This blog covers highlights from the third eBook in The Data Strategy Blueprint Series: Account-Based Engagement, created in collaboration with our partner Salesforce |Data.com.
You can read our first blog and eBook about the importance of a sound data quality foundation and eBook on the value of a data-informed territory management approach, all helping lead your business to revenue growth and customer success.
Now we focus on bringing data, technology, sales and marketing efforts together for well-appointed Account-Based Engagement (ABE). While Account-Based “Marketing” is a mainstream term in the B2B world, we think “Engagement” is a more accurate description for how a company’s sales and marketing teams should interact with their customers.
The shift in orientation is from selling to a broad base of individuals to targeting specific accounts. And within those accounts, the task is to engage the multiple stakeholders along an increasingly non-linear online and offline buying path, through channels owned by sales, marketing and other groups in your company.
Today’s B2B buyers are clearly in charge of their path to purchase. While individuals at companies make purchasing decisions, the business foots the bill. Rarely does a single person have the power to unilaterally invest in a complex business solution. In large enterprises, whole departments are dedicated to procuring capital and services, looking for reasons to throw up red flags or block purchases.
Data is the key to knowing who, how, when and where to engage with your accounts. It also tells you how effective your sales and marketing efforts have been, and how to improve ongoing.
ABE is not yesterday’s lead management cookie-cutter construct. It’s today’s carefully crafted, customer first blueprint, backed by quality data. To effectively engage with the right accounts you need to:
- Rely on world-class B2B data joined with your first party data to understand what your best customers and prospects look like.
- Use those customer insights for sales and marketing teams to build well-appointed accounts plans.
- Make every touch-point with your customers count as they travel their buyer’s journey that ends with a purchase and a customer for life.
The Data Strategy Blueprint Series: Account-Based Engagement
This eBook will help you develop an account-based engagement plan, including specific data recommendations. When you invest the time and resources to understand who your best customers are and what they care about, you’ll deliver impactful customer experiences that build revenue growth and long lasting relationships.
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Data.com delivers premium contact and company profile information sourced from Data.com Connect and Dun & Bradstreet, right inside of Salesforce. Learn how you can build a strong foundation for your Salesforce solutions with Dun & Bradstreet data.