How Snowflake’s ABM and SDR Teams Bust Silos and Drive Growth
In a world where aligning sales and marketing teams is often more talked about than achieved, Snowflake stands out. Hillary Carpio, Senior Director of Growth Marketing, and Travis Henry, Director of SDR Operations and Enablement at Snowflake, have authored "Busting Silos," a book that details how their teams collaborate to win new customers and enhance business goals.
The Importance of Attribution and Alignment
Attribution is a contentious topic in many organizations, often seen as a tool for justifying expenses and proving ROI. However, Carpio and Henry emphasize the need for attribution to focus on business goals rather than individual or team success. Snowflake employs an attribution dashboard with four different models to assess campaign effectiveness from various angles—first touch, last touch, and beyond.
Hillary Carpio on Attribution:
"The motivation behind why you're doing attribution really drives the productivity of it. At Snowflake, we use different models depending on what we're trying to learn. It’s not about who gets the credit but what's driving new logos."
Hillary Carpio highlights the importance of shifting the focus from credit allocation to business impact. At Snowflake, they employ multiple attribution models to assess different aspects of campaign effectiveness, such as first touch for new lead generation and last touch for conversions. This approach ensures a holistic view of what drives business goals rather than individual team success.
Travis Henry on Strategic Alignment:
"The key is starting with a strategic conversation that includes all stakeholders—customer success, SDR leadership, marketing, and sales—to ensure alignment on pipeline coverage and business goals."
Travis Henry emphasizes the "one team" mentality at Snowflake. This involves strategic planning across all internal orgs to ensure all teams work towards common business objectives. This unified approach helps Snowflake optimize pipeline coverage and tailor campaigns for different stages of the sales cycle.
Building Effective ABM and SDR Partnerships
Snowflake’s success is also attributed to its strong ABM (Account-Based Marketing) and SDR (Sales Development Representative) partnership. By focusing on specific, high-value accounts, they have managed to 2-4x their meeting rates.
Carpio on ABM and SDR Collaboration:
"When ABM works with SDRs, we see a 2-4x increase in meeting rates. The key is alignment and focusing on the same messaging to the right accounts at the right time."
Best Practices for Collaboration
Strategic Planning:
Regularly involve leadership from all go-to-market functions to align on pipeline coverage and annual goals.
Use fiscal year planning to set a clear north star for the organization.
Attribution Models:
Implement multiple attribution models to understand different campaign impacts.
Focus on business outcomes rather than team-specific credit.
Cross-Functional Meetings:
Ensure that SDRs, ABM, and sales teams have regular, collaborative meetings.
Align on account targeting, messaging, and personas to maintain consistency.
Testing and Optimization:
Use A/B testing to measure the impact of account-based marketing efforts.
Regularly review and adjust strategies based on performance data.
Empowerment and Autonomy
Empowering teams and fostering autonomy are critical aspects of Snowflake’s culture. Carpio and Henry discuss how leadership supports innovation and decision-making at every level.
Henry on Empowerment:
"We empower each function to solve the how while staying focused on the same what. This approach allows for innovation and ensures everyone is aligned with the company’s goals."
Practical Routines for Sustained Success
Regular check-ins and setting clear KPIs are part of Snowflake’s strategy to maintain focus and drive results. By keeping a close eye on metrics and enabling teams to adjust strategies as needed, they ensure continuous improvement.
Carpio on Monitoring KPIs:
"It’s about narrowing down on high-level, consistent KPIs specific to our business goals. This focus helps us identify red flags early and make necessary adjustments."
To maintain high conversion rates and operational efficiency, Snowflake implements disciplined routines:
Weekly Check-ins: Regular updates to track progress and address challenges.
Shared Slack Channels: Open communication channels for quick resolution of issues.
Quarterly Reviews: Assess performance against goals and adjust strategies accordingly.
Additional Materials
Listen to the full podcast here or watch the full Interview here
Video Short: Attribution isn’t about making yourself look good
FAQs
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Snowflake uses multiple attribution models to focus on what drives business goals, such as first touch for lead generation and last touch for conversions, rather than individual team success.
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Snowflake fosters collaboration through strategic planning, regular cross-functional meetings, and a unified go-to-market strategy that aligns on common business objectives.
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Key practices include strategic planning involving all go-to-market functions, implementing multiple attribution models, regular cross-functional meetings, and routine performance reviews.
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Snowflake empowers teams by allowing autonomous decision-making, fostering innovation, and ensuring that all team members are aligned with the company’s overall business goals.
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Additional resources can be found in the BeaconGTM Introduction, Sales System documentation, and The Revenue Operations Manual, which provide comprehensive strategies and tools for effective go-to-market execution.
