Sep 24, 2024

ABM Checklist: Cross-Functional Team Collaboration

Discover essential strategies for successful Account-Based Marketing (ABM) through cross-functional collaboration and effective team alignment.

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a B2B strategy that treats high-value accounts as individual markets. It requires collaboration across departments to be effective. Here's what you need to know:

  • ABM focuses on quality over quantity, targeting specific high-potential accounts

  • 77% of B2B marketers saw revenue growth with ABM in 2022

  • Success depends on cross-functional teamwork

Key elements for effective ABM:

  1. Team alignment

  2. Clear goals and KPIs

  3. Regular communication

  4. Shared data and insights

  5. Personalized content creation

  6. Multi-channel campaigns

  7. Continuous improvement

To get started:

  • Assess your company's readiness for ABM

  • Build a cross-functional team with members from marketing, sales, customer success, and product

  • Set up processes for collaboration and data sharing

  • Choose the right tech tools to support your ABM efforts

  • Regularly measure and report on results

Remember: ABM is an ongoing process that requires dedication and teamwork to drive growth.

| Department | ABM Role |
| --- | --- |
| Marketing | Lead generation, content creation |
| Sales | Account insights, relationship building |
| Customer Success | User feedback, account health |
| Product | Feature alignment with account needs

Related video from YouTube

Getting ready for teamwork

Before jumping into ABM, make sure your company's set up for success. Here's how:

Check if your company is ready

Look at how your departments work together. Ask:

  • Do sales and marketing collaborate?

  • Are executives on board with ABM?

  • Can you dedicate resources to ABM for 3-6 months?

If you said "no" to any of these, focus on team alignment first.

Find key team members

ABM needs people from different departments who are:

  • Good at cross-department work

  • Skilled in data analysis

  • Strong in content creation

  • Experienced in project management

| Department | ABM Role |
| --- | --- |
| Marketing | Lead gen, content creation |
| Sales | Account insights, relationship building |
| Customer Success | User feedback, account health |
| Product | Feature alignment with account needs

Set clear goals

Get everyone on the same page with goals that:

  • Match your company's objectives

  • Are specific and measurable

  • Have buy-in from all involved departments

Instead of "increase revenue", try "increase revenue from target accounts by 25% in Q3."

Creating your ABM team

Building a strong Account-Based Marketing (ABM) team is crucial. Here's how to assemble a cross-functional group:

Assign roles and tasks

Define each team member's responsibilities:

| Role | Responsibilities |
| --- | --- |
| Marketing | Lead generation, content creation |
| Sales | Account insights, relationship building |
| Customer Success | User feedback, account health |
| Product | Feature alignment with account needs

Choose team members

Select people who excel at cross-departmental collaboration and possess these skills:

  • Data analysis

  • Content creation

  • Project management

Set up team structure

Create a setup that fosters collaboration:

1. Set clear goals

Make sure everyone's on the same page about your objectives.

2. Regular meetings

Schedule check-ins for updates and alignment.

3. Use shared tools

Choose software that enables team-wide visibility and collaboration.

DemandBase, for example, has an eleven-person Funnel Working Group (FWG) comprising sales, marketing, and finance team members.

Your ABM team size can vary based on your company's needs. Some businesses opt for larger teams, while others rely on a few key players to spearhead the effort.

Keeping the team on the same page

Want your ABM team to work like a well-oiled machine? Here's how:

Plan regular meetings

Set up quick, focused meetings:

  • Weekly check-ins

  • Bi-weekly account reviews

  • Monthly analytics deep dives

Choose communication tools

Pick tools that keep everyone in sync:

| Tool Type | Purpose | Examples |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chat apps | Quick updates | <a href="https://slack.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-framer-link="Link:{"url":"https://slack.com/","type":"url"}" data-framer-open-in-new-tab="">Slack</a>, Teams |
| Video calls | Face-to-face talks | <a href="https://www.zoom.com/en/products/virtual-meetings/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-framer-link="Link:{"url":"https://www.zoom.com/en/products/virtual-meetings/","type":"url"}" data-framer-open-in-new-tab="">Zoom</a>, Meet |
| Project tracking | Task management | <a href="https://asana.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-framer-link="Link:{"url":"https://asana.com/","type":"url"}" data-framer-open-in-new-tab="">Asana</a>, <a href="https://trello.com/use-cases/task-management" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-framer-link="Link:{"url":"https://trello.com/use-cases/task-management","type":"url"}" data-framer-open-in-new-tab="">Trello</a> |

Agree on success measures

Make sure everyone's on the same page about what "winning" looks like:

1. Set joint KPIs

Pick metrics that matter to both sales and marketing. Think web traffic from target accounts, conversion rates, and customer retention.

2. Create a shared dashboard

Use a tool like monday.com to show your key metrics at a glance.

3. Review performance regularly

In your monthly meetings, dig into the results and tweak your approach as needed.

Sharing and using data

Data drives ABM success. Here's how to use it:

Find needed data sources

Key data types for ABM:

| Data Type | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Firmographics | Company details | Industry, size, location |
| Engagement | Brand interaction | Website visits, email opens |
| Intent | Buying signals | Product research |
| Technographics | Tech stack info | CRM system, marketing tools |
| Individual | Personal data | Job titles, roles

Set up data sharing rules

Create a system for safe, efficient sharing:

  • Use a central platform for all data

  • Set clear access levels

  • Create a data dictionary

Keep data accurate

Maintain quality:

1. Regular audits

Do monthly data checks.

2. Automated cleaning

Use tools to remove duplicates and update records.

3. Feedback loops

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a B2B strategy that treats high-value accounts as individual markets. It requires collaboration across departments to be effective. Here's what you need to know:

  • ABM focuses on quality over quantity, targeting specific high-potential accounts

  • 77% of B2B marketers saw revenue growth with ABM in 2022

  • Success depends on cross-functional teamwork

Key elements for effective ABM:

  1. Team alignment

  2. Clear goals and KPIs

  3. Regular communication

  4. Shared data and insights

  5. Personalized content creation

  6. Multi-channel campaigns

  7. Continuous improvement

To get started:

  • Assess your company's readiness for ABM

  • Build a cross-functional team with members from marketing, sales, customer success, and product

  • Set up processes for collaboration and data sharing

  • Choose the right tech tools to support your ABM efforts

  • Regularly measure and report on results

Remember: ABM is an ongoing process that requires dedication and teamwork to drive growth.

| Department | ABM Role |
| --- | --- |
| Marketing | Lead generation, content creation |
| Sales | Account insights, relationship building |
| Customer Success | User feedback, account health |
| Product | Feature alignment with account needs

Related video from YouTube

Getting ready for teamwork

Before jumping into ABM, make sure your company's set up for success. Here's how:

Check if your company is ready

Look at how your departments work together. Ask:

  • Do sales and marketing collaborate?

  • Are executives on board with ABM?

  • Can you dedicate resources to ABM for 3-6 months?

If you said "no" to any of these, focus on team alignment first.

Find key team members

ABM needs people from different departments who are:

  • Good at cross-department work

  • Skilled in data analysis

  • Strong in content creation

  • Experienced in project management

| Department | ABM Role |
| --- | --- |
| Marketing | Lead gen, content creation |
| Sales | Account insights, relationship building |
| Customer Success | User feedback, account health |
| Product | Feature alignment with account needs

Set clear goals

Get everyone on the same page with goals that:

  • Match your company's objectives

  • Are specific and measurable

  • Have buy-in from all involved departments

Instead of "increase revenue", try "increase revenue from target accounts by 25% in Q3."

Creating your ABM team

Building a strong Account-Based Marketing (ABM) team is crucial. Here's how to assemble a cross-functional group:

Assign roles and tasks

Define each team member's responsibilities:

| Role | Responsibilities |
| --- | --- |
| Marketing | Lead generation, content creation |
| Sales | Account insights, relationship building |
| Customer Success | User feedback, account health |
| Product | Feature alignment with account needs

Choose team members

Select people who excel at cross-departmental collaboration and possess these skills:

  • Data analysis

  • Content creation

  • Project management

Set up team structure

Create a setup that fosters collaboration:

1. Set clear goals

Make sure everyone's on the same page about your objectives.

2. Regular meetings

Schedule check-ins for updates and alignment.

3. Use shared tools

Choose software that enables team-wide visibility and collaboration.

DemandBase, for example, has an eleven-person Funnel Working Group (FWG) comprising sales, marketing, and finance team members.

Your ABM team size can vary based on your company's needs. Some businesses opt for larger teams, while others rely on a few key players to spearhead the effort.

Keeping the team on the same page

Want your ABM team to work like a well-oiled machine? Here's how:

Plan regular meetings

Set up quick, focused meetings:

  • Weekly check-ins

  • Bi-weekly account reviews

  • Monthly analytics deep dives

Choose communication tools

Pick tools that keep everyone in sync:

| Tool Type | Purpose | Examples |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chat apps | Quick updates | <a href="https://slack.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-framer-link="Link:{"url":"https://slack.com/","type":"url"}" data-framer-open-in-new-tab="">Slack</a>, Teams |
| Video calls | Face-to-face talks | <a href="https://www.zoom.com/en/products/virtual-meetings/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-framer-link="Link:{"url":"https://www.zoom.com/en/products/virtual-meetings/","type":"url"}" data-framer-open-in-new-tab="">Zoom</a>, Meet |
| Project tracking | Task management | <a href="https://asana.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-framer-link="Link:{"url":"https://asana.com/","type":"url"}" data-framer-open-in-new-tab="">Asana</a>, <a href="https://trello.com/use-cases/task-management" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-framer-link="Link:{"url":"https://trello.com/use-cases/task-management","type":"url"}" data-framer-open-in-new-tab="">Trello</a> |

Agree on success measures

Make sure everyone's on the same page about what "winning" looks like:

1. Set joint KPIs

Pick metrics that matter to both sales and marketing. Think web traffic from target accounts, conversion rates, and customer retention.

2. Create a shared dashboard

Use a tool like monday.com to show your key metrics at a glance.

3. Review performance regularly

In your monthly meetings, dig into the results and tweak your approach as needed.

Sharing and using data

Data drives ABM success. Here's how to use it:

Find needed data sources

Key data types for ABM:

| Data Type | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Firmographics | Company details | Industry, size, location |
| Engagement | Brand interaction | Website visits, email opens |
| Intent | Buying signals | Product research |
| Technographics | Tech stack info | CRM system, marketing tools |
| Individual | Personal data | Job titles, roles

Set up data sharing rules

Create a system for safe, efficient sharing:

  • Use a central platform for all data

  • Set clear access levels

  • Create a data dictionary

Keep data accurate

Maintain quality:

1. Regular audits

Do monthly data checks.

2. Automated cleaning

Use tools to remove duplicates and update records.

3. Feedback loops