How to Create ABM-driven GTM Strategy

Investors are continuously driving company founders and the C-suite to provide a predictable revenue machine. 

A GTM that uses ABM tactics is the most predictable of them all. GTM strategies open your eyes, heighten your market awareness, and prevent you from releasing a product that isn’t necessary. You know:

• What stage of business you are currently in
• Who your market is
• How your going to Go To Market
• What you need to execute

Putting together a GTM strategy doesn’t happen overnight; it requires research and hard work. It all boils down to two things: time and resources. In business, time and resources are both valuable commodities; if you don’t invest the time in completing a GTM, you’ll not only waste a ton of cash, but you’ll also waste your own time and that of a lot of other people. These easy-to-follow steps can streamline the process.

Step 1.  Have a good look at where your business is at (and get uncomfortable.) 

Shared from the great book by Sangram Vajre, MOVE, here is the start of business stage assessment criteria.

Which of these most accurately represents the stage of your business?

 Ideation: We are testing our hypotheses of the problem that we believe can be solved by the solution we are still building for the customers we have and the customers we believe are out there (likely less than $20 million in revenue). 

 Transition: We have a product with a cohort of happy customers, and we are looking to capture market share and gain or maintain a leadership position in our category (likely between $10 and $150 million in revenue).

 Execution: Our potential to grow through existing customers far exceeds net new business, and we are developing new solutions and offerings to solve more of their problems and expand into new categories to solve more of their problems and expand into new categories (likely around $100 million or in higher revenue). 

What metrics are most important to your business now? In other words, what stuff keeps you up at night?

 Metrics by Function: CPL, MQLs, outbound KPIs, meetings booked, Opp creation, funnel conversion rates, closed won revenue

 Metrics by Segments: Performance by segments: engaged accounts, pipeline coverage, deal velocity, ACV, CAC, GRR, magic number

 Metrics by Customers Cohorts: NRR, expansion, LTV, gross margins, mulitiproduct expansion

These are a subset of some of the questions you should be asking yourself.  For a full assessment, reach out to us here. 

Step 2. Build your ideal customer profile. 

You need to know exactly who your target market is, which is why creating an ideal customer profile, at the account level, is crucial. These profiles are based on who represents your ideal customer base, and they are useful during the prospecting and lead-generation stages.

Step 3: Identify the personas within.

Make a chart listing each of your customer personas. For each customer persona, list their pain points, how your product is valuable in relation to those pain points, and a clear description of how your product will solve the pain points.

Step 4. Craft your messaging.

Your product marketing team should create a value matrix to zero in on messaging that best connects your product to the problem it's solving. A value matrix is an essential tool for understanding the buyer's journey.

Step 5. Assess your resources.

At this stage, you need to assess how to squeeze the most amount of juice of the work you’ve done so far.  

A list of items to consider:

•  What CRM are you using to hold your Target Account lists

•  How and at what stage are you researching your Personas within those accounts

•  What triggers are moving your accounts through their stages

•  Are your target account lists in alignment with your sales team

•  Follow up question:  is your sales team enabled and prepared for their outreach in an orchestrated way

•  What ABM platform serves your needs the best?  
•  What are you going to measure?
•  How are you going to report on your campaigns?  
   

Step 6. Build & orchestrate your campaigns.

Going to market with ABM requires a solid understanding of the different stages an account goes through in their lifetime with your company.  

Typically, an account will go through:

Non Awareness: No knowledge of pain point. Or, aware of pain point/acceptance of pain point as a way of life, no knowledge that there is a solution, or that your company has a solution.

Awareness:  Aware that there is a pain point. Aware that there is a solution.  Aware of your company.

Intent:  Researching solutions.

Engage:  Actively communicating with Company.

Conversion:  From SQL to On boarding hand off.

On-boarding:  Period of time the account is with On boarding.

Retention:  Paying users of the platform.

Expansion:  As the product evolves, there may be opportunities for expansion.  

Creating orchestrated messaging will influence content and outreach design throughout each of these account stages.  Considering orchestration as a whole is key to delivering a great prospect to customer experience.

Download the full GTM with ABM Ebook here.