Account-Based Marketing (ABM) can be a powerful engine for B2B growth, but like any complex system, it can sometimes sputter or stall. Restarting an ABM program after a period of inactivity presents unique challenges. Whether you’re reviving a program that lost momentum or adapting to a changed market, understanding these common hurdles is crucial for a successful relaunch. These challenges were identified through a combination of analyzing expert opinions, case studies, and industry research.

It’s important to recognize that securing strong buy-in from senior leadership is paramount when restarting your ABM program1. Leadership support ensures the necessary resources are allocated and emphasizes the strategic importance of ABM within the organization. Demonstrating early successes and tangible results can help maintain this buy-in, building momentum and proving the value of ABM to justify continued investment.

 

1. Sales and Marketing Alignment

One of the most critical factors in ABM success is strong alignment between sales and marketing teams1. When restarting an ABM program, this alignment may have weakened or become misaligned due to changes in personnel, priorities, or strategies. For example, marketing may be pursuing accounts that don’t align with sales priorities, or sales may be unaware of marketing efforts targeted at key accounts, leading to disjointed messaging and missed opportunities4.

Solutions:

• Re-establish Shared Goals: Conduct joint strategy sessions to ensure both teams are on the same page regarding target accounts, ideal customer profiles, and desired outcomes2. This includes revisiting your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and account qualification criteria to ensure you’re targeting the right companies6.
• Open Communication Channels: Facilitate ongoing dialogue through regular meetings, shared dashboards, and communication platforms to share insights, feedback, and progress updates2. Tools like Slack or dedicated project management software can help streamline communication and keep everyone informed.
• Joint Training and Workshops: Invest in training and workshops to refresh both teams on ABM principles, best practices, and the specific strategies for the relaunched program2. This can help bridge any knowledge gaps and ensure everyone understands their role in the ABM process.
• Clearly Defined Roles and Responsibilities: Ensure each team member understands their role in the ABM process and how their contributions support the overall strategy2. This clarity helps avoid confusion and ensures accountability.

 

2. Data Decay and Incompleteness

ABM relies heavily on accurate and up-to-date data to identify, understand, and engage target accounts. Over time, data can become outdated, incomplete, or even inaccurate, hindering the effectiveness of your ABM efforts4. This “data decay” can manifest in various ways, such as outdated contact information, incomplete account profiles, or inaccurate firmographic data.

Solutions:

• Data Cleansing: Implement a thorough data cleansing process to identify and correct inaccuracies, remove duplicates, and update outdated information in your CRM and other databases5. This might involve using data quality tools or manual review to ensure your data is accurate and consistent.
• Data Enrichment: Invest in data enrichment tools and services to supplement your existing data with valuable insights, such as firmographics, technographics, intent data, and social media activity5. This can help you gain a deeper understanding of your target accounts and personalize your outreach efforts.
• Automate Data Updates: Utilize tools and integrations that automatically capture and update account information from various sources, ensuring your data remains current5. This can include integrating your CRM with social media platforms, marketing automation tools, and other data sources.
• Implement Data Governance: Establish clear policies and procedures for data management, ensuring data quality and consistency across the organization5. This includes defining data ownership, establishing data entry standards, and implementing data validation processes.

 

Type of Data Decay	Solution
Outdated contact information	Regularly update contact information in your CRM, utilize data validation tools, and leverage data enrichment services to ensure accuracy.
Incomplete account profiles	Supplement existing data with firmographic, technographic, and intent data to build comprehensive account profiles.
Inaccurate firmographic data	Implement data cleansing processes to correct inaccuracies and utilize data enrichment services to update information.
Excess data and vanity metrics	Focus on key metrics that directly impact revenue and pipeline growth, such as engagement, deal velocity, and conversion rates7.

3. Lack of Personalization

Personalized content and experiences are the cornerstone of ABM. However, restarting a program may require revisiting your personalization strategies to ensure they align with the current needs and priorities of your target accounts5. Simply put, what resonated with your target accounts a year ago may not be as effective today.

Solutions:

• Deepen Account Research: Conduct thorough research to understand the specific challenges, goals, and priorities of each target account5. This might involve reviewing their website, recent news articles, and social media activity to gain insights into their current focus.
• Segment Your Accounts: Group accounts based on shared characteristics, needs, or buying stage to enable more targeted and relevant messaging5. This allows you to tailor your content and outreach to specific segments, increasing the chances of engagement.
• Leverage Account Insights: Utilize intent data, engagement history, and other insights to personalize content and tailor your outreach efforts5. For example, if an account has shown interest in a particular solution, you can provide them with relevant case studies or white papers.
• Create Role-Specific Content: Develop content that addresses the specific needs and interests of different stakeholders within each target account5. A CEO will have different priorities than a marketing manager, so your content should reflect these differences.
• Dynamic Content and Web Personalization: Implement technologies that allow for dynamic content delivery and website personalization based on account characteristics and behavior9. This can create a more tailored experience for each visitor, increasing engagement and conversion rates.

 

4. Measuring and Proving ROI

Demonstrating the value of your ABM program is essential for securing continued buy-in and investment. However, measuring the ROI of ABM can be challenging, especially when restarting a program with potentially outdated metrics or reporting frameworks4. Furthermore, it’s crucial to remember that ABM is a long-term strategy, and results may not be immediate1. Setting realistic expectations with leadership from the outset is crucial to avoid premature abandonment of the program.

Solutions:

• Revisit Your ABM Metrics: Define clear and relevant KPIs that align with your overall business goals and the specific objectives of your relaunched ABM program10. This might involve revisiting your definition of a qualified account and how you attribute revenue to the ABM program.
• Track the Right Metrics: Go beyond vanity metrics and focus on measuring engagement, pipeline growth, deal velocity, and revenue generated from target accounts7. This provides a more accurate picture of the program’s impact on the bottom line.
• Implement Robust Reporting: Utilize dashboards and reporting tools to track progress, visualize key metrics, and demonstrate the impact of your ABM efforts14. This can help you communicate the value of ABM to stakeholders and secure continued support.
• Regularly Review and Analyze Results: Conduct regular reviews of your ABM performance, analyze the data, and make adjustments to your strategies as needed5. This iterative approach allows you to continuously optimize your ABM program for better results.

 

5. Technology and Tool Integration

ABM often involves a variety of technologies and tools, from CRM and marketing automation platforms to account intelligence and engagement solutions. Ensuring these tools are properly integrated and optimized for your relaunched program is crucial for efficiency and effectiveness4. For example, a disconnect between your CRM and marketing automation platform can lead to inconsistent data and missed opportunities.

Solutions:

• Assess Your Tech Stack: Evaluate your existing technology and identify any gaps or areas for improvement in relation to your ABM requirements14. This might involve considering whether your current tools support personalized content delivery, account-based reporting, and efficient campaign management.
• Prioritize Integration: Ensure seamless data flow and communication between your various ABM tools through integrations and APIs5. This allows for a more unified view of your target accounts and streamlines your workflows.
• Invest in ABM-Specific Tools: Consider investing in ABM platforms that offer comprehensive features for account identification, engagement, and measurement15. Platforms like 6sense, Demandbase, and Engagio provide specialized functionalities for ABM, such as account scoring, predictive analytics, and personalized campaign execution.
• Training and Adoption: Provide adequate training to your team on how to effectively utilize the ABM tools and integrate them into their workflows5. This ensures that your team can leverage the full potential of your ABM technology stack.

 

Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Restarting ABM

In addition to the five key challenges outlined above, there are several common pitfalls that can derail your ABM relaunch:

• Treating ABM as a “set it and forget it” initiative: ABM requires continuous monitoring, analysis, and optimization to stay relevant and effective5. Regularly review your campaigns, gather feedback from your sales and marketing teams, and be prepared to adjust your strategies as needed.
• Overlooking the importance of content personalization: Generic content won’t cut it in ABM5. Invest time in understanding your target accounts’ specific needs and challenges and create content that resonates with their unique situations.
• Relying on outdated or inaccurate data: Data decay can significantly hinder your ABM efforts5. Ensure your CRM data is clean, accurate, and up-to-date before launching your campaigns.
• Failing to secure buy-in from sales: ABM requires close collaboration between sales and marketing5. Ensure your sales team is on board with the ABM strategy and understands their role in the process.
• Neglecting to track and measure results: Without proper measurement, you won’t be able to demonstrate the value of your ABM program5. Define clear KPIs and track your progress regularly to ensure you’re on track to achieve your goals.

 

Conclusion

Restarting an ABM program requires careful planning, execution, and ongoing optimization. By addressing the five common challenges outlined in this article – sales and marketing alignment, data decay, lack of personalization, measuring ROI, and technology integration – and avoiding the common pitfalls, you can reignite your ABM engine and drive meaningful growth by focusing on your highest-value accounts.

It’s important to remember that these challenges are often intertwined. For example, data decay can exacerbate personalization issues, and misalignment between sales and marketing can hinder ROI measurement. A holistic approach that addresses all these challenges in tandem is crucial for achieving ABM success.

Finally, consider a phased approach to your ABM relaunch. Start with a pilot program focused on a smaller group of target accounts. This allows you to test your strategies, gather data, and make adjustments before scaling up to a larger program. By learning from your initial efforts and continuously optimizing your approach, you can ensure your ABM program delivers lasting results.

 

 

Works cited

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