Re-engineering your sales process to implement Account-Based Marketing is a daunting task. You don’t just jump right into it and start doing ABM, and your sales team should not be expected to simply undo how it’s always been doing things. The best approach is to start with a clean slate with an audit that maps each function of your existing sales process to where it should fit within the ABM funnel. The audit identifies deficiencies and where, if any, the process has any bottlenecks that could be slowing down sales velocity. This process also reassigns sales functions that should really be shared with the marketing team and creates a structure for organizational alignment by functional area. This is the approach that Blueprint takes.
Some companies have the staffing capacity and expertise to create and implement an ABM structure internally and may just need a vendor that will audit the process. In this case, it’s just a matter of understanding how to implement the audit and monitor and measure performance as you ramp up. In other instances, it’s too laborious for a company to launch into an ABM structure on its own. This is often the case when the marketing department hasn’t collaborated with sales in the past nor does it fully understand its role in an ABM structure. This is also the case for sales driven organizations that are dependent on having an active sales force such as pharmaceutical companies, for example. B2B companies that are sales-driven typically place more emphasis on sales development than they do marketing integration, in which case, you’re best served by working with an ABM vendor to re-engineer your process.
Key questions to ask your next ABM vendor
Picking the right partner for your ABM venture is a critical decision. The wrong partner can lead you down a misguided and expensive path, while the right partner can empower you for sustained success.
Arm yourself with a handful of very important questions as you begin your quest for the right ABM partner.
If you’re planning to implement ABM and you think you’ve shortlisted an agency, here are some pertinent questions to ask:
- How do you approach redesigning the sales cycle and what would marketing integration look like?
- What would your strategy look like?
- What is your ability to execute?
- What metrics do you use?
- What is your technology stack?
- How do you measure business impact and ROI?
If your vendor starts by saying, “digital marketing” or some other tactical response, steer away from them because they’re missing out on the core principle. They’re either biased to what they do best, or they don’t really have an understanding of what ABM really is.
A suitable response should undoubtedly include a nod to “accounts” as well as how sales and marketing will need to be aligned.
Contact us at (305) 741-0378 or by email at hello@blueprintcreativegroup.com to schedule a consultation and discuss our process.
