Account-Based Marketing (ABM) has cemented its place as a go-to strategy for driving targeted, high-value results. But for ABM to truly shine, it needs a strong partnership with sales, and that’s where sales enablement steps in.
We had a conversation with Katie O’Neill, founder and principal of Noetic Sales Enablement, to get her take on bridging the gap between marketing and sales, creating tailored ABM strategies, and much more. Here’s what we learned.
Aligning Sales Teams for ABM Success
One of the biggest challenges with ABM is ensuring sales teams are ready to engage with target accounts effectively. Katie’s formula for success? Alignment, preparation, and a touch of personalization.
“First, make sure your sales team knows the resources available to them,” Katie shared. “Then, tailor those resources to the specific industries and personas you’re targeting. A CTO in healthcare has very different priorities than a CTO in telecommunications.”
Her advice extends to doing light LinkedIn research to understand your prospects better, but draw the line at anything that feels overly intrusive.
“Everyone appreciates some personalization, but keep it professional. Highlight their contributions to an article or a company initiative rather than diving into personal social media.”
Crafting Tailored Content for Target Accounts
Content is king in ABM, but only if it’s tailored to your audience. Katie emphasized the importance of creating materials that complement the sales narrative rather than dictate it.
“The content should support the story, not tell it. Salespeople are natural storytellers, and your slide deck or one-pager should enhance their talk track,” Katie said.
She also underscored the need for sales enablement to provide flexible, editable materials so sales reps can make the message their own; as long as they stick to the core value proposition.
Onboarding and Continuous Learning: The ABM Edition
Bringing new team members up to speed on ABM and maintaining ongoing education are critical for sustained success. Katie’s solution? Branding your training programs and keeping the cadence flexible.
“Everyone loves a brand,” Katie said. “At a previous organization, we revamped our training program, gave it a fresh name and logo, and suddenly the team engaged with it more.”
Katie’s team hosted monthly training sessions, weekly updates, and regular forums to keep everyone informed.
Importantly, they packaged the information in different formats to cater to various learning styles, ensuring no one was left out.
Facilitating Feedback Between Sales and Marketing
Creating a seamless feedback loop between sales and marketing is vital for any ABM strategy. Katie stressed the importance of setting clear expectations and checkpoints before campaigns begin.
“Have regular checkpoints to analyze performance data and make tweaks as needed,” Katie advised. “But avoid making too many changes at once; you’ll end up with a data mess and won’t know what worked.”
This structured approach helps both teams adapt their strategies in real-time without losing sight of the overall goals.
Getting Sales to Embrace Tools and Resources
Tools and resources are the backbone of ABM, but they’re only effective if sales teams use them. Katie emphasized the importance of building trust with sales leaders and incentivizing tool adoption.
“Sales leaders need to champion these tools to their teams,” she said. “And let’s be honest, tying CRM updates to commissions is often the most effective way to ensure compliance.”
Katie also suggested giving teams dedicated time to update their CRMs. “Block off time specifically for admin tasks, so there’s no excuse,” she recommended.
Metrics That Matter: Tracking ABM Performance
When it comes to measuring ABM success, Katie’s golden rule is simple: link ABM activities to your CRM and sales funnel data.
“The ideal scenario is having ABM content aligned with sales funnel activities. This creates a clear line of sight from prospecting to closing deals,” she explained.
This approach not only tracks campaign success but also encourages buy-in from sales teams by demonstrating a direct impact on revenue.
Breaking Down Silos Between Sales and Marketing
How can sales and marketing work in harmony? Katie likened sales enablement to a catwalk connecting two silos. Building trust is the first step.
“Sales often thinks marketing doesn’t do much, and marketing thinks the same of sales. Sales enablement’s role is to bridge that gap by creating a feedback loop. Marketing needs to hear what’s happening in the field, and sales needs to understand the strategy behind the content they’re using,” Katie said.
Final Thoughts: Persistence Over Perfection
Katie’s mantra, “persistence over perfection,” is one every ABM professional can learn from. Whether you’re launching a campaign, tweaking your messaging, or aligning teams, staying the course is key.
“ABM requires intentionality and trust in the process,” she concluded. “When sales, marketing, and enablement work together, the results are worth it.”
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