Navigating the changing landscape of enterprise sales
Winning and expanding tier 1 enterprise accounts has never been more challenging. Procurement is becoming increasingly automated, decision-making units are growing larger, and competitors are engaging earlier in the buying journey. Standing out requires a shift from traditional sales tactics to a more strategic, customer-centric approach.
Two strategies dominate this space: Account-based marketing (ABM) and Deal-based marketing (DBM – also known as pursuit marketing). While ABM focuses on building long-term, strategic relationships, DBM is about precision – securing must-win deals through deeply personalised engagement. Many businesses adopt one over the other, but if you can achieve a uniquely integrated blend of both, you can maximise your marginal gains across the sales journey.
- The key challenges enterprise customers face in today’s buying market
- The differences between ABM and DBM – and when to use each
- How businesses can combine both strategies to maximise growth and retention.
The challenges enterprise customers face
B2B procurement is evolving rapidly, making it harder for suppliers to influence buying decisions. Some of the key challenges include:-
- Overloaded and risk-averse buyers: decision-makers spend just 17% of the buying journey engaging with suppliers, preferring to make decisions internally.
- Complex, multi-stakeholder decision-making: the average enterprise deal involves 10+ decision-makers, each with different priorities.
- Intensifying competition, market disruption and early engagement: new entrants are influencing customers before the RFP process even begins, making early engagement critical.
- Shrinking contract terms: buyers more frequently reassess vendors which means long-term supplier relationships are becoming less common and businesses must work harder to retain or win back accounts.
For businesses aiming to win new enterprise customers or expand their most valuable accounts, navigating these challenges effectively is key. Choosing the right strategy – ABM or DBM – depends on your objectives.
ABM vs. DBM: choosing the right strategy to meet YOUR priorities
ABM – driving long-term growth: ABM is a strategic, long-term approach that aligns marketing and sales to build meaningful relationships with your high-value accounts. It focuses on creating personalised, multi-touch engagement strategies that position your business as a trusted partner.
Key characteristics of ABM
- Customer-first mindset: tailored messaging and engagement strategies designed around your customer’s long-term needs
- Multi-stakeholder engagement: building consensus among multiple decision-makers, often with conflicting needs
- Brand positioning and thought leadership: using insight-led content to shape perception and earn trust
- Sales and marketing integration: uniting your teams around shared objectives to foster long-term growth.
When to use ABM
- To strengthen or expand relationships within your existing high-value accounts
- To target your enterprise customers with longer sales cycles
- To deeply connect your sales and marketing teams to drive sustained revenue growth.
76% of B2B marketers say ABM delivers a higher ROI than any other marketing strategy.
DBM – winning high-stakes opportunities: DBM is a laser-focused, short-term strategy designed to secure must-win deals. Unlike ABM, which nurtures relationships over time, DBM is designed to influence decision-makers at critical moments with highly personalised, deal-specific engagement.
Key characteristics of DBM
- Deep personalisation: tailoring your messaging to specific individuals within an account
- Precision-targeting: hyper-relevant content and storytelling that aligns with your customer’s business needs and personal motivations
- Fast execution: high-intensity engagement to influence decision-making within shorter sales cycles
- Bid and proposal excellence: crafting strong narratives and compelling win themes that differentiate your offer.
When to use DBM
- In pursuit of a single, high-value RFP or competitive deal
- To renew a critical contract
- To disrupt an incumbent’s position in a must-win bid.
90% of sales revenue comes from bids, yet only 43% of bids are won—making pursuit strategies essential.
The power of combining ABM and DBM
For businesses focused on securing both new and renewal enterprise accounts, a blended ABM + DBM strategy delivers the best results.
- ABM to bring long-term market influence: ABM is essential for establishing your credibility, building relationships, and influencing customers even before an RFP lands.
- DBM to ensure high-value competitive wins: when an RFP is released or a contract renewal is at stake, DBM provides a highly targeted, insight-driven approach to ensure you secure the deal.
- Greater than the sum of their parts – the power of integration: by combining ABM and DBM, your business can:
- Shape the RFP before procurement begins
- Tailor bid strategies based on pre-existing relationships
- Create a seamless customer experience from initial engagement to contract signature.
Our unique approach: ABX – the future of ABM and DBM
At JPC, we take a customer-first, integrated approach which we’ve defined as Account-Based Experience (ABX). ABX blends insight, strategy, content and creative execution to transform enterprise deal-making.
Bringing it all together
ABM for market influence: build credibility and shape perceptions, aligning with customer priorities, and creating demand.
DBM for competitive wins: engage stakeholders with precision, craft compelling win themes, and humanise RFP responses.
CX-driven sales enablement: use immersive storytelling, persuasive presentations, and powerful digital engagement tools for maximum impact.
Our results speak for themselves
80%
average win rate across high-value enterprise deals.
£13B+
in incremental contract value secured for our clients in the last 5 years alone.
3 in 5
win rate on new logo acquisitions.
Case study: A major UK telco increased its win rate to 80% after implementing a blended ABM + DBM strategy, securing £6 billion in contracts within 18 months.
Success is a team effort: We give you the marginal gain – the competitive edge that turns pivotal opportunities into wins through smart, human-centred, data-driven strategies.
Winning tier 1 enterprise accounts requires more than just a great product or service – it demands strategic, insight-led, human engagement that resonates with modern buyers.
If you’re looking to:
- Increase your win rates on strategic RFPs
- Strengthen your most valuable customer relationships
- Stand out in high-stakes pursuit marketing
JPC can help. So let’s connect! Book a discovery session to explore how a combined ABM & DBM approach can transform your enterprise sales strategy. Contact james.mollard@thinkjpc.com.
