What it takes to excel at Account-based Marketing
It’s all about accounts. It’s all about personalization and customization. It’s all about deep collaboration. It’s all about data and insights.
ABM requires a new way of thinking and engaging with your most valuable accounts.
And this new way needs a different type of Marketer.
It requires a unique set of skills - not only Marketing skills but also commercial skills and much more.
What does a great ABMer look like?
A while back I asked the LinkedIn community what they thought made a great ABMer. This graphic summarizes their thoughts on these key attributes.
There's a lot of psychology in ABM as Blake Williams rightly points out: “Being thoughtful as an ABMer enables you to succeed because you’re able to really consider the impact you're going to have on the experience you create for buyers.”
Blake WilliamsFounder & CMOGrowthStory
Gabrielle Pirzad agrees "It's not just about putting ourselves in the customers' shoes but also in the shoes of sales colleagues, peers, vendors, etc."
Gabrielle PirzadDirector, ABM Strategy & Global ProgramsCloud Software
ABM is all about the people as Jess Larkin says “Focus on building relationships instead of completing transactions.”
Jess LarkinSenior Manager, Strategic MarketingConfluent
Niels van Melick believes "ABMers need an obsession with customers. Campaigns will drastically improve if marketers start thinking more like their audience instead of thinking like a marketer."
Niels van MelickFounder & CEOLeadwave
Sophia Agustina: “ABM is ultimately merely customer relationship management. You can have the best tactics and creativity in the world but if you don’t care, if you are not obsessed about the customer - nothing works. You gotta love the customer. Need I say more about lovin’ the customer?!”
Sophia AgustinaMarketing leaderCMO Council
Nancy Carlyle Harlan believes: "ABMers need an understanding of, and (preferably) experience, selling themselves."
Nancy Carlyle HarlanVP Global Account Based MarketingUiPath
Tania Saez adds "A strong business acumen is required to have a cross-functional view of the company and understand company and market dynamics."
Tania SaezB2B Growth AdvisorTania Saez Consulting
Uwe Nettelbeck believes “A 360-degree view of Marketing, plus a business development component and being part of a sales team is essential.”
Uwe NettelbeckAccount Based Marketing LeadBT
Madhusudan Krishnamoorthy cites "patience, willingness to experiment, learn from the failures, adapt and improvise."
Madhusudan KrishnamoorthySr. Manager | Account-based MarketingAveva
Davis Potter thinks you need the right tools in your arsenal and be the "Swiss Army knife of Marketing".
Davis PotterCEOForgeX
Hillary Carpio believes ABMers need "incessant curiosity - which leads to incessant innovation - absolutely required to meet the dynamic needs of the sales teams."
Hillary CarpioSr. Director, Growth MarketingSnowflake
Dakoda Anderson agrees "I would add curiosity. The best ABMers are genuinely curious and natural problem solvers."
Dakoda AndersonSenior Demand Generation Manager, ABMDynatrace
Fes Askari: 'Curious' is a big one for me...
'How can I help this customer understand X?''How can I help our CMO drive more value from their investment in Y?''How can I help Sales better understand this account?'
…always be asking - you may not solve it all but you learn where the priorities are!
Fes AskariDirector of Sales & Strategic Accountsstrategicabm
Heather Barnett says "You can be the best marketer in the world but if you can't get other people excited about ABM, persuade them to commit time to it...then you're going to struggle to get anything off the ground."
Heather BarnettB2B copywriter
Mathew Kent agrees that you need to be "a great networker and act like a consultant."
Mathew KentEMEA Field Marketing Manager & ABM LeadHitachi Vantara
Seleste Lunsford says "ABMers love learning about new business issues, new verticals... big-time business consultant vibes."
Seleste LunsfordChief Strategy & Research OfficerEmissary
Christian Weiss adds “It's a passion for your accounts and the success of them AND your account team.”
Christian WeissDirector, Account-based Marketing CEAutodesk
Steve Watt shares a great point: "I'd add creative. Every ABM program I've built or participated in building has had a strong creative element."
Steve WattDirector, Market InsightsSeismic
Omprakash Karuppanan believes great ABMers have to possess great "research skills for account Intelligence."
Omprakash KaruppananCMOFuego Systems
Stephen May explained: “'Strategic' able to step above the tactical and see the wood for the trees The ability to quickly join together related themes into one coherent story and strategy. They can quickly weigh alternative paths and determine the one that will work best and most efficiently. They find the best route moving forward.”
Stephen MayChief Sales & Marketing OfficerHR GO
Check out the original LinkedIn post and the great comments from B2B Marketers and ABMers.
