A new financial year is almost here. You’re looking at your targets and objectives. Looked at one way they seem huge, even unreasonable! But when you look again, maybe there’s an easier path. Not winning lots and lots of deals, but instead landing that one big account.
It sounds great, but if it was that easy, everyone would be doing it. Maybe we can help. Over years of delivering campaigns into large enterprises, we’ve learned a few things that might help you. Some might feel obvious, but there’s a few things here that might surprise you:
Targeting
Is the big account you want to win, the big account you can win? What level of research have you done to identify that this is the best opportunity? Today there are no shortage of research tools, intent trackers, social media monitors that can help you get a sense for where opportunities really lie. The point is that if you’re going to invest in landing that big account, make sure you’re chasing the right opportunities.
Allocating resources
Whilst ABM at scale, using a programmatic approach can reduce risk and help keep a lid on the amount invested per account, when you’re targeting just a few accounts, the costs and risks are going to be higher. In our experience it’s really important to start with a clear idea of how much time and effort you’re willing to invest in each of your target accounts and over how long.
Make it even more personal
Yes, personalising ads and emails with your target company’s name can generate higher response rates, but if you’re committed to landing that big target account then personalisation needs to go much further than that. The conversation needs to fundamentally shift, from you, your products, your capability, to them, their challenges, their timelines, their limitations. It means being timely, responding to events and successes in their world. It means not being always on ‘sell’ but simply celebrating their wins and victories, even when you’re not involved.
Take a chance – get noticed
There’s a time to play things safe. No one wants to risk established relationships with established customers. But when you’re trying to open new doors, many marketers can forget that simply being noticed is your biggest challenge. How can you take a different stance to your competitors? How can you go against the grain, surprise with the unexpected? At Rooster Punk we can help you find the story that’ll help you stand out, help you draw people in, and certainly make sure you’re noticed!
Soft measures
We all love measuring revenue and sales, but when targeting a few accounts that’s not going to be very illuminating. Instead you need to put in place some softer measures and metrics that will let you understand when and where you’re being successful. That can include the obvious things such as clicks and engagement with content, but also look for when you’re gaining traction with a new department or division, when a new channel is proving effective, or when people are not merely downloading a single asset but signing up for newsletters.
It’s about relationships stupid
Close working between sales and marketing is key for any type of ABM. But when you’re focused on a few big opportunities that’s even more important. The reality is that banner ads or emails don’t land big deals, people do. It’s vital to remember that a key goal is always to help your sales teams build real relationships with both decision makers and influencers. That means that your relationship with them needs to be closer that ever.