other frameworks.
You could structure this content to run pre MQL or during MQL. If you prefer the MAP to stop and let Plays take over, make this hand off well defined. You may want to even shift MQLs or SQLs to a once a month cadence that operates in the background. You can also adapt this to the Play Waterfall
Plan out your ABM strategy first. You can do at least 50% or more with what you have right now. Your tools should always match your strategy, not the other way around.
Data quality matters even more
Email reputation is key
Marketable – can you segment them? Have contact info?
Permission - can you email them?
Do you have the right people or do you need to find them?
Lead Ownership and Territory Management must be pristine
The Content – Segment Matrix
https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/670399/call_chat_mobile_phone_talk_telephone_viber_icon#size=128
https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/370079/data_info_information_icon#size=128
https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/309041/group_people_users_icon#size=128 Ivan Boyko
https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/299096/calendar_clock_icon#size=128
Another thing to note here – what % of that coverage is coming from Purchases, Sales Research (like LinkedIn), and Marketing Work (inbound, etc)