This week’s question: Your team is resistant to ABM strategies. How can you overcome their pushback and drive success?
To overcome resistance to ABM strategies and drive success, consider the following approaches:
- Start small with a pilot program. Choose a small group of sales team members who are open to the concept and run a focused ABM campaign with them. This allows you to demonstrate success on a smaller scale before rolling out to the wider organization.
- Educate your team on the benefits of ABM. Help them understand that while they may receive fewer leads overall, the leads will be of higher quality and more likely to convert. Share case studies and success stories from other companies or industries.
- Align goals across departments. Ensure that marketing, sales, and executive leadership are all on the same page regarding ABM objectives and metrics. This alignment helps create buy-in at all levels of the organization.
- Focus on quality over quantity. Shift the mindset from generating a high volume of leads to targeting the right decision-makers within key accounts. Emphasize the value of engaging with 5-10 key stakeholders rather than 50-100 random contacts.
- Provide ongoing training and support. As you implement ABM strategies, offer regular training sessions and resources to help your team adapt to the new approach.
- Celebrate early wins and share success stories. Highlight positive results from your pilot program or initial ABM efforts to build momentum and enthusiasm across the organization.
- Implement a phased approach. Use a “crawl, walk, run” strategy to gradually introduce ABM concepts and tools, allowing your team time to adjust and see the benefits at each stage.
- Foster a partnership mentality between marketing and sales. Emphasize that ABM requires close collaboration between these departments for success.
- Set realistic expectations. Be clear that ABM is a long-term strategy and results may take time to materialize. Use early engagement metrics to show progress in the meantime.
- Leverage technology and data to support your efforts. Implement tools that provide intent data and account intelligence to help your team make more informed decisions and see the value of the ABM approach.
By taking these steps, you can help your team overcome their resistance to ABM and drive successful implementation of these strategies.
