ABM: Cross-selling Major National and International Accounts

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) targets major, high-value national and international client accounts. But cross-selling can be frustrating when dealing with siloed divisions or territories and lack of connectedness.?

These tactics can work successfully:

1. Develop a Joint "Account Team" Strategy: The best way to use ABM to cross-sell is to work collaboratively between sales and marketing teams, creating a joint "account team" strategy. Treat the target division/ company as almost a separate entity from your client account. Focus on the new opportunity, their processes, problems and personas.
2. Research Thoroughly: To successfully reach out and sell to another division or country of the same client company, research the client company thoroughly and identify any potential pain points or needs that the other division or country may have. This will help you tailor your messaging and content to their specific needs, increasing the chances of a successful cross-sell.
3. Leverage Existing Relationships: Find a new champion. Use existing relationships and networks within the client company to establish connections with the other division or country. This could involve reaching out to contacts within the client company and asking for introductions, or leveraging your own personal network to identify relevant contacts.
4. Use Data and Analytics: To identify potential opportunities for cross-selling within the client company, use data and analytics. Analysing customer behaviour data can help identify patterns and trends, while predictive analytics can help identify potential opportunities for cross-selling.
5. Incorporate Innovative Ideas: Consider incorporating innovative ideas such as AI and machine learning to help identify new opportunities for cross-selling, or using virtual and augmented reality to provide immersive experiences that showcase your products and services to potential clients. Partnering with other companies or organisations to offer bundled solutions can also be effective in addressing the specific needs of different divisions or countries within the client company.
6. Showcase Your Successes: use the clients' internal communications channels to place news stories. Pitch a story to the internal newsletter or blog, highlighting how your collaboration has helped the company achieve its goals. This can not only help raise your profile within the company but also demonstrate your commitment to building a strong relationship with the client company.

The best way to increase the effectiveness of your ABM strategies is with training to ensure that everyone in the organisation, in marketing and in sales, are fully aligned in an agreed understanding of how to win, retain and grow high-value accounts.

The CIM open course, or please message me for details of in-house training, customised to your organisation, its sector and challenges.