You're struggling to make sales prospecting research work. How can you turn it around?

1 Define your ideal customer profile

Before you start looking for prospects, you need to have a clear picture of who your ideal customer is. This means identifying the characteristics, needs, challenges, and goals of your target market. An ideal customer profile (ICP) can help you narrow down your search and focus on the most relevant and profitable prospects. To create an ICP, you can use data from your existing customers, market research, industry reports, and competitor analysis. You can also segment your ICP by different criteria, such as location, industry, size, revenue, or behavior.

2 Use multiple sources and tools

The quality of your sales prospecting research depends on the quality of your data. That's why you should use multiple sources and tools to gather and verify information about your prospects. For example, you can use online directories, social media platforms, industry publications, blogs, podcasts, webinars, or events to find and follow your prospects. You can also use tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, Hunter, or Leadfeeder to access and enrich your data with details like email addresses, phone numbers, job titles, company size, or website activity.

3 Track and measure your results

One of the best ways to improve your sales prospecting research is to track and measure your results. This means setting clear and realistic goals for your research activities, such as the number of prospects you want to find, the time you spend on research, or the conversion rate of your outreach. You also need to monitor and analyze the performance of your research methods, sources, and tools, and identify what works and what doesn't. By tracking and measuring your results, you can optimize your research process, eliminate inefficiencies, and increase your return on investment.

4 Seek feedback and evaluation

Another way to improve your sales prospecting research is to seek feedback and evaluation from others. This can help you gain new insights, perspectives, and ideas for your research strategy. You can ask for feedback and evaluation from your colleagues, managers, mentors, or peers in your industry or network. You can also join online communities, forums, or groups where you can share your challenges, successes, and best practices with other sales professionals. By seeking feedback and evaluation, you can learn from others' experiences, avoid common mistakes, and discover new opportunities.

5 Experiment and innovate

Finally, you can improve your sales prospecting research by experimenting and innovating. This means trying new approaches, techniques, or tools that can help you find and connect with your prospects more effectively. For example, you can experiment with different search criteria, keywords, or filters to refine your prospect list. You can also innovate with different content formats, channels, or messages to capture your prospects' attention and interest. By experimenting and innovating, you can differentiate yourself from your competitors, adapt to changing market conditions, and generate more leads.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?