ABM Expert Q & A Kathy Macchi, VP Consulting Services, Inverta You’ve worked with some of the most Why is alignment so critical to ABM, and how Shared metrics between the sales and marketing innovative enterprise organizations helping can organizations go from talking about team is the final component that drives alignment. them implement ABM. How can smaller, alignment to becoming aligned? I would encourage team to expand beyond simply mid-market organizations get started with an ABM isn’t simply a marketing initiative: it’s a a revenue number, and think short, medium and ABM strategy? company strategy. long-term so you can show incremental progress My strongest piece of advice is this: it’s less about along the way. the marketing technology and tactics, and more Often times, Marketing will take an ‘if we build it, about understanding your target audience. Terrific they will come’ approach to gaining consensus, Reputation, relationships and revenue are the three ABM practitioners put time and effort into developing but without exclusive, enthusiastic and cooperative legs of the ABM measurement stool. Think about an unparalleled knowledge of the account, and buy-in from the sales and lead development short, medium, and long-term ways of measuring focus all of their efforts on using that knowledge to functions, marketing should not move forward. success in each area, and you’ll be well on your way communicate with the accounts in a resonant way. to better functional alignment and measuring the One approach to alignment is to build an ABM overall success of the ABM initiative. When considering ABM, the size of your company is leadership team. The ABM leadership team sets irrelevant. Any company can implement an ABM the tone for how the company is going to operate What should your ABM team look like? What program if they have a commitment to researching and interact in an ABM environment, and commits roles and responsibilities are essential to and understanding their target accounts and gaining to collaborate openly in service of the ABM charter. making your ABM program successful? alignment around those accounts. The leadership team consists of the Head of In addition to the ABM Leadership team described Marketing, Sales, and Operations. It could also above, I feel that the two roles that are most critical You must be willing to source customer insight: heavy include the Head of Support, Professional Services, are the ABM marketer and the account executive research, mapping, and monitoring that is necessary or other key customer facing roles. (salesperson). to establish yourself as a trusted advisor and potential solution provider to an account. Once insight is This leadership team also agrees on the target The ABM marketer is the consummate utility infielder. gathered, then messaging should be built on the account list and the approach to planning and By this, I mean he or she must have knowledge and understanding of the customer’s business, their execution. The leadership team gets as specific experience in all marketing specialties, good challenges and the stakeholder’s concerns. as to set the cadence of meetings and the content judgement and credibility, all while having the You should be able to articulate clearly how your that will be covered. The rigor in which this is leadership and relationship skills to promote and company can help in ways that others cannot. established and managed is integral to driving manage the ABM programs internally and externally. alignment and collaboration. 26