ABM strategies for growth: how focus fuels success 

Account-based marketing (ABM) strategies for growth have proven to be a powerful engine for B2B companies seeking long-term impact. At the recent Global ABM Conference, industry leaders like Ryan Almond, Global Vertical Marketing & ABX Director at Henkel, and Kerry Cunningham from 6sense shared insights into how ABM’s focus on specific high-value accounts can transform the buyer’s journey. This focused approach aligns marketing and sales teams, helping ensure that resources are concentrated on accounts with the highest potential for conversion and growth. 

Why focus? ABM zeroes in on the right accounts 

Kerry Cunningham of 6sense highlighted a crucial insight: in today’s buying journey, 81% of buyers have already chosen a preferred vendor before speaking with a sales rep. This makes the identification of ideal customer profiles (ICPs) and high-intent accounts essential. AI-powered tools like 6sense enable marketers to identify and engage with these accounts early, keeping them engaged through a personalised, data-informed approach. 

Henkel’s journey serves as a valuable example of the power of focus. By breaking down traditional silos, Henkel’s team implemented a structured ABM approach that brought sales, marketing, and even supply chain into alignment. As Ryan Almond emphasized, perseverance and maintaining engagement over time were critical to success. If you know you’re targeting the right person at the right account, it’s worth the ongoing effort to build a relationship, even if the process is lengthy. Henkel’s experience shows how ABM strategies for growth requires looking beyond basic metrics like clicks and views.

Ryan Almond from Henkel speaking on account-based marketing strategies at the global ABM conference in London 2024.

Scaling ABM: from pilot to scalable strategy 

As ABM programmes mature, ABM strategies for growth often move from 1-to-1, highly personalised tactics to a scalable 1-to-few or 1-to-many approach. For example, Ping Identity’s Claire Pitman Massie, VP of EMEA Field, Digital & Channel Marketing, discussed how they piloted ABM with an initial set of high-priority accounts, refining their approach along the way. Each pilot helped them reduce setup times and improve cost-effectiveness, ultimately enabling a more efficient, scalable ABM programme. 

Key metrics and perseverance: the backbone of ABM growth 

The Wipro and Demandbase panel underscored that success in ABM isn’t measured by clicks or views. Instead, metrics should focus on deep engagement and sales-ready pipeline contributions. As Kerry Cunningham pointed out, marketing’s role in ABM is to deliver accounts that are truly ready to buy, not just gather leads. When combined with patience and commitment, end-to-end measurement can turn ABM into a sustainable growth engine. 

My takeaway for practitioners 

Focus is the core strength of ABM, but it requires discipline and perseverance. My advice? Align cross-functional teams, concentrate on high-intent accounts, and give ABM the time and metrics it deserves. Growth will follow. Implementing ABM strategies for growth takes discipline and alignment across teams, but the results are worth the effort.