Leveraging Technology to Drive Account Based Growth

Shownotes

In this episode, Uzair Dada of Iron Horse shares how professional services firms can leverage account-based growth strategies to expand beyond their traditional one-to-one sales approach. Uzair outlines opportunities in scaling thought leadership and personalizing content for target personas. The discussion also emphasizes using AI technologies to improve targeting and segmentation while bridging the gap between marketing and sales. Aligning teams through change management and focusing on customer success and adoption are highlighted as key factors for long-term success.

Best Moments

• 01:35
  Uzair discusses opportunities for account-based growth in professional services industries like accounting, consulting, marketing agencies, and IT services.
• 06:01
  Uzair highlights how technology can help bridge the gap between traditional personal relationships and uncover new opportunities within accounts.
• 11:16
  Chris cites Marcus Sheridan's approach of answering every question about polls to emphasize personalizing beyond the initial touchpoint.
• 16:29
  Uzair explains how AI-based personalization allows testing variations at scale to optimize targeting and segmentation.
• 21:35
  Uzair emphasizes bringing marketing and sales alignment through change management processes and governance.

About the guest

Uzair Dada is the Founder and CEO of Iron Horse. Over the last 24 years, Uzair has built Iron Horse from a startup to an award-winning growth marketing agency helping global B2B companies build scalable revenue-focused integrated marketing programs. His areas of expertise include building B2B Marketing programs that focus on ABM, sales enablement, connected Martech, and intent data.

Connect with Uzair Dada

Key takeaways

• Professional services firms can apply account-based strategies to uncover new opportunities beyond their current relationships
• Intent data and account insights platforms can help surface these broader account opportunities  
• Focusing content strategy on targeted personas and their intent needs through clear strategy and segmentation is important
• AI-based personalization allows testing variations at scale to optimize personalization
• Bringing marketing and sales alignment through change management processes is critical
• Ensuring customer success and adoption after the sale is as important as acquiring new logos

Quotes

“I feel we over-index because of ABM on the M side. And there’s a lot of stuff for account-based growth that exists on the sales side. And I think the next generation of evolution and sort of innovation really needs to happen to bring those two things together.”

-Uzair Dada

Highlights from this episode

What opportunities exist for applying account-based strategies in professional services industries?

Uzair sees opportunities to apply account-based strategies in various professional services industries like accounting, consulting, marketing agencies, and IT services. He notes thousands of companies in these industries have sizable addressable markets. However, many lack marketing and sales savviness and focus on one-to-one relationships rather than scalable growth. Account-based approaches could help uncover broader opportunities within existing accounts.

How can sales and marketing help professional services firms expand beyond traditional one-to-one approaches?

Uzair suggests sales and marketing can help by providing a lens on overall account opportunities that firms may not be aware of, such as other key contacts within an account. Technology like intent data and account insights platforms can surface these opportunities. This can help firms expand beyond their current narrow focus on just a few personal contacts and realize the potential for additional growth within accounts.

What challenges do business services companies face in prioritizing and scaling thought leadership?

Uzair notes that business services companies often have a partner-led or service line-led organizational structure which makes prioritization challenging. Everyone sees their area as most important, resulting in too many messages and doorways. There is also a lack of clear targeting based on personas and intent. To scale thought leadership, companies need to define their strategy and audience focus to determine what content is most relevant and how to tailor messaging.

How can AI and new technologies help improve targeting and personalization for companies?

Uzair believes AI-based personalization technologies allow for large-scale testing of content variations to optimize targeting and personalization in a way that removes some subjective decision-making. This testing can lead to more efficient and surgical targeting while refinements to segmentation using AI insights may help reduce wasted marketing spend. By leveraging intent data and AI platforms, companies have opportunities to intercept prospects based on their individual needs and journey throughout the buying process.

What problems are people seeing with ABM and how should it be defined?

Uzair has noticed confusion and misinformation around ABM, with some questioning whether it’s a real thing. He argues ABM is not just marketing, but about driving efficient pipeline and sales growth. The goal is to focus on account-based growth rather than labeling it as solely marketing or sales. He sees issues arising when the bridge between marketing and sales is ignored. A clear definition of ABM needs to encompass how the two functions work together for outbound success.

Resource recommendations

Podcasts

– Decoder by Nilay Patel, which discusses the history of AI and interviews with leaders in the field.

– Empire which provides insights into South Asian history, even for those from the region.

Shout-outs

– Avanish Sahai, an expert on partner selling and partner go-to-market.

– Bruce Chesebrough for insights on sales, ABM, and operating as a sales leader and investor.

– Monica Behncke for her thinking and foresight around persona journeys and driving progress across the funnel.