I always enjoy talking shop with Kathy Maachi and Patrice Greene of Inverta. They provide a much needed (yet usually avoided) nuanced perspective on B2B marketing trends and practices.
…plus, Kathy always laughs at my stupid jokes.
And while I could shoot the proverbial marketing shit with Kathy and Patrice all day long about any number of topics, they’ve specifically become my go-to source for deeper insights on account-based marketing (or account-based revenue).
So, during May’s SiriusDecisions Summit, I managed to sequester them into a backroom of a restaurant, thinking it would be a quiet place to conduct and interview. I was wrong. But while the audio quality leaves something to be desired, it’s definitely outweighed by the value of Patrice’s and Kathy’s perspectives, opinions and advice on ABM.
The Questions
- ABM continues to gain steam as a B2B marketing strategy. You stress the need to focus on account-based revenue. Why is that?
- What’s the first question you ask marketing teams when you sit down to help them with their ABM strategy?
- In what ways do B2B marketers consistently miss the mark on their account-based strategies and what can they do to improve them?
Interview Takeaways
- ABM can’t be effective if treated solely as a marketing activity; revenue is the ultimate goal. Thus, marketing must collaborate with sales, customer success and other business units if your account strategy is to succeed.
- Before launching an ABM program, ask yourself:
- Do we have buy-in from sales?
- Where do we want revenue to come from: existing accounts, new accounts or new markets?
- Inbound marketing alone isn’t enough for successful ABM – you must embrace outbound tactics too.
- ABM isn’t just targeted marketing – you must conduct in-depth research on each account, understanding who the decision-makers are as well as their problems and business needs.
