Account based marketing for HR tech, one buying committee at a time

Name cards already line the prospect's conference table when the account executive for a workforce management vendor arrives early for the final presentation. The cards say the CHRO will be there, along with the HR operations lead, the controller and someone from IT she has never spoken to.

The chair at the head of the table stays empty. The COO sends regrets ten minutes in, and two weeks later the deal moves to next fiscal year on the COO's say-so.

The vendor had never once marketed to the COO. Account based marketing for HR tech exists for that empty chair, and the empty chair was the most expensive piece of furniture in the deal.

What is account based marketing for HR tech?

Account based marketing for HR tech picks a short list of companies worth winning, maps everyone who will choose, approve or block the purchase, and sends each of them the proof they need. HR, finance, IT and an executive sponsor all see marketing written for their seat, so sales walks into a committee that already knows the company.

When does ABM make sense for an HR tech company?

ABM costs more per account than broad marketing, so it has to be worth it. It usually is when deals are large enough to justify the effort, several people sign off, and you can name the companies you want before they come looking.

It rarely pays when deals are small, the product sells through a free trial or one HR manager can buy on a credit card. In those cases search, review sites and broad demand programs will do more, and our guide to demand generation for HR software covers that route.

Most HR tech companies land in the middle, running broad programs for the market and an HR tech ABM program for the mid-market and enterprise accounts sales cares about most.

Picking accounts worth the trouble

A list of three thousand accounts is a mailing list with ambitions. Start smaller, with accounts sales can name a next step for, and pick them on signals like these.

1. Fit. The employee count, industry and countries your product serves best, judged by your happiest customers rather than your largest ones.
2. Timing. A known renewal date for their current HRIS, payroll or benefits system, which is the most useful single fact you can have about an HR account.
3. Change. Fast hiring, a merger, a new CHRO or expansion into new states or countries, any of which can break the system they have.
4. Access. A champion, a former customer now working there or a partner who already has a relationship.
5. Agreement. Sales signs off on every account before the program starts.

One practical limit catches small lists out. LinkedIn's targeting help sets a minimum of 300 members per ad set, so a few dozen accounts filtered to HR directors may be too small to run, and you'll need to widen the seats or group accounts together.

Grouping is also how most programs split their effort, so the accounts sales wants most get the most attention.

Accounts move between tiers as signals change. A renewal date or a new CHRO is a good reason to promote an account, and two quiet quarters is a good reason to move it down.