Elevating the Focus on Customers: Account-Based Marketing at Unisys

Customers make or break an Account-Based Marketing strategy. Pick the wrong ones and it’s like unrequited love: a lot of effort for very little return. It’s critical to have a clear, rigorous process for selecting ABM customers that is accepted across the organization.

As part of a move toward a more account-centric business strategy, technology and consulting company Unisys has identified a list of 500 top global accounts with which it hopes to build tight relationships through various means, including ABM. Within the top accounts list are 50 customers that are “blueprint accounts.” Each blueprint account has a full-time dedicated client account executive who leads sales representatives in a common cross-BU, cross-geography client business planning session held each year. At least one salesperson from each business unit is in contact with the various decision makers of every top account in any given period. In addition, Unisys has identified other clients, classified as “emerging accounts,” that are candidates to become blueprint accounts in the next two or three years.

Based on this list of accounts, Unisys marketing selects accounts for ABM treatment based on four criteria:

• Size of account. Bigger is better because ABM is labor intensive. There should be enough revenues to cover the costs of ABM treatment while maintaining or improving margins on the account.
• Future growth potential of account. There should be room for growth in the share of wallet for the account. ABM shines at uncovering new areas of penetration within existing accounts.
• Vertical market. Knowledge of the vertical is a critical element of ABM. Unisys in Continental Europe focuses on the verticals in which it has significant knowledge, experience, and a critical mass of customers: Public Sector, Financial Services, Communications, and Transportation.
• Internal sales support for ABM approach. Some important accounts were pushed down the ABM list because of a lack of mutual understanding between sales and the ABM marketers. ABM cannot succeed unless there is tight collaboration with the account sales team and full support from the account executive as to what marketing can—and cannot—bring to his or her business goals.

Unisys’ goal in its selected ABM accounts is to do what all providers promise but few actually deliver: moving from being a supplier to a partner. “We want to understand the customers’ business goals and issues to the point where we can provide recommendations, help them, and direct them to the right innovations for them,” says Jessica Scale, vice president of marketing and communications for Continental Europe. The primary benefit to Unisys from all this understanding and relationship development is a greater share of wallet.

A New Way of Thinking

As Unisys’ experience shows, ABM is as much a way of thinking about customer relationships as it is a process or methodology. The basic principles of engaging in deeper customer research, creating customized value propositions, and building stronger relationships with the right people are widely applicable in many different scenarios. Indeed, Unisys has different tiers of ABM-inspired programs that each involve varying levels of marketing investment, focus, and customer involvement.

Every marketer talks about getting closer to customers. With ABM, Unisys has actually done it.

ITSMA members will receive the full-length Unisys case study later this month.

Comments are closed.

ITSMA specializes in helping companies market and sell services and solutions more effectively. We work with the world's leading technology, communications, and professional services providers to generate increased demand, strengthen customer relationships, and improve brand differentiation. ITSMA annual program clients include business leaders such as Avaya, BT, Cisco, Deloitte, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, and Tata Consultancy Services, among others. Our comprehensive research, consulting, and training on topics including ITSMA Account-Based Marketing℠, Brand Positioning, and Solutions Development provide the insight and experience companies need to improve business results. ITSMA is based near Boston, and has offices in London and Tokyo. Learn more at www.itsma.com.