How to Enable Your Sales Team for Effective Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
Welcome to our comprehensive guide on enabling your sales team for effective Account-Based Marketing (ABM). This guide is based on a recent webinar hosted by Mark Kilens from TACK and TACK Insider with Jenna Chambers from Terminus. The webinar dives deep into strategies for sales and marketing alignment, sales buy-in for ABM, and actionable steps to implement these strategies in your organization.
Watch the Full Webinar
Key Takeaways
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Sales Buy-In for ABM
- Importance of Sales and Marketing Alignment: For ABM to be successful, both teams need to be aligned in goals and strategies.
- Methods to Achieve Buy-In:
- Change Comp Plans: Align sales incentives with ABM goals.
- Future Visioning: Help sales see the long-term benefits of ABM.
- Find Early Innovators: Engage early adopters within the sales team to champion ABM.
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Defining New Ways of Working
- Sales Cycle Adjustments: Understand how ABM changes the traditional sales cycle.
- Metrics That Matter: Focus on engagement metrics, not just final sales numbers.
- Clear Roles and Responsibilities: Establish a detailed roles and responsibilities model to ensure smooth collaboration between sales and marketing.
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Creating Target Account Plans
- Identify Target Accounts: Use both marketing and sales insights to identify the best target accounts.
- Develop Account Plans: Write these plans from the perspective of the target account, focusing on their needs and goals.
- Leverage Data for Personalization: Use data to personalize interactions and ensure the account feels understood and valued.
Detailed Guide
1. Sales Buy-In for ABM
Introduction: Achieving sales buy-in is crucial for ABM's success. Here’s how to do it.
Methods:
- Change Comp Plans: Align compensation with ABM activities.
- Future Visioning: Paint a clear picture of the benefits of ABM.
- Early Innovators: Engage and highlight early adopters who succeed with ABM.
Example: Jenna shared a story about an experienced sales veteran who became an ABM champion, leading to widespread adoption in his team.
2. Defining New Ways of Working
Sales Cycle Adjustments:
- Flipping the Sales Cycle: Engage accounts before they know they need your solution.
- Mapping the Sales Cycle: Collaborate with sales to map out potential ABM sales cycles.
Metrics:
- Leading Indicators: Focus on engagement metrics like touches with target accounts and engaged stakeholders.
- Lagging Indicators: Traditional metrics like revenue and sales cycle speed.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Collaboration: Regular meetings between sales and marketing to adjust strategies based on new insights.
- Clear Boundaries: Define what each team is responsible for at each stage of the ABM process.
3. Creating Target Account Plans
Identifying Target Accounts:
- ICP Definition: Collaborate to define your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
- Using Data: Combine third-party intent data and sales insights to identify target accounts.
Account Plans:
- North Star Metric: Define a long-term success metric for the account.
- Decision-Making Unit Map: Understand the internal dynamics and key stakeholders.
- Current State Analysis: Document their current approach and its shortcomings.
- Investment Areas: Know where they will likely invest and how your solution fits.
Example: Jenna’s team used detailed research and data to craft personalized messages and strategies for each target account, leading to significant success.
Resources
Connect with Us
If you have any questions or want to discuss ABM strategies further, please connect with Jenna Chambers on LinkedIn.
Conclusion
Enabling your sales team for ABM involves careful planning, alignment, and continuous collaboration. Use the insights and strategies from this webinar to kickstart or refine your ABM efforts. For more resources, visit our website or check out Terminus for more on ABM.