The MQL Is Dead: Marketing Leader Shares Insight on Evolving ABM Strategy

In an increasingly competitive marketing field, it is important to evolve and look at new ways to generate demand. To stay ahead of the game, marketing experts are working to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing market.

In a traditional setting, a marketing-qualified lead (MQL) is a potential customer that has been reviewed by the marketing team. Once the lead is determined to fit certain criteria, the lead will be passed on to the sales team.

That practice may work for some companies. However, the resounding message from account-based marketing (ABM) leaders is that the future of their industries will look very different.

That message includes advice from Alyssa Moreno, SVP of marketing at RethinkCare, a behavioral and mental health platform for working parents, caregivers and their families.

“I’ve always had a passion for metrics and numbers and the analytical side of ‘Is it working or not?’” said Moreno.

Moreno is closing in on two decades in the B2B space.  She has experience navigating healthcare, HR technology, and e-commerce.

She has found continued success by curbing traditional practices and paving a new way forward for her teams.

Collaboration that translates to pipeline

“I think that we all believe, or we have all been taught to believe, that lead generation and the cultivation of leads is how we get business,” said Moreno.  “It’s how you get revenue.”

In years past, it was all about creating leads, sourcing the leads, and then pushing the leads over to sales.

From Moreno’s experience, that might work for small to medium-size businesses. However, for enterprise Sales, the industry is changing faster than best practices.

“We’re no longer dealing with just one buyer,” said Moreno.  “You have to cater to a buying committee, and you have to encapsulate everyone.”

For Moreno and her team, that means focusing on accounts, not leads.

She has restructured RethinkCare’s marketing strategy with an eye towards not just pipeline, but closed won revenue.

Her secret? Collaborate and focus on a strong, unified Go To Market strategy with Sales.

“Sales and marketing should work together to identify the ideal customer profile and a set of target accounts,” she said.

If lead generation is the focus for Marketing, outreach efforts can become disjointed. Sales teams may have a specific strategy to reach accounts.  Meanwhile, marketing teams may be hosting events and webinars they know can bring in large volumes of leads into the database.

If a lead isn’t ready to be called on, it can create a finger-pointing scenario where sales blames marketing or vice versa if the lead isn’t followed up on quickly enough.

“With account-based marketing, Sales and marketing can work together more effectively.”

Moreno treats outreach like a one–two punch.

Together, her marketing and sales teams work to identify target accounts. Then both teams conduct coordinated outreach efforts.

“Marketing goes after them with digital advertising,” said Moreno. “Then sales can come in at the appropriate time when they know the account is ready to buy.”

The overarching goal is for sales and marketing to work together instead of independently. Both teams are aligned toward delivering results.

“It shouldn’t matter where the lead came from or who gets the credit. What matters is if the account is moving forward and progressing through the buying journey,” added Moreno.

Moreno reports that she and her team have experienced quick results from this strategy.

“We have more engaged accounts,” said Moreno. “And it’s produced material pipeline.”

On top of this particular strategy, the Sales team also uses Sendoso to support relationship building with accounts.

“We use Sendoso to move accounts through the buying journey,” said Moreno. “If they are towards the end, that is where sales can deploy a physical gift.”

Her sales development representatives also use Sendoso’s eGifting options.

It is a useful tool to contact outbound accounts that have yet to be touched by sales. Using their ABM platform, the team can carve out potential targets.

“I think it’s great. Who doesn’t like a surprise and delight?,” she said. “So much of sales is asking for the money.  Well, let’s give them something in return for their time in evaluating our platform.”

Moreno adds she has always seen a positive ROI when using Sendoso. In fact, she has implemented Sendoso at 4 companies because the results speak for themselves.

Using data to prove ABM success

Moreno credits her longevity in B2B marketing to a propensity to be curious and dig into the data. She advises other women to use numbers to prove their point.

“Figure out what is working and what is not,” she said.  “Then you can go confidently into any room and have a leg to stand on.”

Her unique outreach approach is challenging the industry norms while delivering results. Trusting the process, she is sure to stay ahead of the curve, and her marketing competition, in the future.

Curious to see ABM success for your organization? Request a demo today or watch a webinar on How to Strengthen Your ABM Strategy Using Impactful Gifting.

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