As ABM interfaces with Challenger™ marketing and sales, Sales and Marketing are working opportunities together from beginning to end. Glen Drummond argues the demand waterfall is now more like a demand whirlpool, and Sales and Marketing need to be in it together.

TRANSCRIPT

Here’s a thought about connecting better with B2B buyers: What if we stop thinking about the demand waterfall, and start thinking about the demand whirlpool?

See, metaphors like the funnel and the waterfall paint a picture of this smooth linear continuity between one stage of the buying journey and another. And, that helps create silos of activity for Marketing and Sales arranged along that buying journey.

But the reality of the B2B buying journey is, in fact, nothing like that.

The consensus dynamics around B2B purchasing means that the waterfall is actually more like a whirlpool and, if you’re lucky, Sales and Marketing are in it together.

The advent of techniques like ABM, Challenger™ marketing and sales suggest that the silos between Marketing and Sales really need to go.

And to get there, let’s first blow up the mental models of waterfalls and funnels.