The future of ABM in 2025

Introduction

The B2B marketing landscape has undergone aseismic shift in recent years. The evolution of marketing technology, buyer behaviour, and global economic factors have fundamentally transformed how companies engage with prospects and customers. No longer can businesses rely solely on traditional marketing tactics, instead they must embrace innovative strategies that leverages data, predictive analytics, and AI to stay competitive. In this rapidly changing environment, the partnership between Gilroy and 6sense represents a significant advancement. Gilroy, a pioneer in full-funnel B2B growth strategies, has joined forces with 6sense, a leader in AI-driven revenue technology, to provide a comprehensive solution that empowers businesses to navigate the complexities of the modern B2B landscape.

The current state of B2B marketing is striking:

• 70% of the buyer's journey is completed before contacting sales[1], underscoring the importance of a robust online presence.
• Real-time data analytics led to revenue growth in 80% of businesses surveyed[2] by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, highlighting the need for advanced technology.
• Aligning sales and marketing can lead to a 36% higher customer retention rate[3], emphasising the need for cohesive strategies.

These statistics paint a clear picture: in today’s B2B environment, traditional marketing approaches are no longer enough. To stay competitive, companies must embrace new technologies and strategies that allow them to engage with prospects more effectively, align their internal teams, and drive meaningful business outcomes.

This guide is designed to provide B2B marketers with an in-depth understanding of how the Gilroy and 6sense partnership is revolutionising marketing strategies and driving business growth. Indeed, the partnership between Gilroy and 6sense represents a strategic alliance that combines the strengths of two industry leaders to offer a powerful solution for enterprise companies. Gilroy’s expertise in full-funnel B2B growth, which goes beyond traditional Account-Based Marketing (ABM) by focusing on the entire customer lifecycle, is perfectly complemented by 6sense’s advanced AI-driven platform. Together, they provide B2B marketers with the tools and insights needed to identify high-value accounts, engage with them at the right time with the right messaging, and measure the effectiveness across the sales funnel.

 When we talk about a full funnel approach, we're talking about the ability to take the prospect from one end where they don't even know you exist through to the other end, where you're actually closing multiple opportunities with them. Kevin Sleap, Senior Partner, Gilroy

This partnership is particularly significant in today’s marketing landscape, where the ability to predict buyer intent, personalise engagement strategies, and track results in real-time is critical for success. By leveraging the combined capabilities of Gilroy and 6sense, businesses can not only improve their marketing effectiveness but also achieve sustainable growth, ensuring that every interaction with a prospect or customer is meaningful and aligned with broader business objectives.

01. Ride the waves of change:
AI, big data, and the global economic impact on B2B marketing

Evolution of the buyer’s journey

The B2B buyer's journey has evolved significantly over the past decade. Gone are the days when buyers relied solely on interactions with sales representatives to make purchasing decisions. Today, the buyer's journey is more complex and non-linear, with multiple stakeholders involved in the decision-making process. It is more of a “spaghetti bowl” than a straightforward assembly line, in the words of Gartner[4].

One of the most significant changes in the buyer's journey is the increased emphasis on independent research, with 70% of the buying journey being spent on research before engaging with vendors[5]. This means that by the time a prospect reaches out to a sales representative, they are already well-informed and have a clear understanding of their needs and potential solutions.

This shift has significant implications for B2B marketers. To remain competitive, businesses must ensure that they are present and visible at every stage of the buyer's journey. This requires a comprehensive content strategy that addresses the needs of buyers at each stage, from awareness to consideration to decision-making. This is where Gilroy plays a crucial role in helping clients stay attuned to their prospect’s needs throughout the full funnel, from the very beginning of their online research, through to the awareness, consideration, and decision stages, down to the retention and expansion phases.

Predictive behaviour in marketing

The advent of AI, machine learning, and big data analytics has revolutionised how marketers approach their strategies. These technologies enable marketers to gain deeper insights into buyer behaviour, predict intent, and create highly personalised experiences that resonate with their target audience.

One of the most impactful technological advancements in B2B marketing is predictive analytics. This allows marketers to identify high-value accounts, prioritise leads, and allocate resources more effectively. By analysing vast amounts of data, predictive analytics can uncover patterns and trends that would be impossible to detect manually. This enables marketers to make data-driven decisions that optimise their efforts and drive better results.

6sense is at the forefront of this technological revolution. Their AI-driven platform leverages predictive analytics to provide businesses with actionable insights that inform their marketing strategies[6]. By identifying which accounts are most likely to convert, 6sense helps businesses focus their efforts where they will have the greatest impact.

Challenges and opportunities in new B2B marketing

While the evolution of the buyer's journey and the rise of disruptive technology present significant opportunities, they also come with challenges. One of the biggest challenges facing B2B marketers today is navigating this increasingly complex buyer journey. With multiple stakeholders involved in the decision-making process, it can be difficult to engage with the right people at the right time.

Another challenge is the need for alignment between sales and marketing teams. In many organisations, sales and marketing operate in silos, with little collaboration or communication between the two. This can lead to misaligned goals, wasted resources, and missed opportunities.

However, these challenges also present opportunities for businesses that are willing to adapt and innovate. By leveraging the capabilities of the Gilroy-6sense partnership, businesses can overcome these challenges and unlock new opportunities for growth. The partnership provides businesses with the tools and strategies they need to engage with buyers more effectively, align their sales and marketing efforts, and drive measurable results.

02. The full-funnel B2B growth engine

ABM is rarely enough on its own

ABM has become a cornerstone of B2B marketing strategies. By focusing on specific accounts, ABM allows businesses to tailor their marketing efforts to the needs of their most valuable prospects. However, while ABM is an effective strategy, it is rarely enough on its own to drive full-funnel growth.

One of the limitations of traditional ABM is that it often focuses solely on the top of the funnel, targeting accounts based on their potential value without considering the entire buyer journey. This approach can lead to missed opportunities and wasted resources, as businesses may not fully understand the needs and challenges of their target accounts.

To achieve full-funnel growth, businesses need to go beyond traditional ABM and adopt a more holistic approach. Taking the principles of ABM and extends them across the entire buyer journey, from initial engagement to post-sale support. By aligning sales, marketing, and customer success efforts, full-funnel ABM ensures that every interaction with a target account is meaningful and contributes to long-term success.

Gilroy and 6sense full-funnel approach

The collaboration between Gilroy and 6sense represents a powerful synergy that enables businesses to implement full-funnel growth strategies effectively. At the heart of this collaboration is the integration of 6sense revenue intelligence platform with Gilroy's full-funnel expertise. Together, they provide businesses with the tools and insights needed to engage with target accounts at every stage of the buyer journey, and even beyond.

One of the key benefits of this partnership is the ability to track and report on the effectiveness of marketing efforts in real time. 6sense's platform provides businesses with detailed insights into account engagement, allowing them to see which accounts are most likely to convert and which strategies are working best. This data is invaluable for making informed decisions and optimising marketing efforts.

In addition to tracking engagement, theGilroy-6sense partnership also provides businesses with the ability to measure the impact of their marketing efforts on revenue. By aligning marketing metrics with business goals, businesses can ensure that their marketing efforts are driving meaningful results and contributing to long-term growth.

Our journey with 6sense is geared towards transforming the way organisations create, manage, and convert their pipeline into revenue. Ben Romberg, Head of Strategy & Planning, Gilroy

Evolve your strategy with Gilroy and 6sense

The success of a full-funnel growth strategy hinges on meticulous planning and preparation. This involves a detailed analysis of customer data, market trends, and the competitive landscape to ensure that the strategy is grounded in reality and tailored to achieve measurable outcomes.

1. Identify target accounts‍

The first step in planning an effective full-funnel strategy is to identify the accounts that will have the most significant impact on your business. This is where the expertise of Gilroy and the advanced capabilities of 6sense come into play. By leveraging 6sense’s account identification capabilities to match intent signals back to accounts, businesses can spot ideal accounts, where the account is in the journey and members of the buying team. This allows them to prioritise high-value accounts that are most likely to convert, ensuring that resources are focused where they will yield the greatest return.
6sense’s predictive analytics and intent data provide businesses with the ability to see where their ideal customers are in the buying journey, which is crucial for identifying accounts that are in-market and ready to engage. By focusing on these high-value accounts, businesses can allocate their resources more efficiently and increase their chances of closing deals. Gilroy's strategic approach further enhances this by offering a customised playbook for engaging these accounts with tailored messaging and content that resonates at each stage of the funnel.‍

2. Develop a data-driven strategy

‍Data is the foundation of any successful full-funnel strategy. By analysing historical data, businesses can identify patterns and trends that inform their approach. For instance, understanding which content resonates most with specific accounts can help in crafting personalised messaging that drives engagement. Additionally, predictive analytics can forecast future behaviour, enabling businesses to proactively address potential challenges and capitalise on emerging opportunities.
6sense’s platform excels in providing actionable insights by aggregating and analysing vast amounts of data from various sources. This data-driven approach allows businesses to segment their audience more effectively, tailor their messaging, and deliver personalised experiences that drive engagement. By understanding the pain points, preferences, and behaviours of target accounts, businesses can develop campaigns that not only capture attention but also build lasting relationships.

With a full funnel approach, your customers are becoming not just advocates, but even evangelists for your business. You build together a fantastic relationship, and that journey is made up of these connected buying experiences. Kevin Sleap, Senior Partner, Gilroy

Gilroy complements this by offering expertise in content creation and campaign execution, ensuring that the data-driven insights are translated into compelling narratives that resonate with target audiences. Whether it’s through conversational emails, targeted ads, and tailored content, the combination of 6sense’s data capabilities and Gilroy’s strategic execution ensures that every touchpoint is optimised for maximum impact.

3. Set clear objectives and KPIs

Once target accounts are identified, it’s essential to set clear objectives and KPIs that will guide the strategy. These objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For example, a business might aim to increase engagement with a particular account by 30% over the next quarter or to shorten the sales cycle by 15%.

Setting clear objectives ensures that all stakeholders are aligned and working towards the same goals. It also provides a benchmark against which to measure progress and adjust as needed. Gilroy and 6sense help businesses define these KPIs and establish a roadmap for achieving them.

The next section will focus on the right type of KPIs and metrics to be used in the context of a full funnel B2B growth engine.

03. Redefining success metrics

Shift from “vanity metrics” to “value metrics”

In the field of B2B marketing, traditional metrics like Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs), website traffic, social media followers, or email open rates – often termed "vanity metrics" – have long been used as indicators of success. However, while these metrics can provide a snapshot of activity, they fall short in measuring true business impact.

Vanity metrics, though easy to track and report, do not necessarily correlate with revenue growth or customer acquisition, making them unreliable indicators of success in a full-funnel B2B strategy.

Vanity metrics often paint an overly optimistic picture of marketing performance. For example, MQL focuses on the number of leads that meet certain marketing criteria, such as engagement with content or filling out forms. However, just because a lead is "qualified" by marketing standards doesn’t mean it’s genuinely ready to buy. This focus on quantity rather than quality can inflate the perceived effectiveness of marketing campaigns without driving actual sales. Moreover, high website traffic may suggest that a campaign is attracting attention, but it does not provide insights into whether these visitors are converting into leads, engaging with content, or moving down the sales funnel. Similarly, many social media followers might look impressive, but without engagement or conversion, this number holds little value in terms of generating revenue.

To truly assess the effectiveness of a marketing strategy, B2B marketers must shift their focus to "value metrics" – those that directly tie marketing efforts to business outcomes. KPIs such as Sales-Qualified Opportunities (SQOs), pipeline valuation, and Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) offer a more meaningful measure of success. These metrics provide insights into how marketing activities are driving revenue, influencing sales, and contributing to overall business growth.

Align marketing metrics with business goals

The alignment of marketing metrics with overall business or commercial objectives is crucial for driving sustainable growth. Metrics should not only measure marketing performance but also reflect how these efforts contribute to the broader goals of the organisation.

One of the key strategies for aligning metrics with business goals is to establish a clear connection between marketing activities and revenue outcomes. This involves defining KPIs that are directly linked to business objectives, such as increasing market share, improving customer retention, or accelerating sales cycles. For instance, SQOs offer a clear view of how many leads are truly ready for the sales team, highlighting the quality of leads generated rather than just the quantity. Pipeline valuation, on the other hand, helps in understanding the potential revenue from these opportunities, allowing for better forecasting and resource allocation. Metrics like CLV emphasise the long-term value of a customer, encouraging strategies that focus on retention and expansion rather than just acquisition.

Another critical aspect is the role of the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) in prioritising marketing efforts. The ICP defines the characteristics of the customers who are most likely to deliver long-term value to the business. By aligning marketing metrics with the ICP, businesses can ensure that their efforts are targeted toward acquiring and nurturing the right customers, leading to more efficient use of resources and higher returns on investment.

For example, rather than measuring the number of leads generated, businesses can focus on the number of leads that match the ICP and have a high likelihood of converting into high-value customers. This shift in focus from quantity to quality allows for a more strategic approach to marketing, where every action is aligned with the goal of driving meaningful business outcomes.

Smart Engine, revolutionising B2B marketing measurement

As businesses shift their focus from vanity metrics to value-driven metrics like SQOs and CLV, the tools they use must be capable of providing clear, actionable insights that align with these strategic goals. This is where Gilroy’s Smart Engine comes into play – a powerful platform designed to integrate disparate data sources, offering a unified view of campaign performance that drives informed decision-making.

Unify data for a clear perspective

Smart Engine transcends the limitations of traditional data management by integrating information from various platforms – be it CRM, ABM, or marketing automation tools – into a single, coherent dashboard. This consolidation not only streamlines reporting but ensures that all metrics are standardised, providing a consistent and trustworthy view of your marketing efforts.

Real-time analytics for immediate impact

In today’s fast-paced B2B environment, waiting for outdated reports is not an option. Smart Engine delivers real-time analytics, enabling your team to act on the most current data, optimise ongoing campaigns, and make adjustments that enhance performance across the sales funnel.

Deep account-level insights

Understanding the engagement and behaviour of key accounts is crucial in an ABM strategy. Smart Engine’s account-level insights allow you to pinpoint which accounts are most engaged, where they are in their buying journey, and how best to allocate resources to maximise impact. This level of detail is critical for personalising outreach and driving conversions.

Align sales and marketing for full-funnel success

Smart Engine plays a pivotal role in breaking down silos between sales and marketing. By providing a shared, integrated platform, it ensures that both teams are aligned from the outset, working towards common objectives with a clear understanding of how their efforts contribute to the overall business goals. This alignment is essential for shortening sales cycles and increasing deal sizes.

Measure what truly matters

Ultimately, the success of a marketing strategy hinges on the ability to measure what truly matters – metrics that directly correlate with business outcomes. Smart Engine empowers businesses to track these crucial metrics, such as pipeline valuation and customer lifetime value, through a unified, easy-to-use dashboard. This focus on value metrics ensures that every marketing activity is tied to measurable growth, enabling more strategic, impactful decisions.

Gilroy augment your 6sense team and reinvent the way your organisation creates, manages, and converts pipeline to revenue. As a trusted Tier One partner, they have been recognised for excellence in their field, and share 6sense’s vision for utilising AI to generate revenue more effectively. Jo Wright, Director of Partnerships, 6sense

Gilroy’s Smart Engine is more than just a data integration tool – it’s the key to unlocking the full potential of your B2B marketing efforts. By providing a comprehensive, real-time view of your campaign performance, it empowers your team to make data-driven decisions that drive growth and align with your business objectives. With Smart Engine, you can confidently measure the impact of your marketing strategies, ensuring that every action taken contributes to long-term success.

Conclusion

Throughout this blog, we have explored the critical components of a successful full-funnel B2B growth strategy, highlighting the transformative impact of the partnership between Gilroy and 6sense, offering businesses a comprehensive solution that combines strategic expertise with cutting-edge technology. By leveraging 6sense’s AI-driven platform and Gilroy’s deep understanding of full funnel growth, businesses can unlock new levels of precision, efficiency, and effectiveness in their marketing efforts.

This partnership is not just about improving marketing performance; it’s about driving real business outcomes. By aligning marketing strategies with broader business goals, and by focusing on value metrics that truly matter, businesses can achieve sustainable growth and maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly complex market.

As you reflect on the insights shared in this eBook, we encourage you to consider how the Gilroy-6sense partnership can be integrated into your own marketing strategy. Whether you’re looking to refine your approach to ABM, leverage AI for predictive analytics, or realign your success metrics with business goals, this partnership offers the tools and expertise needed to drive meaningful results.

For more information on how to implement these strategies within your organisation, visit our websites, connect with our experts, or schedule a consultation to learn how we can help you achieve your business objectives.

Your journey to full-funnel B2B growth starts here.

Gilroy | 6sense

Contact us to find out more: beglorious@gilroy.co.uk