Buyer Intent Data
Article | September 11, 2023
The shift in buyer behavior has increased the opportunities for digital ABM. Organizations implementing ABM are seeing significant success. But what does the situation in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) market look like? ABM is still not well understood in EMEA. Two out of every three ABM programs are not showing optimal performance (Heinz ABM Research). However, things might not be as bleak as they seem.
Talking about the 2021 State of ABM in Europe report by Terminus, Albany Vincent, Senior Research Manager at Vanson Bourse said, “While we were not shocked to see the US to be moderately ahead of Europe in their ABM maturity, we were surprised to see how much more eager European companies were to adopt these practices and their American counterparts. It appears to be a very exciting time to be a marketer- especially in Europe."
Europe has stringent data laws, so the account-based approach could be the only way for sustainable growth for organizations based in EMEA.
Do You Know Enough About ABM Execution?
Taking into account the ever-evolving account-based approach, here are five things you should know about ABM and how to implement it for optimal performance:
A Curated Account List Is the Secret Ingredient
Your target account list should be the result of a conversation between your sales and marketing teams using as much high-quality data as possible. Start off by implementing the program on a small number of accounts and analyze your ROI. Then, periodically revaluate your team performance, tools, skills, and messaging to clear the path for ABM success.
Your Sales and Marketing Teams Should Share Their Pizzas
Sales and marketing synchronization is the most basic requirement of ABM. The marketing team can enable sales with target accounts’ interests and behavior data. The sales team, on the other hand, can give the marketing team insights into key members of the target account buying group. According to research by ZoomInfo, when the sales and marketing teams are aligned, organizations have a 36% higher customer retention rate and a 67% improved chance of converting leads.
Depending Only on MQLs Will Not Get You Far
The TechTarget 2021 Media Consumption Survey highlighted that most buying teams have an average of five people, but can also be more than ten. Understanding the intent of the individuals from the buyer group and offering them value through every sales and marketing interaction is crucial to the success of your ABM strategy. Depending on only MQLs can limit the potential of your ABM.
Only Strategic Content Brings in the Results You Want
Your target accounts are flooded with content every day. To stand out in the crowd and appeal to the individuals in the buying group, you need to align your content with their customer personas. The content should address their pain points and needs. It should be crafted based on an account’s maturity, challenges, and technical abilities.
ABM Isn’t Your Regular Marketing Strategy
ABM is a strategic approach where the marketing and sales teams share their insights through the account interactions of everyone in an account. Then they collectively reach out to the whole buying team rather than targeting just a few individuals. ABM takes a detailed look at the target account and aligns your business with your prospects’ needs and pain points, and this easily surpasses a regular marketing strategy.
Circling Back
ABM in EMEA is still evolving. Therefore, organizations need to make special efforts to implement ABM effectively, keeping the target accounts in focus and understanding the attributes of ABM in detail to get the most out of it.
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Buyer Intent Data
Article | October 7, 2022
Inconsistent language in B2B marketing is becoming a growing hurdle for collaboration.
I attended a workshop recently that brought together members of different marketing functions to train them on ABM. The task was simple enough: Act as the agency and put together an ABM brief. We didn’t have any trouble understanding the assignment. We just couldn’t seem to speak the same language.
We were discussing the same topics and working toward the same goal. But the variations in how each of us used established B2B marketing terms made collaboration harder. And so, it got me thinking. How often have you sat in a meeting and understood what someone has said but not what they’ve meant? Sure, you understand that impressions measure how many times someone’s seen your ad. But why does it matter? How does it contribute to revenue growth and the overall performance of the campaign? What does it mean to me?
I was reminded of when we were learning a foreign language in school. You could try directly translating a sentence to English, but chances are it wouldn’t make much sense. A translation would only add up when you understood its grammatical and syntactical context. So, if we (no matter how humorously) consider B2B marketing a language of its own, why aren’t we as rigorous in policing our use of terminology?
Growing pains
In the past, B2B marketing departments were seen as single-focus, cost center arms of a business. Since then, the Marketing remit has grown considerably. Tools and technology allow us to work on everything from insights and analytics to bespoke, hyper-personalized 1:1 ABM programs. Sales and Marketing alignment is helping prove our contribution to the bottom line. And we’re finally becoming a revenue center.
But I think there’s a catch. The same increased responsibilities that allow us to connect our marketing activity to revenue have made the language we use more inconsistent. Teams are more specialized than ever. And the size of the marketing department has expanded massively. There are even employees in the same functions who’ve never said a word to each other.
This creates bubbles of intradepartmental dialects. Linguistic nuances that create collaborative hurdles between teams, departments, and even organizations. Time that should be spent planning, producing, and activating is lost to soul-destroying email chains and inane meetings clarifying points of uncertainty. Things I’m sure we’d all be happier without.
The effects on business
Then there are the impacts inconsistent language has on your business. Brief your teams unclearly and budget/resource that could be used more productively is squandered on multiple revisions. Chains of stakeholder questions that could have been easily avoided with greater context can result in strained working relationships. Levels of employee stress can increase out of fear of asking a question and sounding stupid. And perhaps the scariest of all – misunderstandings of key deliverables that find their way through to your final outputs.
Standardizing our use of language can help alleviate these challenges. Key performance metrics will always differ between functions. KPIs like leads generated and engagement will be valuable to your Marketing or social teams, but not Sales whose sole focus is accelerating pipeline. But it’s context that helps tie everything together.
It saves you questioning why everyone’s talking about split testing and not A/B testing (before realizing they’re the same thing an hour into the discussion). It clarifies why certain conversations are happening, sets clear expectations of what needs to be done and by whom, and breaks down siloes between departments. It stops important points of discussion from being lost in translation.
Speaking the same language
Driving revenue through a more unified marketing and sales function is becoming core to what we do. But we need to take a step back and evaluate our use of terminology. Before considering Sales and Marketing alignment, our marketing teams have to speak the same language.
Collaboration is a product of good communication. But siloes across your marketing department can stand in the way of productivity. Making a concerted effort to convey the scope and role of specific marketing functions, core metrics necessary for success, and ways of working for each team helps promote a more collaborative work culture.
It’s our responsibility to ensure we’re all on the same page before starting group projects or aligning with other branches of business. Recognizing the inconsistencies in our language and addressing them in advance helps reduce wasted time and resource. It sets us up for success by reducing the number of roadblocks in the way of our work and path to revenue growth.
Marketing departments in B2B industries will likely continue to grow. And for organizations like B2B tech enterprises, the challenges associated with inconsistent language are only exacerbated by teams spread by geo, mother tongue, and culture. Creating clear and consistent rules for the language we use as B2B marketers can help overcome these barriers, allowing us to focus on creating exceptional marketing.
Some ways forward
So, how do we create guidelines for more consistent marketing language? I won’t say I have all the answers. But I do think there needs to be a shift in employee education and training with a view to standardizing nomenclature. Glossaries that include company-specific frameworks can be a great way to provide context and meaning to your business’ use of terminology.
Pre-recorded video resources with your subject matter experts can be paired with an intranet site to offer a more interactive, always-on education and training solution. Or, better still, regular workshops across departments to promote cross-functional understanding of why terms are used at certain times.
I’d also recommend reviewing your corporate team structures to see which stakeholders have a seat at the table. Changes in how your teams communicate can only come from the top down. And a reflection on how your use of language affects those you work with, through researching communication processes/best practices or otherwise, can be a step toward fostering a more collaborative work culture.
Establishing clear definitions for common language allows us to work closer together. It breaks down barriers to collaboration and lets us focus on common business goals. If Marketing really wants to become a revenue center, we need to start speaking the same language.
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Account Based Data
Article | August 19, 2022
Discover the key to enhancing marketing expertise through a carefully curated selection of top buyer intent data books to create effective targeted and customer-centric marketing campaigns.
In the dynamic marketing world, achieving a competitive edge requires a deep understanding of buyer intent data. Businesses can gain invaluable insights into their target audience's preferences, needs, and motivations by deciphering the intricacies of buyer intent. With the ability to unlock valuable insights into consumer preferences and behaviors, buyer intent data empowers businesses to create targeted and effective marketing strategies.
This article presents a curated selection of expert-level books that will empower businesses and marketers to master buyer intent data and optimize their marketing strategies. As the marketing landscape continues to evolve rapidly, businesses and marketers must explore the top books that delve into this subject matter and assist them in creating customized strategies, enhancing customer experiences, and driving meaningful business outcomes.
1. Total Customer Growth: Win and Grow Customers for Life with ABM and ABX
Author: Adam Turinas and Ben Person
A comprehensive guide, Total Customer Growth: Win and Grow Customers for Life with ABM and ABX, unveils the power of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and Account-Based Experience (ABX) in driving long-term customer growth and loyalty. Authored by industry experts Adam Turinas and Ben Person, the book offers a strategic framework for businesses to adopt a holistic approach toward building a sustainable, long-term business model. It also explains in detail how-to guides, strategic rationales, examples, and references to online resources.
2. No Forms. No Spam. No Cold Calls: The Next Generation of Account-Based Sales and Marketing
Author: Latané Conant
No Forms. No Spam. No Cold Calls: The Next Generation of Account-Based Sales and Marketing by Latané Conant is a groundbreaking book that revolutionizes traditional sales and marketing approaches by introducing a forward-thinking strategy for account-based success. It delivers an enlightening and engaging guide for salespeople and marketers on how to use technology to identify prospects and place them at the center of all they do. Conant, an esteemed industry expert, reveals strategies for building a tech stack that prioritizes their customers and ways for chief marketing officers to stop playing defense and go on offense.
3. Innovative B2B Marketing: New Models, Processes and Theory
Author: Simon Hall
With extensive expertise and profound industry insights, Simon Hall introduces readers to avant-garde strategies, cutting-edge models, and transformative processes that challenge conventional B2B marketing practices in his book, Innovative B2B Marketing: New Models, Processes and Theory. The book goes beyond the ordinary, offering practical examples, real-world case studies, and theoretical frameworks that empower marketing professionals to embrace creativity, adaptability, and customer-centricity in their B2B endeavors. It is an indispensable resource for marketing practitioners, strategists, and visionary leaders seeking to redefine the boundaries of B2B marketing and take their organizations to new heights of success.
4. Revenue Operations: A New Way to Align Sales & Marketing, Monetize Data, and Ignite Growth
Author: Stephen G. Diorio and Chris K. Hummel
Authored by renowned experts Stephen G. Diorio and Chris K. Hummel, Revenue Operations: A New Way to Align Sales & Marketing, Monetize Data, and Ignite Growth introduces the concept of Revenue Operations (RevOps) as a transformative strategy for organizations. It explains in detail how to connect the dots across an increasingly complex technology ecosystem to simplify selling and accelerate revenue expansion. This essential read is a compass for executives, sales and marketing professionals, and business leaders aiming to unlock their organization's full potential and achieve sustained success in today's dynamic marketplace.
5. Account-Based Growth: Unlocking Sustainable Value Through Extraordinary Customer Focus
Author: Bev Burgess and Tim Shercliff
A groundbreaking guide, Account-Based Growth: Unlocking Sustainable Value Through Extraordinary Customer Focus, explores the transformative power of account-based growth strategies in the realm of business-to-business (B2B) marketing. Drawing on their extensive expertise and real-world experiences, Bev Burgess and Tim Shercliff provide a robust framework for businesses to align their marketing, sales, customer success and executives around the customers. Each element of the framework is brought to life through viewpoints from industry experts and case studies from leading organizations, including Accenture, Fujitsu, Infosys, SAP, Salesforce, ServiceNow and Telstra.
6. Customer Data Platforms: Use People Data to Transform the Future of Marketing Engagement
Author: Martin Kihn and Christopher B. O'Hara
Authored by industry experts, Martin Kihn and Christopher B. O'Hara, Customer Data Platforms: Use People Data to Transform the Future of Marketing Engagement delves into the transformative capabilities of customer data platforms (CDPs) and their profound impact on marketing strategies. The book offers a deep understanding of CDPs and explains how to use AI and machine learning to drive the future of personalization. With this knowledge, marketers can create a data-driven culture that puts customers at the center and craft personalized and targeted campaigns that resonate with their audience, fostering meaningful connections and driving long-term loyalty.
7. Transforming the B2B Buyer Journey: Maximize Brand Value, Improve Conversion Rates and Build Loyalty
Author: Antonia Wade
Transforming the B2B Buyer Journey: Maximize Brand Value, Improve Conversion Rates, And Build Loyalty is a compelling and insightful book that illuminates the path to revolutionizing the B2B buyer journey. Written by an award-winning Chief Marketing Officer, Antonia Wade, the book provides a step-by-step guide to mapping the buyer journey, metrics, aligning channels, and tactics according to their needs at each stage. With a keen focus on the buyer's journey, the book provides practical insights and real-world examples of how to reengineer marketing's relationship with sales and develop marketing as a real lever for business growth.
Conclusion
As marketing continues to evolve, mastering buyer intent data is crucial for marketers aiming to succeed in 2023 and beyond. The curated list of expert-level books provides valuable insights, strategies, and frameworks to help marketers effectively harness buyer intent data's power. Marketers can tailor their strategies, enhance customer experiences, and drive meaningful business outcomes by understanding the nuances of buyer intent.
Armed with this knowledge, they can create highly tailored and engaging campaigns that resonate with customers on a profound level, ultimately driving increased brand affinity, customer loyalty, and revenue growth. Immerse in these top books and unlock the potential of buyer intent data to propel your marketing expertise to new heights.
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Core ABM
Article | May 20, 2021
Account Based Marketing (ABM) is not a new concept in B2B marketing. However, as an important integrated B2B marketing and sales approach, we don’t think it is widely understood or used as it should be in B2B media/events businesses and professional membership organisations.
Regardless of the size of your organisation, product types, or the sectors you serve, every senior business leader and marketer should be embracing ABM and integrating it as part of their overall marketing strategy.
If you’re keen to learn more about ABM – what it is, why it is important and how you put it into practice, read on!
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