OnBase: Smashing Sales and Marketing Misalignments Ep. 435 | Navigating the ABM Landscape - Unveiling Expert Insights and Pitfalls to Avoid
Episode Summary
In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Jordan Saucedo interviews Renny Fidlon on navigating challenges in ABM like a seasoned pro. Renny highlights the shift from lead-based models to strategic account approaches and emphasises aligning marketing with sales in B2B sales. He discusses common ABM pitfalls and the importance of showcasing ROI to leadership. Renny shares advice for B2B SaaS marketers, emphasising predicting client intent and providing value-added tools. He also stresses sales adoption as crucial when launching ABM platforms and suggests businesses pivot from sales enablement to buying enablement in the current unpredictable economy. Renny encapsulates the mantra "Do Less, Better" and consistently champions the need to showcase value to customers.
About the Guest
As VP of Marketing at SproutLoud, Renny Fidlon is responsible for building a predictable, repeatable revenue engine. He oversees SproutLoud’s branding, marketing programs, product marketing, revenue operations, and sales development. With over 25 years in strategy and marketing, Fidlon has spent the last decade scaling high-growth Enterprise B2B SaaS and technology companies. Prior to SproutLoud, Fidlon led global marketing teams at Aria Systems, Optymyze, Softmart (acquired by Connection), and Audience Partners (acquired by Altice USA). Renny holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Pennsylvania. When not immersed in data, Fidlon spends most of his free time travelling, watching movies, and playing games with his wife and three children.
Key Takeaways
A successful ABM approach prioritises the needs of sellers and supports them in scaling their efforts strategically.
Do Less, Better: Concentrate resources efficiently to get the best outcomes.
Marketing's primary role is to support sales motions, expanding and prioritising them as needed.
Beware the assumption that all buying group members are synchronised in their buyer's journey.
For effective ABM, marketing should aim to connect with individuals that sales might overlook, often those at the top of the funnel.
Manual tracking, while labour-intensive, can offer insightful statistics to underscore marketing strategies.
Prioritise quality over quantity; it's about doing fewer things exceptionally rather than spreading oneself thin.
Always prioritise long-term success over immediate, potentially superficial results.
Sales adoption is paramount for the successful implementation of ABM platforms.
First impressions matter: if sales teams aren't impressed initially, winning them over later becomes challenging.
After the acquisition, customers should quickly see the value and be guided in measuring success over time.
Turn customers into advocates by consistently showcasing the value provided.
Quote
“One of the biggest things that I see all the time is people trying to align their campaigns to a buyer's journey at the account level. The problem is that not all the members of a buying group or the influences of that buying group are in the same place in their buyer's journey.” – Renny Fidlon
Recommended Resource
Dan Pink - Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
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