TechBytes with Peter Isaacson, CMO, Demandbase

Tell us how you conceived the idea of launching a book on ABM.

CEO Chris Golec, VP of ABM Strategy Jessica Fewless and I have been wanting to write a definitive book on Account-Based Marketing (ABM) for almost four years now. The concept of the book draws from our collective experiences building our own ABM strategy and teaching our customers and prospects how to do ABM.

What does it take to write a book on ABM? What lessons did you draw from personally while writing the book?

Together, we have a combined 25+ years of experience in ABM. We have participated in 1000+ customer and 2000+ prospect meetings to discuss ABM, conducted 100+ ABM workshops, certified over 3,000 ABM experts, and delivered hundreds of industry presentations. So, we had a base of knowledge that actually made writing the book far easier.

What difference do you expect this book to make to the careers of B2B marketers?

This book is a practical guide by practitioners, for practitioners, with best practices on developing and executing a world-class ABM strategy. It takes readers from “why ABM” to “how to do ABM” and covers everything from getting buy-in to getting your ABM strategy up and running to scaling your ABM efforts.

How much has the MarTech around ABM platforms evolved in the last 2-3 years?

The technology and capabilities of ABM platforms have evolved tremendously over the past few years. If we had written this book 3+ years ago, it would have been very different because technology has changed so quickly over that time. Artificial Intelligence coupled with ABM has led to advances in intent data, precision in targeting, website personalization, dynamic account lists and full-funnel measurement. Additionally, in the past year, we’ve seen CRM, Marketing Automation systems and ABM platforms come together and integrate their account-based data. This tech stack trifecta gives B2B marketers a better way to find and nurture leads, close more deals and convert their target accounts into revenue.

What are the major challenges to deploying ABM tactics with traditional B2B lead-generation campaigns?

ABM is about quality, while traditional lead gen is typically about quantity of leads. Instead of wasting time and money generating leads that sales doesn’t want, ABM helps companies focus their marketing efforts on the accounts that matter the most. This creates more alignment between sales and marketing teams and drives real impact on business metrics such as increasing pipeline and revenue. One of the biggest challenges in shifting from traditional lead gen toward an ABM strategy is in gaining alignment across your company and getting sales and marketing on board and collaborating. It’s essential that all teams involved coordinate programs against targeted accounts, and agree on a set of metrics before moving forward with any ABM program.

What were the major challenges and opportunities for the ABM community in 2018?

2018 was a big year for ABM. Forrester recognized ABM platforms as a key technology category and came out with its first New Wave for ABM Platforms.

And according to a 2018 ABM Benchmark Study, we conducted in collaboration with the ABM Leadership Alliance (ABMLA), ABM programs now account for more than a quarter of total marketing budgets, and ABM principles are influencing the way B2B firms go to the market overall. However, research also indicates that ABM is still relatively new to most marketers, with 52 percent of respondents having implemented ABM for less than a year.

Marketers attending the ABM Innovation Summit 2019 will receive the first copies of the book. Why is the conference such an important platform for the B2B marketing and sales community?”

 The ABM Innovation Summit is the only conference fully dedicated to featuring the latest and greatest technologies, methodologies and best practices in ABM. Attendees will hear real-life case studies, receive expert-level training and move beyond the “why” of ABM into the “how.”

Tell us about the ABM roadmap you are proposing to the ABM community in 2019-2020.

ABM is set to become a core part of the MarTech stack and will serve a central role in connecting data sources. You’ll see more product integrations with Demandbase that will allow B2B marketers to combine known and anonymous data to reach the whole buying committee. You’ll also continue to see AI play a role in advancing ABM by helping marketers get more granular and precise, scale their efforts, and reduce costs by reaching audiences more efficiently.

Thank you for answering all our questions!