In the world of Account-Based Marketing (ABM), the 'spray and pray' approach is a quick way to get your emails marked as spam. Effective outreach is built on deep research—showing a potential client that you actually understand their business, their Brisbane-specific market challenges, and their personal goals before you ever hit 'send'.
Why this matters
If you're targeting a high-value account (say, a large engineering firm in Eagle Farm or a growing tech startup in Fortitude Valley), they receive dozens of generic pitches a week. Taking 20 minutes to research their recent wins, current pain points, and leadership structure doesn't just make you look professional—it makes you relevant.Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure you have:- A LinkedIn account (ideally Sales Navigator, but the free version works too).
- Access to the Australian Business Register (ABR) or ASIC for company verification.
- A simple spreadsheet or CRM to record your findings.
- A clear understanding of your own 'Ideal Customer Profile' (ICP).
---
Step 1: The 'Google News' Deep Dive
Start by searching for the company name under the 'News' tab on Google. You aren't just looking for what they do, but what they’ve done lately. What to look for:- New contract wins or project approvals (especially local government tenders if they are in construction or infrastructure).
- Mergers, acquisitions, or rebranding.
- Recent awards (e.g., 'Brisbane Business Hub' awards or industry-specific accolades).
Step 2: Verify the Australian Context (ABR & ASIC)
This is a step many international guides skip, but it’s vital for Australian B2B marketing. Use the ABN Lookup to see how long they’ve been operating and their official entity type. Why bother? This helps you avoid the embarrassment of pitching 'startup growth solutions' to a company that has been registered for 25 years. It also tells you if they are a subsidiary of a larger global firm, which might mean their decision-making power actually sits in Sydney or Singapore rather than Brisbane.Step 3: Map the Decision-Making Unit (DMU) on LinkedIn
Most people reach out to the person with the most obvious title (e.g., the CEO). Often, the CEO isn't the one feeling the pain you solve. You need to map out the 'DMU'. The three roles you need to find:- The User: The person who will use your product/service daily.
- The Champion: The person who wants the problem solved and will 'sell' you internally.
- The Economic Buyer: The person who signs the cheque.
Step 4: Audit Their Digital Presence
Don't just look at their website; look at how they are presenting themselves to the world right now.- The Blog: Are they posting regularly? If they haven't updated their blog since 2021, they might be struggling with content or resources—a potential 'hook' if you're a marketing agency.
- The Careers Page: This is my favourite secret weapon. If they are hiring 10 new sales reps, they are in a growth phase. If they are hiring a new HR Manager, they might be fixing internal culture. Match your pitch to their hiring trends.
- Social Media: Look at their LinkedIn 'Posts' section. See what they are celebrating. If they just posted about a charity event in South Bank, mentioning you saw their community work builds instant rapport.
Step 5: Identify 'Trigger Events'
Trigger events are specific occurrences that create a window of opportunity. This is where most people get stuck, and honestly, the interface of most tools doesn't help you find these—you have to be a bit of a detective. Common trigger events include:- A new C-suite executive joining (they usually have a budget to make changes in the first 90 days).
- Opening a new office (e.g., expanding from Brisbane into the Gold Coast market).
Step 6: The 'Social Listening' Check
Before you reach out, see what their customers are saying. Check Google Reviews or industry-specific forums. The Strategy: If you see customers complaining about their slow response times, and you sell a CRM or automation tool, your pitch becomes: "I noticed your team is growing rapidly, and sometimes that makes it hard to maintain that famous Brisbane service level. We help companies like yours automate the boring stuff so you can focus on the customers."Step 7: Synthesise Your 'Why Now' Statement
Yes, this step is annoyingly fiddly, but it's the difference between a reply and a delete. Take everything you’ve found and turn it into a one-sentence reason for your reach-out. Bad: "I'm reaching out to see if you need marketing help." Good: "I saw your recent expansion into the Sunshine Coast and noticed you're hiring three new project managers; usually, that's when companies find their current lead-gen process starts to show some cracks."---
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Over-stalking: Don't mention their personal Facebook photos or that you saw them at the local park. Keep it professional. Reference their LinkedIn posts or company news only.
- The 'Template Trap': Using a template is fine, but if you don't change at least 30% of the text based on your research, people will smell the automation from a mile away.
- Ignoring the 'Gatekeeper': Don't dismiss the Office Manager or EA in your research. In many Australian SMEs, they hold significant influence over what reaches the Director's desk.
Troubleshooting
- "I can't find any news on them": If they are a private 'mum and dad' business, they might not have a PR trail. In this case, focus on their competitors. If their main competitor just launched a new website, that’s your 'hook'.
- "The person I found has left the company": LinkedIn data isn't always real-time. Always cross-reference the 'People' list with the company's 'About Us' page on their website. If there's a conflict, the website is usually more accurate.
- "Their website is down/broken": This is actually a massive opportunity! If you're in tech or marketing, reaching out (politely) to let them know a specific link is broken is a great 'value-first' way to start a conversation.
Next Steps
Now that you have your research, it’s time to craft the actual message.- Draft three different 'hooks' based on your research.
- Choose your primary contact and one 'backup' in a different department.
- Check out our guide on [Writing B2B Cold Emails That Actually Get Replies].
If you're finding the research phase too time-consuming or you're not sure which Brisbane industries to target first, we can help. Contact the team at Local Marketing Group to discuss an ABM strategy that works for your business.