By Patricia Pouncey, Principal, Digital Demand Generation, Pouncey Consulting
Doesn’t it feel like we are living in a science-fiction novel these days? We’re staying indoors and working from home, trying to make sense of what’s going on around us. Although these times can be dark and chaotic, we B2B marketers are still on the hook to reach pipeline goals and quotas. In this “new normal” environment, trying to drive growth may seem impossible, but it’s not if you have in-depth knowledge of ABM. I can speak from personal experience, that being ABM certified has empowered me to help organizations grow revenue in any economic environment.
I can remember the first time I heard about ABM vividly. The company I was working for at the time (Graph Database) was eager to develop and roll out an ABM strategy. As we prepared to get the ball rolling with our approach, we had to get early buy-in from our sales and marketing leaders. Helping them to understand the business value of ABM gave them confidence, including how the strategy would increase revenue for our organization. It also streamlined our sales and marketing efforts to reach the right audiences, which was enormously helpful in moving forward with developing our approach.
Getting our ABM strategy off the ground, after getting executive approval, took time and careful coordination. The marketing and sales teams, as well as executive leaders, partnered together to identify target accounts and begin rolling out the ABM strategy across our joint digital and outbound programs. It took time, commitment and effort, but once we rolled out the plan, we were able to drive impressive results. From that point on, I recognized that ABM is not a fad but a critical business strategy. That’s when I decided to find out how to become a certified ABM expert.
Demandbase’s Certification program came at the right time for me. When the program first launched, I took certification seriously to expand my knowledge so I could deploy a successful ABM strategy. As I dove into the course, it became clear that this was no ordinary certification program. The Demandbase Certification program is a very serious program that required me to devote time and effort to it — not a course where attendees can expect to pass effortlessly. In terms of the “user experience,” I found the course to be straightforward, insightful and easy to navigate. Finishing the course, I felt a great sense of accomplishment and knew that becoming ABM certified would have a profound positive impact on my career. Once I posted the Demandbase ABM Certification badge on my LinkedIn profile, it didn’t take long for people to view me as an evangelist and thought leader on ABM, reaching out with questions and asking me to share my insights and guidance.
If I can offer a few pieces of advice to my fellow B2B marketers who are thinking about taking the Demandbase Certification course, it would be this:
- Make sure you have the experience of deploying an ABM program. Once completed, you’ll be ready to dive into Demandbase’s Certification course;
- Becoming ABM certified is a marathon, not a sprint. The program takes time, so before you jump in, make sure you are committed to completing the program; and
- Be diligent and stick to it. If you do that, you’ll come out of the program more enlightened on all thing’s ABM.
It’s a turbulent and unexpected future moving forward, but it’s also a great time to take advantage of Certification programs like Demandbase’s ABM courses to invest in your professional development and to gain key insights into bringing your ABM strategy to the next level.
