Leveraging Generative AI to Supercharge ABM for Sales Acceleration
Account-based marketing (ABM) continues to be a top priority for B2B marketers, with research showing that ABM is significantly more effective than traditional lead generation methods in driving account engagement and converting leads into sales accepted leads (SAL). However, despite its effectiveness in engaging accounts, areas like average deal size, win rates, and deal velocity don’t seem to be improving at the same rate. This suggests that while ABM strategies are generating more activity, sales teams are not necessarily closing more deals. According to HubSpot, the average sales close rate remains steady at 29%, with little change over time. This presents a clear opportunity for innovation, particularly in how ABM can be optimized to accelerate sales and drive revenue growth.
When combined with generative AI (GenAI), ABM has the potential to act as a game-changer for go-to-market (GTM) strategies, helping to fill the gaps where traditional ABM efforts may fall short. Here are some key tips to help revenue teams leverage the power of GenAI within their ABM strategies:
Tip #1: Use Reliable Data to Maximize Engagement with ABM and GenAI
GenAI can be a highly effective tool for a range of business applications, but its effectiveness is entirely dependent on the quality of the data it is built on. Using inaccurate or incomplete data for ABM campaigns can lead to targeting the wrong accounts or delivering irrelevant messages, which wastes both time and resources.
Traditional ABM often focuses on targeting companies that fit an ideal customer profile (ICP). However, in a buyer-led sales process, demand isn’t something that can simply be created—it’s something that needs to be identified. When targeting ICP accounts that have not yet demonstrated a need or interest, the timing may be off, even if the marketing and sales outreach is highly relevant.
A more effective strategy is to focus on in-market accounts—those that are actively researching or have shown intent to purchase. By identifying accounts that are already researching a problem your product can solve, sales teams can gain valuable insights into who is actively buying, when to engage them, and the best approach to reach decision-makers.
Tip #2: Prioritize Buyer Insights to Improve ABM Content
Educational, high-quality content is a key element in building relationships with target accounts and positioning your company as a thought leader in the industry. But for content to be successful in an ABM strategy, it needs to resonate with the specific needs of the target audience. This requires a deep understanding of the buyer’s journey, which can be gained through market research, customer surveys, and analyzing the activities of in-market accounts.
While generative AI tools are excellent for scaling content creation and automating campaigns, they do have limitations. These tools are focused on efficiency and output but often lack the nuanced buyer context that can give your content a competitive edge. To ensure your ABM content hits the mark, it’s crucial to combine GenAI capabilities with rich buyer insights. By doing so, you can create content that not only speaks to your target audience but also educates them in a way that drives conversions.
Tip #3: Shift from Sales-Focused to Buyer-Focused Engagement
In traditional ABM, much of the focus has been on lead generation and moving leads through the sales funnel. However, as the buying process has become increasingly self-guided, sales teams need to shift their focus to enabling buyers to make informed decisions. This requires a change in mindset: instead of pushing leads through the funnel, the goal should be to equip buyers with the knowledge and resources they need to make a purchase.
This shift from sales-driven tactics to a buyer-focused approach involves tailoring messaging to the specific needs of individual buyers within an account. For example, new AI-driven tools can significantly speed up the process of personalizing sales outreach by combining account-level data with insights into what specific buyers are researching. By understanding the buyer’s needs and challenges, sales reps can engage more effectively and build trust with potential buyers.
AI Can Supercharge ABM—But Only When Paired with Reliable Data
ABM remains a cornerstone of B2B sales and marketing strategies, but its continued success hinges on integrating advanced technologies like GenAI and leveraging accurate, actionable data. The key to improving ABM outcomes lies in shifting the focus from simply selling to truly understanding and addressing the unique needs of buyers. By combining buyer insights with the power of generative AI, you can enhance engagement with your ABM programs and improve conversion rates.
A buyer-centric approach, supported by reliable data and enriched with the capabilities of AI, will help you engage more effectively with target accounts and ultimately close more deals.
For more insights on how to scale your ABM programs using AI, consider attending industry events or exploring the latest research on AI-powered ABM strategies.
