Solving Account Based Marketing (ABM) Conundrum

Account Based Marketing conundrum has been around for years and continues to fuel mixed feelings and results among marketing teams. C-Suite is fully behind these initiatives expecting better targeting and ROI on the marketing dollars, yet oftentimes lack of alignment among GTM teams and understanding of KPIs is leaving everyone deflated. I had at least half a dozen of these conversations in the last few weeks.

What is a way forward? ABM isn’t going anywhere and we have to make it work.

1. Really clear ABM targeting and KPIs 

The core of the problem starts with the fact that marketing, sales and BDR teams are not on the same page about ABM targeting and KPIs. For example, if we take the 6sense tool, the goal would be to agree not only on the number of 6QAs (6sense qualified accounts) marketing will deliver and BDRs will prospect, but also on which SEGMENTS the targeting will be focused on and the QUANTITY of accounts within the segment. This requires the GTM team to fully know and understand their ICP. 

1. Realistic timelines

ABM tools like 6 sense still demand a full funnel marketing approach that includes TOFU, MOFU and BOFU assets, optimized for a specific ICP. This easily takes up 2-3 months to develop and 1-2 months to test. Once accounts are qualified, BDR prospecting the account will need 2-3 weeks to look for people who clicked on the ads, unless they are already in the company’s CRM. We are looking at a 4-6 month timeline before results can be evaluated. Setting these expectations is bound to diffuse the tension around the ABM program. 

1. Realistic conversions 

GTM teams investing in ABM tools are fully convinced that their ABM program will drastically improve conversion rates when accounts with high intent vs individual people are targeted and unlocked. That isn’t always the case. Looking for buyers within the account who clicked on the ad is like searching for a needle in a haystack. This is especially true for enterprise accounts with thousands of people in a particular office location. The success of this endeavor often depends on the clear definition of the ICP and the skill of the BDR. 

There is a new tool from Adam Robinson, CEO of Retention.com and RB2B that delivers LinkedIn profiles of those who clicked on your ads to your Slack channel in real time, but I have not had a chance to test it. As a marketer, I am thrilled. As a martech buyer, I am horrified by a complete lack of privacy. 

In a nutshell, as much as half a year can go by before the GTM team can measure the effectiveness of their ABM program. This assumes a fully set up and functioning ABM tool. 

What are your thoughts on the timelines and effectiveness of the ABM program using a tool like 6sense or Demandbase?