In 2018, a leading national telecommunications company decided to launch an account-based marketing program.
It started as a pilot program, a test. But the executive charged with leading the program knew it could work and grow. She also knew she would need help — and that the traditional lead gen agencies weren’t going to cut it.
“I DIDN’T WANT A LEADS COMPANY”
The telecom company* provides high-speed Internet and communications services to big businesses across the country. Traditionally, the bulk of the work on the marketing side has involved hunting down leads for the sales team to pursue.
The concept of account-based marketing, however, turns that idea on its head.
“I didn’t want a leads company, where they just provide you leads and the sellers follow up. I’m not trying to find companies that are a fit for us. I already know who they are,” our customer explained. “I need to figure out how best to get introduced to the companies, get meetings with the right people, get a seat at the table when they issue RFPs.”
To do that, she needed a way to feed her sales team valuable information that could help them get a foot in the door.
“When I talked to my sellers, they needed more information about the accounts they were targeting so they would know how to go in and target them,” she said.
“THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR”
It was at the SiriusDecision Summit in Las Vegas back in 2018 when she first met the team from Boardroom Insiders and was introduced to our Executive Profiles.
“This was exactly what I was looking for,” she recalled. “The Executive Profile is about the person, but it also talks about company initiatives, what they’re thinking and the things that are important to them as a business.”
Each Executive Profile provides an in-depth look at a key decision-maker within a Fortune 500 company. It includes background information, personal information and a detailed look at business strategies, challenges and new initiatives. She understood immediately how the profiles could help her sales team start building strong, valuable relationships. But she still had to sell it.
“Time is so valuable. Sales professionals don’t want to do anything that’s not related to making a sale. So I spent a lot of time up front with my sales team, showing them the value over and over again,” she said.
It wasn’t long before it clicked, and Boardroom Insiders became the tool her team can’t live without.
“MY SALES TEAM LOVES IT”
In 2018, the pilot ABM program at this national telecom company included 57 companies. In 2019, the program has more than tripled in size, to a total of 200 companies — all based on the success of that first year.
“I went into this knowing that knowledge is power. So the more info my sales team had in their back pocket about the person they were meeting with or the team they were meeting with really made a difference,” she said. “It’s all about building a relationship, which is where Boardroom Insiders is valuable because it provides information.”
Because of the insight she offers with Boardroom Insiders, she can arm her sales professionals with information about business priorities for a given account. Then her team can go in and present a viable solution to a very real business challenge, she explained. That’s why, when she approached her sales team earlier this year to ask if the company should continue investing in Boardroom Insiders, the answer was unanimous: Boardroom Insiders is invaluable to the work they do.
“My sales team loves it,” she said. “We’ve been getting more conversations, more meetings, more opportunities to tell our story, and that’s why it’s been successful. It’s all about relationship building, and Boardroom Insiders has the team to help.”
* The company was happy to talk to us for this article but asked to remain anonymous. We like to keep our customers happy, so you’ll just have to trust that the company and its executives are very real and very excited about what we do.
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