A Simple Guide to ABM & Sales Alignment for Enhanced ROI

Imagine your sales and marketing teams as two strong athletes in a tug-of-war—except they’re pulling from opposing sides of the rope. 

Marketing is focused on one set of accounts, while sales is intent on a completely different set. Both are working hard, but instead of collaborating, they’re at odds, leading to friction and inefficiencies.

This misalignment often spirals into a difference of opinion that feels impossible to solve. 

Marketing wants to generate broad brand awareness or target top-of-funnel prospects, while sales demands attention on accounts with immediate revenue potential.

Enter Account-Based Marketing (ABM)—a game-changer that flips this narrative. 

ABM aligns sales and marketing by focusing their combined efforts on a shared, high-value set of accounts.

Think of it like this: 

You and your best friend (marketing) target the coolest party on campus (ideal accounts). 

You (sales) bring the smooth moves (targeted messaging) and your friend (marketing) creates the killer playlist (engaging content). 

Everyone wins - you get invited back (closed deals) and the party rocks!

Here's how this aligned approach makes all the difference for your ROI:

Targeted outreach: With ABM you target specific accounts with relevant messaging, increasing engagement and conversion rates. 

Shorter Sales Cycles: Sales and marketing work hand-in-hand to nurture leads, qualifying them before they reach the conversion phase.

This saves time and resources.

Higher ROI: Since revenue is the end goal of any business. 

Aligned ABM ensures your marketing efforts are focused on high-value accounts, maximising your ROI.

Example: 

Let's say you're a software company targeting Fortune 500 companies. 

So, your marketing team creates targeted content like case studies and webinars showcasing how your product solves specific problems faced by these businesses. 

Sales then follows up with personalised messages, demonstrating a deep understanding of their needs.

That’s the dream team right there!

So, how you can align your team:

• Marketing & Sales, both sides should understand and track the same key performance indicators (KPIs), like qualified leads or closed deals (since everyone is cheering for the same team). 

i.e. keep shared goals and metrics for both teams.

• Regular meetings and information sharing are crucial. Think of it as pre-party planning sessions where both teams strategize.

I.e. keep the communications open between the teams.

• Clear roles and responsibilities eliminate confusion.

I.e. Define roles & processes clearly in the initial stages itself.

So there it is.

By aligning your sales and marketing teams in ABM, you guarantee a significant increase in your success rate. 

Few Supporting Stats:

• Companies with aligned sales and marketing see a 36% increase in customer retention rates. This means they hold onto existing customers more effectively.

• Aligning sales and marketing efforts leads to a 38% jump in sales win rates.

• The statistic suggests leads are 67% more likely to become paying customers.