Too often, businesses embarking on ABM do not consider whether their ICP accounts are actually looking for their products and services. Technically, the ideal customer would see the value in the company's products and services, and the ideal customer would buy — that is the premise of the ideal customer profile. However, knowing which target accounts are in-market — looking for solutions for the problems your business solves — allows the company to target potential customers more effectively, and, more importantly, more efficiently.

Product-led growth (PLG) companies often have it good. A company is so focused on creating a quality product that is so useful, creates immediate value for users, and continues to build features and functionality (and more products) with the user experience front and center that word of mouth drives sales and the business scales. Users simply have to try it, often within a freemium model, and the proof is in the pudding. But is there a way to scale faster by layering on an enterprise-focused ABM strategy and really take it to the moon?

One of the first things B2B salespeople are taught is: Under-promise and over-deliver. It seems like a solid strategy –who doesn’t like it when their Uber arrives two minutes earlier or the flight lands half an hour earlier? The idea that the way to exceed expectations consistently is to under-promise results is inherently flawed in two ways: First, it ignores the human need for predictability, and second, it diminishes trust.

When your solution salespeople dread attending sales training and find any excuse not to attend, it is time to re-evaluate how sales training is conducted. Likely, the content is relevant and important to salespeople and the business. However, sales training often falls on deaf ears, and salespeople interpret it as a waste of time. When salespeople do not find value in training, the organization dumps money into an endless pit, not receiving a return on investment.

All salespeople know they have a greater chance of closing a deal if they influence a buyer’s decision-making process. In B2B markets, salespeople strive to “get a seat at the table.” However, most of the time, solutions salespeople do not get the opportunity to present the case for their solution to all the decision-makers (many salespeople don’t even ask for the opportunity.) Simply delivering pricing leaves the presentation to the person showing the quotes to the decision-making team.

Being in business is exciting. Whether you’re a small business owner, tech entrepreneur, or a new business leader, it is easy to quickly take action without thinking through the process. In previous blogs, I’ve stressed the importance of creating plans and strategies, but execution brings plans and strategies to fruition.

Understanding your competitive advantage is inherent to the competitive advantage itself. In other words, to truly exploit your competitive advantage, you must understand what it is. Quite often, people and organizations move through the motions of business without putting their competitive advantage forward, meaning they do not take advantage of the opportunity to pad the value of their product or service and forego additional returns. Further, individuals assume that their uniqueness is an advantage in itself. But then you fall victim to the adage, “Be unique, just like everyone else.”

Running a business can get complicated. It is easy for entrepreneurs and small business owners to get caught up in the details of managing a business, which can lead to burnout. Entrepreneurs are typically driven by the passion of their trade and get into business to make a living through that passion. I commonly hear from small business owners that managing the business overtakes their time, and the reasons they started their business in the first place dissipate.

Let’s begin with the fact that social and digital are not marketing themselves. They are crucial components of promotions and advertising, which are part of the marketing mix. Marketing encompasses much more than social media and the web. I meet too many people that claim to be marketers because they are really good at using Facebook and Instagram, yet can’t even tell me the “four Ps” of marketing (hint: promotion is one of them.)