How to do Efficient ABM Programs (175 discovery calls)

To Marketers,

Okerosi here with Product Weekly.

In this newsletter, I share proven insights I have gathered this week across; product marketing, B2B ad creatives & SaaS growth playbooks from the top 5% minds in the space.

In this week’s roundup:

- ABM Sales Playbook

- Podcast ad scripting

- $1B+ AI SEO secrets

- Launching new ABM programs without internal expertise
- Scaling existing programs beyond pilot phase to new markets or deploying them with regional teams
- Developing a holistic demand gen & ABM motion

From a Fortune 1000 tech company: "We have a full brief for a 1:Many always-on ABM program, but we struggle to deploy efficient 1:1 and 1:few scenarios."

"We need to develop a shared playbook and learn how to collect and share insights between marketing and sales".

"Pipeline building is the main challenge. Over the years, we lacked a marketing strategy and the technical marketing skills to attract leads. We lack a full-funnel approach with the correct use of all channels where our buyers are present."

-Develop a holistic full-funnel awareness, demand gen,and ABM motion
-Fixing marketing and sales silos with shared playbooks and metrics
-Initiating change management in their organizations to switch from obsolete lead gen playbooks.

Skill + Gap to fill + Experience + Problem to solve = Category

You've got to use Samantha McKenna's "Expand the Sandbox" Linkedin playbook. It took her 13 minutes of prospecting to close the CRO of a $6B company using it. Here's what it looks like (and why it works):

1. She curates a list of buyers she'd kill to get meetings with - she does this by monitoring her favorite blogs and podcasts.

2. She reads the content of the person being interviewed, then sends them a "Show Me You Know Me" connection request on Linkedin.

Example language: "Listened to your podcast, resonated with me for x reasons, loved this one thing and aligns with exactly what we talk about as a business around X."

3. They accept and say nothing or a casual thanks.

4. She adds them to a Linked Sales Navigator list of clients she wants to nurture.

5. She engages with their posts on Linkedin at least two more times.

6. If there are no posts, she come back in a few weeks, look for what they have written about, spoken on, etc. in the last few weeks and sends them another Linkedin message.

Example language: "Loved this also in your content, again, so beautifully aligns with what we teach sellers around better discovery calls and prep. I wonder if I might bend your ear on how we might help..."

7. No reply? Shoot them an email with this subject link:

Your [Podcast Name they Were on] + "The Nooks and Crannies" (<-- a quote they said) + COMPANY

And she always sends it on a Saturday or Sunday.

Example language: "My name might look familiar as I've sent you a few notes on LI, and..."

She almost always get a reply, but even if it's not a "OMG I can't wait to work with you!!", it's a conversation starter and a door that's been cracked open.

5/ Build Landing Pages

- Tailor it to the keyword topics
- Remove distractions from the page
- Optimize page speed for a good experience
- Make it with a clear message, highlight capabilities, and use social proof

This is one of the things that never stop changing.

6/ Ad copy + assets

Use all space possible for headlines, descriptions, and extensions.

- Use keywords in the headlines
- Pitch capabilities, benefits
- Test social proof elements
- Use numbers/stats
- Use a call to action

It’s another thing that never stops changing.

7/ Optimization

Initially, work on the targeting. After you bring relevant traffic, focus on improving CTR and conversion rates.

And the next part is tracking throughout the funnel.

Market reality → Deep understanding of target customer challenges and priorities, competitive landscape
↓
Strategic view → Sharp, fact-driven strategy for where to play and how to win
↓
Industry shifts → What’s changing in the world that affects our audience
↓
POV → What we believe they should do about it (and why most get it wrong)
↓
Core story → Essential truths that will resonate with and motivate our target customer
↓
Positioning → The urgent, high-stakes problem we solve for those who care a lot about it
↓
Messaging → The most compelling, differentiated truths we need to land
↓
Copy → The exact words that make it hit