TLDR:
ABM can be conducted more efficiently if businesses hire for the appropriate skills to oversee their ABM programs. If businesses know what questions to ask and what to look for in potential ABM hires, they can avoid a costly mistake.
ABM can be a tricky beast. Owing to the fact that it is resource-intensive, companies can’t afford to make the wrong decision. This is especially true when hiring new people to run a company’s ABM efforts. Businesses need high-performers.
With that said, it’s important to note that these questions are for round one interviews. They highlight the qualities necessary for people to function well in an ABM-related role.
To begin, marketers should start simple. “What does ABM mean to you?” Poor candidates might try to impress by sharing specific knowledge when the qualities sought after in a good candidate are simpler. If the job candidate rattles off sales-centric and tailored answers, they’re a keeper.
Next, marketers should try asking a trick question. “How quickly will we see results?” Candidates wrong for the position will clearly fail to understand that ABM is a process that plays out over time and generally takes no less than a year to see results. The person marketers need is one who inquires about their long-term goals. The candidate will understand that marketers who practice ABM are in it for the long haul.
Follow that with another trick question. “What are your recommendations for our tech stack?” It’s common for marketers in ABM to focus too much on tech and less on strategy and execution. The wrong candidates will focus on the former, the right ones, the latter.
After, ask “How will you manage change in our organization?” As mentioned earlier, ABM is resource-intensive. This means that either everybody buys into the effort, or it won’t bear out. While the wrong candidate will stick to the traditional definition of marketing and sales alignment, good candidates will answer with a company-wide buy-in. They’ll focus on how the company as a whole should better work together to see success.
The last question is “Are we making the right decision by switching to an account-based strategy?” There is a temptation for candidates to respond that it’s a good decision based on what’s trending for other businesses. Correct candidates will ask a variety of personalized follow-up questions based on the interviewer’s business, including sales cycle length and buying committee size.
Successful ABM isn’t easy. Hiring the right skills to pull it off helps in the long run.
Original article from Business2Community on 5 March 2019.
