Instead of only reporting up to the business head, include their direct reports and the next level down in monthly updates. This ensures the people you collaborate with daily understand marketing's strategy and impact, building widespread internal advocacy and alignment from the top down.
Reaching a point where business partners stop questioning marketing isn't a sign of disinterest; it indicates they trust the team to execute effectively. This earned autonomy provides the "white space" and "greenfield opportunity" for marketers to experiment with new strategies without needing constant oversight or approval.
PwC data reveals a significant drop in CMOs who feel business leadership understands marketing's value. This growing disconnect highlights the urgent need for marketers to reframe their contributions in terms of business outcomes, not just campaign metrics, to prove their role as a growth driver.
Report tactical metrics like impressions and cost-per-lead to marketing leadership for campaign optimization. For business leaders, present outcome-focused data like account penetration, high-intent accounts, and sales engagement rates. This tailors the story to what each audience values and prevents confusion.
The future of account-based marketing isn't just targeting a list of companies. The focus is shifting to identifying the small subset of accounts actively showing high-intent buying signals. This "smarter ABM" approach allows sales to prioritize outreach on the most engaged prospects, increasing efficiency and conversion.
Relying on Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) from form fills is a legacy approach. The modern strategy is to append MQLs with intent data. Engaging MQLs that are also showing high intent signals drastically increases the likelihood of a successful sales conversation compared to following up on form fills alone.
To shift perception, a new leader should first meet with business leadership to learn their priorities. Second, orient the team using a model like McKinsey's strategy house (mission, approach, priorities). Third, consistently use the business's language, not marketing jargon, in all communications to build trust.