We're all familiar with Account-Based Marketing (ABM), but it's disappointing to see that its adoption in sales and sales development is lagging. The 'M' in ABM often stands for 'marketing' when it should denote 'motion.' It's high time we rethink the traditional ABM approach and align it more closely with the customer-centric strategies that have revolutionized modern e-commerce.
Embrace a Customer-Centric Approach
Consumers like Amazon have dominated the market by focusing on the customer, not the account. This shift to a customer-centric approach is now permeating the B2B sector, where companies that optimize the customer journey are winning out over those entrenched in siloed thinking.
The Proposal
A Customer-Based Journey Experience: We propose a shift from the account-based to the customer-based journey. This shift involves identifying the ideal buying journey for your customers - from raising awareness about your offerings to the point where they're ready to engage with your company. The customer doesn't care about your internal team organization; they care about interacting with your brand as a whole.
An Account-Based Funnel
Tracking an account-based funnel, which shows the journey from initial interaction to becoming a tenured customer, can provide valuable strategic insights. These insights enable you to revise and optimize your ideal customer journey continually.
Seamless and continuous experience
This customer journey should continue seamlessly past the buying cycle, fostering a continuous relationship that extends through the value delivery phase and into the renewal process. A true account-based motion that transcends organizational boundaries is key, encompassing marketing, sales, customer success, and account management.
Data driven journeys
In an ideal world, your customer's journey starts with their first interaction with your brand and continues through to renewal. You should use historical data to infer the ideal customer journey for similar customers. If you lack the necessary historical data, benchmark against other companies or use intuition to map out this journey.
The Importance for Marketing
Understanding an account-based motion is crucial for marketers who can multiply the impact of their ABM efforts by including sales, sales development, account management, and customer success. With this approach, you're not merely guessing the ideal customer journey, but orchestrating it for every specific customer type.
By shifting the focus from an account-based to a customer-centric approach, B2B SaaS marketers can revolutionize their strategies. In a world that increasingly values the individual customer journey, this shift isn't merely beneficial - it's essential.
