How do you unify two companies into one enterprise go-to-market motion without losing pipeline momentum?
Harver acquired Checkster to fulfill their vision of becoming a full-cycle hiring platform, incorporating an ATS, employee assessments, reference checking, and video interviewing into a single unified solution. The platform enables organizations, particularly those engaged in high-volume hiring, to make better hiring decisions faster by seamlessly integrating these elements.
Post-acquisition, Harver needed demand generation leadership to pivot toward a more enterprise-focused market. Two organizations with their own marketing approaches, customer relationships, and growth strategies needed to be unified into a single coherent go-to-market motion that could compete for large enterprise accounts.
Following the acquisition of Checkster, Harver sought to pivot toward a more enterprise-focused market. This required a comprehensive marketing strategy that went beyond optimizing existing inbound channels. The goal was to establish an Account-Based Marketing motion that integrated both inbound marketing and outbound efforts, including the Sales Development Representative team, to target key enterprise accounts effectively.
Acquisitions create unique marketing challenges that go beyond typical demand generation work. You inherit two sets of everything. Two websites. Two brand identities. Two customer bases. Two sales teams with different processes. Two marketing approaches that may or may not be compatible. The task was to unify strategies, scale pipeline, and manage SDR performance while the rest of the organization worked through integration complexities.
The enterprise segment presented particular opportunities but also particular challenges. Harver's talent assessment solutions delivered significant value for large organizations making hundreds or thousands of hiring decisions annually. But enterprise sales cycles are long and complex, requiring sophisticated marketing approaches that build relationships over time rather than pushing for immediate conversion. Trying to reach enterprise HR leaders through the same tactics used for SMB customers would have been ineffective and inefficient.
Additionally, the combined company needed to establish thought leadership in the HR Tech space. Both Checkster and Harver had built credibility in their respective areas. Now the unified entity needed to position itself as the comprehensive solution for organizations serious about improving hiring outcomes at scale.
The SDR team was another priority. Six sales development representatives needed direction, coaching, and accountability to convert marketing-generated leads into qualified meetings for Account Executives. Without effective SDR performance, even the best demand generation efforts would fail to translate into pipeline.
We implemented a sophisticated go-to-market strategy centered on Account-Based Marketing. ABM was the right approach because enterprise deals require targeted, personalized outreach rather than broad-based lead generation. The spray-and-pray tactics that might work for smaller deals simply do not move the needle with enterprise buyers who expect relevance and personalization.
We began by conducting extensive market research to identify target accounts and build detailed data profiles for each, aiding both marketing and outbound efforts. This was not a simple exercise of pulling a list from a database. We analyzed firmographic data, technographic signals, and buying intent indicators to prioritize accounts most likely to convert.
We mapped organizational charts to pinpoint key decision-makers within each target account and crafted a strategy to engage lower-level specialists to gather account intelligence. Understanding the internal dynamics of how decisions get made at enterprise organizations allowed us to build multi-threaded relationships rather than depending on a single point of contact.
With this foundation in place, we developed evergreen paid social campaigns aimed at building brand awareness among target accounts. These campaigns provided crucial support for the SDR and Account Executive teams as they engaged with prospects. When our salespeople reached out, prospects had already seen Harver content and understood the value proposition at a high level.
The ABM program included personalized paid media campaigns targeting specific accounts identified as high-value prospects. Rather than showing generic ads to broad audiences, we developed creative and messaging tailored to the specific challenges and opportunities facing each account segment. This required close collaboration with sales to understand account priorities and competitive dynamics.
Targeted outreach sequences complemented the paid media efforts. When prospects from target accounts engaged with content or visited the website, they received personalized follow-up that acknowledged their specific situation. This was not automated spam disguised as personalization. It was thoughtful, relevant communication that added value and moved relationships forward.
Strategic gifting added a human element to the ABM program. Thoughtful, relevant gifts sent to key contacts at target accounts created moments of delight and opened doors for conversation. This was about demonstrating that we understood the prospect's world and valued the relationship enough to invest in it.
The webinar program became a cornerstone of thought leadership efforts. We focused on securing influential speakers who could draw audiences and establish credibility. HR leaders want to hear from their peers and from recognized experts, not from vendor sales pitches disguised as educational content. By featuring thought leaders discussing genuine challenges and insights, we created events that people actually wanted to attend and that positioned Harver as a trusted voice in the industry.
Promotion campaigns for webinars were optimized based on performance data. We tested different channels, messaging approaches, and timing to maximize registrations and attendance. Each webinar built on learnings from previous events, creating a continuous improvement cycle that drove ever-better results. The content from webinars was repurposed into blog posts, social content, and sales enablement materials, extending the value of each event far beyond the live session.
Managing the SDR team required a different skillset than campaign management but was equally critical to overall success. We developed playbooks that gave SDRs clear guidance on how to approach leads, what questions to ask, and how to position the value proposition. These were not rigid scripts that made every conversation sound robotic but frameworks that allowed for personalization while ensuring consistency in approach and messaging.
We established KPIs including calls made, emails sent, accounts touched, and demos booked. These metrics created visibility into activity levels and outcomes, allowing us to identify both top performers and those who needed additional support. By analyzing weekly calls, we delivered targeted training sessions that enhanced skills such as objection handling, account research, and value proposition crafting.
Coaching sessions helped individual SDRs improve their skills and overcome specific challenges. Some struggled with initial outreach and getting prospects to engage. Others had difficulty handling objections or moving conversations toward next steps. By identifying individual development areas and providing targeted coaching, we elevated the entire team's performance rather than just managing to averages.
Accountability mechanisms ensured that activity levels and outcomes were tracked and discussed regularly. SDRs knew exactly what was expected of them and received regular feedback on their performance against those expectations. High performers were recognized and celebrated. Struggling performers received additional support and clear improvement plans with specific milestones.
The ABM strategy yielded significant results for Harver across multiple dimensions. By implementing a targeted and data-driven marketing approach, we achieved a 12% increase in enterprise demo bookings. This was not just more demos but better demos with larger, more qualified accounts that represented significant revenue potential.
The marketing-generated pipeline increased by 21%, providing the sales team with a stronger foundation of qualified opportunities to work. This pipeline growth came from both the ABM program reaching new accounts and improved conversion rates from better-qualified leads entering the funnel.
The webinar program delivered an 84% increase in registrations through the combination of better speakers and optimized promotion campaigns. But registrations are just a vanity metric if they do not translate into business outcomes. Our webinars generated qualified leads that converted into pipeline, justifying the investment in thought leadership content and establishing Harver as a go-to resource for HR professionals focused on improving hiring outcomes.
SDR team performance improved dramatically under our leadership and coaching. The team achieved a 34% increase in demos booked and a 13% improvement in call time, meaning they were having longer, more substantive conversations with prospects. The same team, with better playbooks, more effective coaching, and clearer accountability, produced substantially better results than they had before.
The unified demand generation strategy brought coherence to the combined organization's go-to-market motion. Instead of two teams doing their own thing with conflicting approaches and messaging, there was a single strategy that leveraged the strengths of both legacy organizations while creating something more effective than either could have achieved alone.
The successful integration of ABM, outbound, and inbound strategies not only strengthened Harver's market positioning but also directly contributed to growth in the enterprise market. The strategic initiatives were crucial in aligning marketing and sales efforts, driving revenue, and establishing a scalable approach to enterprise demand generation that would continue to produce results as the company grew.
Ready to Accelerate Post-Acquisition Growth?
Acquisitions are complicated enough without worrying about whether your marketing can keep up with integration demands. The challenge of unifying go-to-market strategies while maintaining pipeline and revenue is significant. It requires experience, flexibility, and the ability to move quickly while making smart decisions.
We have been through this before. We understand the unique dynamics of post-acquisition marketing and how to navigate the complexity while delivering results. Whether you are in the middle of an acquisition, recently closed one, or planning for one in the future, we can help you build the unified demand generation engine that captures the full potential of the combined organization.
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