Market View
Beyond MQLs: Reframing success in B2B marketing
Sponsored by:
Produced by:
Elliot Cartwright
Global Head of Account Based Marketing (ABM) at Relex Solutions
About Elliot Cartwright
Elliot Cartwright is an Account Based Marketing (ABM) specialist at Relex Solutions, a global company with 2,000 employees. Based in the UK, he has been working in B2B SaaS marketing within the supply chain sector since 2016. Elliot started his career at a small company, where he recognised the significant impact of marketing in advancing customer accounts in the sales pipeline. This realisation led him to specialise in ABM, a role he has been dedicated to for the past four years.
How is account-based marketing reshaping how you approach B2B strategies?
We're definitely seeing a big shift in how we do things. Before, marketing would just start things off and then pass the baton to business development. Now, we're all about teamwork right through the sales funnel. It’s not only about lead generation anymore; we’re supporting the entire process, ensuring that each stage helps push the business forward. It’s a whole new approach that really streamlines our efforts and makes everything more integrated.
"It’s a whole new approach that really streamlines our efforts and makes everything more integrated."
Can you talk about the main metrics your team uses to gauge success now?
Of course. We've really shifted our focus from just looking at revenue figures. Now, our main goals are about building a strong pipeline and making sure it moves faster, especially when it comes to upselling to our existing customers. We track how many new opportunities we’re creating, how quickly these opportunities move through the sales process, and how effectively they turn into actual sales. This helps us keep our strategies aligned with our overall business goals.
What’s been tough about getting marketing and sales to work together? How did you tackle that?
One of the biggest challenges was changing the sales team's view of what marketing does. It used to be that once marketing handed off the leads, our job was seen as done. But we've managed to extend our involvement throughout the entire sales cycle. By integrating our marketing managers with sales VPs and aligning them from the get-go, we’ve created a more unified front. This alignment ensures that both teams are working towards common goals, improving cooperation, and boosting our overall effectiveness.
"This alignment ensures that both teams are working towards common goals, improving cooperation, and boosting our overall effectiveness."
With new tech, how have you improved the teamwork between sales and marketing?
We’ve brought in some powerful tools like 6sense that provide deep insights into our accounts, which helps us understand their current needs and predict future ones. This technology allows us to feed valuable, actionable information directly to our sales team in real-time. It’s about making sure there’s no delay in information flow and that the right details reach the right people exactly when they need it. This kind of instant insight sharing has really helped us streamline our processes and enhance our collaborative efforts.
As AI starts playing a bigger role in marketing, how do you keep your engagements strong?
With AI becoming more common, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. Everyone's using AI to boost their outreach, which can dilute the impact. That’s why we’re focusing on truly authentic interactions. We use personalised communications like direct mail, customised video messages, and even handwritten notes to create a real connection. These efforts cut through the clutter and show our commitment to providing meaningful, standout experiences. It's all about maintaining that personal touch in a digital age.
"It's all about maintaining that personal touch in a digital age."
If budget was no object, where would you invest in your marketing efforts?
If budget wasn’t a constraint, I’d heavily invest in personalisation technologies. For our major accounts, I’d make every campaign and interaction highly customised to reflect their unique business culture and needs. This approach would not only enhance our relationships but also significantly differentiate our services from the competition. Creating these bespoke experiences for each customer would really help us cement strong, lasting partnerships and elevate our position in the market.
About Relex Solutions
Relex Solutions is a prominent global enterprise specialising in providing cutting-edge B2B SaaS solutions for the supply chain industry. Founded with the mission to enhance operational efficiency and streamline supply chain processes, Relex Solutions leverages advanced analytics and innovative technology to help businesses optimise their inventory management, demand forecasting, and overall supply chain planning. With a dedicated workforce of 2,000 employees, the company serves a diverse clientele worldwide, driving substantial improvements in logistics and supply chain operations across various sectors.
About 6sense
6sense is on a mission to revolutionise the way B2B organisations create revenue by predicting customers most likely to buy and recommending the best course of action to engage anonymous buying teams. 6sense Revenue AI is the only sales and marketing platform to unlock the ability to create, manage and convert high-quality pipeline to revenue. Customers report 2X increases in average contract value, 4X increases in win rate and 20-40% reduction in time to close deals. Know everything, do anything, with 6sense.
6sense are changing the world of marketing, one customer advocacy programme at a time. Ready to transform your business?
