Interview Highlights:

ABM History: Accenture and other pioneers; ITSMA’s initial work developing ABM methodology and practice in the early 2000s

ABM best practices: Common approaches among leading practitioners, including:

• End-to-end collaboration with sales
• Focus on the clients’ key initiatives and C-level priorities
• Multi-channel programs and campaigns, balancing digital and face-to-face

ABM accomplishments: Measuring success, including:

• Repositioning within the accounts, moving from vendor to partner status
• Land and expand, or just expand
• No more RFPs, move to sole-source
• Collaborative innovation for new solutions

Partnering with key accounts to accelerate business and digital transformation; working across the C-suite

The R&D of ABM:

• Doing the upfront work of really understanding the account, where they invest, and the buying committee and how they buy different types of solutions
• Conducting primary research with clients as well as with sales people and account teams
• Tailoring research to different levels of opportunity

Measuring ABM success:

• Focusing on the 3 R’s: Reputation, Relationships, and Revenue
• Emphasizing outcomes and business impact

ABM technology:

• Explosion of great new tools but reality of companies still building the basic martech foundation
• Build the foundation first: Account-based data, marketing automation, integration with sales
• Get the processes in place: Turning data into insight into action
• Orchestration and alignment

Future of ABM:

• • Move to blended ABM strategies: ABM programs converging toward balanced approach with new and existing accounts with blended approaches for breadth and depth across different tiers of accounts
  • ABM and B2B marketing overall integrating more fully into corporate strategy; ABM with key accounts as bridge toward strategic innovation and leadership