"With the introduction of the
ABM report, the coordination
from lead acquisition to the
next action has become
smoother."
Ms. Taeko Hashimura, Executive Officer, General Manager of Marketing Division , Fire Eye Co., Ltd.
The aspect of approaching strategically and systematically without depending on the ability of the sales staff in charge has attracted attention, and many companies have succeeded in the ABM (Account Based Marketing) method. With the introduction of ITmedia's sales and marketing support service "ABM Report" based on ABM's ideas, we ITmedia Inc. Co., Ltd., which practices strategic sales and marketing activities as a whole company.
| Introduction of background and issues | Undeveloped marketing infrastructure and sales collaboration process Development of ABM method that matches the Japanese market Improving the efficiency of ADR operations |
|---|---|
| Implementation details |
ABM Report, ABM Alert |
| Effect of use | Strengthening cooperation between marketing department and sales department Understanding optimal sales timing Achieved 66% conversion rate from appointments |
記事公開日：2021年05月19日
● Starting from building a foundation where marketing and sales can collaborate
――What kind of marketing and sales issues did your company have around 2018 before the introduction of the ABM report?
Ms. Hashimura: I joined FireEye in the summer of 2018, but at that time, we did not have a basic marketing foundation or a process that should be synchronized with our sales goals. The collaboration between the marketing department and the sales department was also limited, and we could not build a system to share goals based on a big strategy and take actions to achieve them.
At that time, the products and solutions we were selling were greatly expanded, and the business itself was undergoing a major transformation, so I felt that drastic reforms were necessary. Therefore, we first clarified the sales strategy and started to sort out what and how to appeal to what kind of customer group, but at the same time, we grasped the customer database that is the basis of communication and issues. I proceeded with the washing out.
At that time, it was being discussed at the US headquarters to use TechTarget's Priority Engine (a SaaS platform that provides information on target companies and their activity that should be prioritized in the market). Therefore, I consulted with ITmedia Inc. because I thought that it was necessary to consider an ABM method that matched the Japanese market in Japan as well.
At that time, the products and solutions we were selling were greatly expanded, and the business itself was undergoing a major transformation, so I felt that drastic reforms were necessary. Therefore, we first clarified the sales strategy and started to sort out what and how to appeal to what kind of customer group, but at the same time, we grasped the customer database that is the basis of communication and issues. I proceeded with the washing out.
At that time, it was being discussed at the US headquarters to use TechTarget's Priority Engine (a SaaS platform that provides information on target companies and their activity that should be prioritized in the market). Therefore, I consulted with ITmedia Inc. because I thought that it was necessary to consider an ABM method that matched the Japanese market in Japan as well.
What did you expect when you consulted with ITmedia?
Ms. Hashimura: When thinking about strategy, it is one of the important factors to match the recognition of which part of sales and marketing will be played. While focusing on customers who can directly engage with sales, I thought that marketing could contribute to the creation of projects by paying close attention to "where are the customers who match our products".
Ms. Hashimura: When thinking about strategy, it is one of the important factors to match the recognition of which part of sales and marketing will be played. While focusing on customers who can directly engage with sales, I thought that marketing could contribute to the creation of projects by paying close attention to "where are the customers who match our products".
FireEye has an ADR (Account Development Representative) as a role between marketing and sales. However, as of 2018, it is hard to say that ADR was functioning in terms of creating new projects, and I had the impression that it was all about assisting sales activities. What we wanted to achieve was to establish a system that would enable ADR to reach out to potential customers to some extent and efficiently create high-quality projects while synchronizing with various marketing measures.
I asked ITmedia Inc.'s ABM report in the hope that it could also be a tool for running these ADRs efficiently.
● With the introduction of the ABM report,
the “wheels of measures” will begin to rotate.
――After consideration, we have introduced the ABM report from FY2019. What was your impression at the beginning of the introduction?
Ms. Nakamura: It was my first time to use the ABM report through my experience in calling work, and I was confused at first. However, as I looked at the list, I began to feel the priority and the ease of contact, and I immediately got the impression that it was an easy-to-use tool.
ABM report screen.
You can check the companies and contacts who are actively collecting information online.
You can check the companies and contacts who are actively collecting information online.
――What kind of results did you achieve in the early stages of introducing the ABM report?
Ms. Hashimura: When using the ABM report in conjunction with the acquisition of contact information such as lead generation, it is easy to connect to the next action, and I feel that it was good to introduce "rotating with the measures taken".
We do not judge whether we could create a project with one measure, but we judge the accumulation of contact points with customers as a whole. In other words, since "contact acquisition" and "action on the acquired contact" are separated, I think that the introduction of the ABM report was also very effective in connecting and rotating these two.
Ms. Hashimura: When using the ABM report in conjunction with the acquisition of contact information such as lead generation, it is easy to connect to the next action, and I feel that it was good to introduce "rotating with the measures taken".
We do not judge whether we could create a project with one measure, but we judge the accumulation of contact points with customers as a whole. In other words, since "contact acquisition" and "action on the acquired contact" are separated, I think that the introduction of the ABM report was also very effective in connecting and rotating these two.
Ms. Hashimura says that ADR activities will not work until the Reedgen measures and ABM reports are linked.
――At first, we limited the types of businesses and the number of companies to carry out the ABM report, but in July 2019, we canceled the designation of target companies and targeted all business types. What did you think was the challenge at this point?
Ms. Hashimura: When I went back to "what I was aiming for," I reconfirmed that it was a number in the end because it was a business. The state of limiting the number of companies was to focus on the target, and it was also an indication that we were focusing on this area toward the US headquarters, but when we returned to the original purpose, we were "interested". I thought that we should raise the priority of "approaching a company that is increasing in time at the right time."
Ms. Hashimura: When I went back to "what I was aiming for," I reconfirmed that it was a number in the end because it was a business. The state of limiting the number of companies was to focus on the target, and it was also an indication that we were focusing on this area toward the US headquarters, but when we returned to the original purpose, we were "interested". I thought that we should raise the priority of "approaching a company that is increasing in time at the right time."
Initially, the ABM report was carried out by limiting the format and number of companies.
From July 2019, we raised the priority of "approaching companies with increasing interest at the right time" and targeted all business categories.
――At the beginning of your consultation, you mentioned the two issues of “acquiring new contacts” and “improving the accuracy of projecting”. Did you achieve that purpose?
Ms. Hashimura: I could see some issues because I tried to operate it, but I think it is in good shape because of the generous support. When the ABM report was first introduced, it achieved certain results in the circle of marketing / ADR with the aim of increasing call productivity, but now it is possible to create new projects by involving sales in this circle. I think it will be higher.
Even if the data provided by the ABM report does not lead to results as a marketing department, we will discover data that may be of interest to customers in charge of sales and utilize it for proposals, and finally the business will be in a good direction. I hope it will flow to.
Ms. Hashimura: I could see some issues because I tried to operate it, but I think it is in good shape because of the generous support. When the ABM report was first introduced, it achieved certain results in the circle of marketing / ADR with the aim of increasing call productivity, but now it is possible to create new projects by involving sales in this circle. I think it will be higher.
Even if the data provided by the ABM report does not lead to results as a marketing department, we will discover data that may be of interest to customers in charge of sales and utilize it for proposals, and finally the business will be in a good direction. I hope it will flow to.
● Further data-driven start,
improvement of project conversion rate from appointment
--The "alert notification email function" requested at the end of 2019 was released in April 2020 as one of the functions of the ABM report. This function is to alert the person in charge as a company to be noted if the target company suddenly actively collects information. Please tell me the background of the request.
Ms. Hashimura: It's not something that you just need to be provided with a mechanism like the ABM report, but you can't make use of it without an organization or system that can make use of the mechanism. Nakamura made efforts for the organization and system, but the issue of "how to prevent the burden of sales from increasing" remained.
"Focusing on new accounts in the ABM report will increase your chances of getting an appointment."
Fire Eye Co., Ltd.
Ms. Hiroko Nakamura , Senior Account Development, Marketing Headquarters
Ms. Nakamura: Until then, I shared a list of companies that should approach the sales department, but there were people who saw it and people who didn't. Therefore, by sending alerts using the "alert notification email function", awareness reforms have progressed, and a culture has been cultivated in which marketing and sales work in tandem.
It's a nice reaction to hear from the sales department that "Marketing is running the company", starting from the marketing restructuring in 2018 and the second and third years of that activity. So far, there have been no negative reactions such as annoying alert emails.
――Do you call everything when you tell the attention company in the alert? Also, what is the status of appointments / deals from calls?
Ms. Nakamura: With the recent system in place, we basically call for newly emerging “notable companies”. The project conversion rate has also improved, and the project conversion from appointments has improved from 53% to 66%.
Ms. Nakamura says that he selects a light person to call after identifying all the information inside the company, the ABM report, and the external information published on the Web.
● Advantages of introducing ABM Report,
only one point to keep in mind when introducing
--Are you doing anything to make good use of external data such as ABM reports?
Ms. Hashimura: I think that "how to use" and "how to continue to operate without difficulty" are more important than whether the data itself is valuable, and how can it be used to produce results in the overall strategy first? I think that it will work if you build it carefully. As for FireEye, I'm grateful that Nakamura, who has a lot of experience in the role between marketing and sales, is doing well.
――In recent B2B marketing, the use of intent data (purchasing intention information), which is data on what kind of interests a company has, is attracting attention. How are you working on these new moves?
Ms. Hashimura: The use of intent data is also being actively promoted as an initiative of the US headquarters. In Japan, we use ABM reports, but we are also starting to incorporate intent data into Marketo and lead scoring models to check status. In addition, you can check the data of ABM report on Salesforce. At FireEye, we provide support to the US headquarters with a great deal of flexibility by communicating and understanding the requirements unique to Japan.
Ms. Hashimura: I think that "how to use" and "how to continue to operate without difficulty" are more important than whether the data itself is valuable, and how can it be used to produce results in the overall strategy first? I think that it will work if you build it carefully. As for FireEye, I'm grateful that Nakamura, who has a lot of experience in the role between marketing and sales, is doing well.
――In recent B2B marketing, the use of intent data (purchasing intention information), which is data on what kind of interests a company has, is attracting attention. How are you working on these new moves?
Ms. Hashimura: The use of intent data is also being actively promoted as an initiative of the US headquarters. In Japan, we use ABM reports, but we are also starting to incorporate intent data into Marketo and lead scoring models to check status. In addition, you can check the data of ABM report on Salesforce. At FireEye, we provide support to the US headquarters with a great deal of flexibility by communicating and understanding the requirements unique to Japan.
In addition to browsing the intent data of ABM reports online and sending Excel files,
It is shared among sales, ADR, and marketing departments through multiple channels such as alert notification emails and Sales Cloud to improve operational efficiency.
――From the standpoint of the two of you, please tell us about the good things about introducing the ABM report and the information on the ABM report that was useful.
Ms. Hashimura: It was good that we were able to obtain intents and improve efficiency not only by attributes but also by ABM reports in order to determine the state of the other company. We were able to realize two things: "when the potential rises, grasp it in a timely manner and make contact", and at the same time, by preparing the internal system and environment, "smooth cooperation between sales, ADR, and marketing". I think that is a big introduction merit.
Ms. Nakamura: It's good that the introduction of the ABM report has made it possible to make more responsive calls than just calling to an account. Information such as "activation", "existence of information system department", and "existence of section chief or above" included in the ABM report is useful for raising the mindset in one's activities. I am grateful for the flexibility and support and addition of functions.
--Can you give us some advice for companies considering introducing ABM reports?
Ms. Hashimura: Not everything can be solved by including the ABM report, but it is important to have an image of what you want to do. I think that it can be utilized if it is introduced with an image up to the operational level.
--Can you give us some advice for companies considering introducing ABM reports?
Ms. Hashimura: Not everything can be solved by including the ABM report, but it is important to have an image of what you want to do. I think that it can be utilized if it is introduced with an image up to the operational level.
I have a lot of relationships with service media, but ITmedia Inc. has flexible proposals and responses. There are many service ITmedia Inc. that cannot accept requests to "clarify the target", so I feel that this is an advantage unique to ITmedia's ABM report.
* The information provided is as of June 2021.
■ About FireEye
FireEye is an intelligence-driven security company.
FireEye's innovative security technology, national-level threat intelligence, and world-renowned Mandiant® consulting expertise are integrated into a variety of products and solutions to prepare your cybersecurity measures in advance and detect and prevent attacks. , We will support you in all phases up to the response in case of infringement. FireEye is used by more than 9,900 organizations in more than 103 countries around the world, including more than 50% of Forbes Global 2000 companies.
FireEye's innovative security technology, national-level threat intelligence, and world-renowned Mandiant® consulting expertise are integrated into a variety of products and solutions to prepare your cybersecurity measures in advance and detect and prevent attacks. , We will support you in all phases up to the response in case of infringement. FireEye is used by more than 9,900 organizations in more than 103 countries around the world, including more than 50% of Forbes Global 2000 companies.
■ About ABM report
ITmedia's ABM Report is an information service that supports sales and marketing activities that "visualize" the purchasing intentions of each company based on the behavior history of readers at TechTarget Japan / Keyman's Net / @ IT / ITmedia Inc..
Click here for details on the ABM report
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