The 3V's of ABM: Volume, Value, and Velocity

Understand what role marketing, sales, and technology should each play in an integrated and strategic ABM campaign.

According to a Demandbase survey, most companies (61%) have a full ABM program in place or are in the midst of a pilot program.

Nearly a third are thinking about getting started in the next 6 months (27%).

Wherever you are in your ABM journey, our framework on the 3V’s of ABM can help:

• Volume: How many accounts are you targeting?

• Value: How much return can you expect from your efforts?

• Velocity: How fast will it take you to see that value?

Marketing and ABM

Marketing is often running point on creating and implementing an ABM plan, but what level marketers you need and what they do depends a lot on your approach.

1-to-1

For reaching out to, supporting, and surrounding 1-to-1 accounts, you need one or more marketing coordinators to do the following:

• Account planning with sales rep

• Targeted campaign creation and content development

• Account engagement and signal forensics

• Events

• Direct mail execution

• Each marketing coordinator can support 7-10 sales reps

1-to-Few

When you choose a slightly larger set of mid-to-high level targets, you’ll need to leverage scale when possible, but still have resources to personalize significantly if the signal exists to validate the additional investment. That means you’ll need one or more ABM managers for the following tasks:

• Campaign creation and execution

• Ads, direct mail, events, content hubs

• Persona-based outreach

• Industry-based outreach

• Buyer stage-based outreach

1-to-Many

In order to go after thousands of accounts, close a few deals quickly, and execute highly-scripted outbound at scale, you’ll need a strategic director of ABM for the following:

• Manage account scoring, tiers, assignment (fit, engagement, intent)

• Manage channel execution (ads, email, direct mail, events, content hubs)

• ABM technology infrastructure/ managing platforms

• Program reporting

Sales and ABM

Although marketing may be getting everyone to the table for ABM, the sales team has to buy into the strategy and participate enthusiastically, or it cannot work.

1-to-1

For the high-touch, high-value, and slow velocity of the 1:1 ABM play, sales can play the following roles:

• Strategic Sellers should be working 5-10 named accounts very deeply - understanding the full buying committee and what their personas, needs, pain points, and goals are.

• The Sales Team Lead should be coaching reps in the trenches day to day on sales process and strategy and supporting AEs in navigating custom contract needs internally

1-to-Few

1-to-few is all about balancing scale with the agility to go deep and personalize when you get string intent signals.

• Sales Account Execs should be working 30-60 accounts each, sharing targeted messaging but trained to go in deep when warranted.

• The Sales Team Lead should be coaching reps in the trenches day-to-day on sales process and strategy.

• Sales Enablement should oversee training, systems, process, tracking (required for large sales teams).

1-to-Many

1-to-many ABM execution can be considered enhanced inbound execution with layers of highly scripted outbound efforts.

• Sales Development Rep (1 SDR can typically support 3-5 AE’s) and should be working hundreds of accounts using an outbound cadence to book meetings for their assigned AE’s.

• Sales Enablement becomes an absolute requirement and should oversee training, systems, process, tracking.

• Inbound Sales Reps should be staffing chat and handling inbound account leads to either book meetings or even close simple deals for their assigned AE.

Technology and ABM

Technology that supports ABM has advanced leaps and bounds in recent years, including tools for account and data enrichment, intent, ABM ad platforms, and ABM platforms. Make sure you have the right tech for the right programs.

1-to-1

The goal of technology in a highly-targeted 1-to-1 ABM campaign should be to secure contact data and surround the contact with targeted messaging and unique campaigns. Consider the following tech:

• Account and contact data and enrichment

• ABM ads

• Content Experience Platform

1-to-Few

1-to-few ABM outreach requires the ability to optimize resources and scale custom content to provide light personalization. Consider the following tech:

• Intent Data

• Account and contact data and enrichment

• ABM ads

• Content Experience Platform

1-to-Many

The goal with a targeted but high-volume ABM campaign is to reduce the time and effort of your employees while still standing out with creative campaigns. Consider the following tech:

• ABM Platform offering intent data + ABM ads

• Account intelligence and sales insights

• Sales engagement solution

• Program and segment reporting

• Website chat

• Content Experience Platform

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We create credible, validated, third-party ROI studies using G2 data, case studies, and other inputs. Our latest ROI study is for Uberflip (and all our ROI studies are available on our website).

Check out the ROI study to learn how Uberflip enables buyers to purchase faster; provides one platform with unique products built for sales, marketing, and success teams; and provides engagement data that shows GTM teams which content is working.

Uberflip customers report the following results

• 200% increase in marketing-attributed revenue

• 366% increase in sign-ups

• 42% increase in sales velocity

• 267% increase in pipeline

If you’re interested in learning how we can help you show credible, third-party ROI, book a 30-minute strategy session with us and we’ll show you how we can help.

Happy June!

The GTM Partners Team

P.S. Please consider joining Vidyard for their Fast Forward Virtual Summit on June 21, 11AM-4PM ET

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