Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a strategic approach that focuses on engaging specific high-value accounts. To succeed with ABM, it is critical to understand an account's pain points, challenges, and goals. The document outlines 12 ways to gain this understanding, including conducting research, leveraging account intelligence tools, engaging with sales teams, holding discovery meetings, analyzing website engagement, using surveys, attending industry events, competitor analysis, social listening, reviewing case studies, developing buyer personas, and maintaining a feedback loop. Understanding the account thoroughly enables tailoring ABM strategies and content to their specific needs.

1. Account-Based Marketing
12 Ways to Acquire
a Deep Understanding of an Account’s
Pain Points, Challenges, and Goals
By Mark Sekula
Senior Marketing Professional

2. Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a:
• Strategic approach to B2B marketing
• It focuses on targeting and engaging specific high-value accounts rather than
broad, generic audiences
Acquiring a deep understanding of an account's pain points, challenges, and
goals is critical for the success of Account-Based Marketing (ABM). It should be
the second step in the process after defining the key accounts your company
will be targeting. The following are 12 ways to help you gain an understanding
of your target accounts.
Understanding an Account’s
Pain Points, Challenges, and Goals

3. 1. Conduct Research:
• Start by conducting thorough research on the target account. Utilize online resources,
social media profiles, annual reports, and any publicly available information to gather
insights about the company's history, industry, financial performance, and recent news.
There are also ways to research projects and pain points that relate to your products and
services by utilizing a service like ZoomInfo that provides this type of intelligence.
2. Leverage Account Intelligence Tools:
• Use account intelligence tools and databases to access detailed information about the
organization, such as firmographic data, technographic data, and organizational
hierarchies. These tools can provide valuable insights into the account's technology
stack, organizational structure, and key decision-makers. Tools like ZoomInfo or an ABM
system can facilitate this process.
3. Engage with Sales Teams:
• Collaborate closely with your sales team, as they have valuable insights from their
interactions with the account. Sales teams can share firsthand knowledge of the
account's pain points, challenges, and goals. Regular communication and feedback loops
between marketing and sales are essential. Working with sales you should construct an
organization chart highlighting key influencers, decision makers, and those contacts
where sales already has a relationship within the account.
4. Hold Discovery Meetings:
• Schedule discovery meetings with key stakeholders with whom you have a relationship at
the target account. These meetings are an opportunity to ask open-ended questions and
actively listen to their responses. Focus on understanding their business objectives, pain
points, and any challenges they are currently facing.
12 Ways to Understand an Account’s
Pain Points, Challenges, and Goals

4. 5. Analyze Website and Content Engagement:
• Monitor the account's interactions with your website and content. Analyze which pages
they visit, which resources they download, and how they engage with your online
content. This can provide insights into their areas of interest and pain points. This can be
accomplished by leverage tools that provide this type of information like ZoomInfo or an
ABM system.
6. Use Surveys and Feedback:
• Create customized surveys or feedback forms tailored to the target account. Ask them
directly about their challenges, goals, and what solutions they are exploring. Be sure to
make the survey as concise and relevant as possible. You may want consider developing
the survey report from the results across all of the similar accounts you are targeting
with ABM. You could communicate this upfront to the account contacts you are
surveying and provide them the survey results as an incentive to respond.
7. Attend Industry Events:
• Attend industry events and conferences that the target account is likely to participate in.
You should also reach out to current customers that are in the same industry to ask
about the key events they attend. Networking at these events can provide opportunities
to engage with key representatives and gain insights into their priorities and challenges.
8. Competitor Analysis:
• Analyze the account's competitors. Understanding who their competitors are and what
strategies they are employing can shed light on the account's challenges and goals.
12 Ways to Understand an Account’s
Pain Points, Challenges, and Goals (cont’d)

5. 9. Leverage Social Listening:
• Utilize social media listening tools to monitor social conversations related to the account
and its industry. This can help you identify trends, discussions, and pain points that are
relevant to the account.
10. Customer Case Studies:
• Review case studies and success stories related to similar accounts or industries. These
can provide insights into common challenges and solutions that resonate with the target
account.
11. Build Buyer Personas:
• Develop detailed buyer personas specific to the target account. This includes creating
profiles for key decision-makers and influencers within the organization. Understand
their roles, responsibilities, pain points, and motivations.
12. Continuous Feedback Loop:
• Maintain a continuous feedback loop with the account. Regularly check in with them to
gather feedback on your interactions, content, and solutions. This ongoing dialogue can
deepen your understanding over time.
12 Ways to Understand an Account’s
Pain Points, Challenges, and Goals (cont’d)

6. ABM is a long-term strategy that requires ongoing effort and
collaboration between marketing and the sales team. Sales
participation is critical.
By combining these strategies, you can build a comprehensive view
of the account's pain points, challenges, and goals. This is not easy,
however, the knowledge you gain will enable you to tailor your ABM
strategies, content, and messaging to address their specific needs
effectively.
Summary