Customer & Contact Research - Building Blocks to Sales Success

Here we go again! First business day of the new year and – if you’re like most other B2B sales professionals with their head back in the game – you’re already underway with account and contact research efforts. Let’s face it, aside from time itself, nothing is more important to your success in sales than knowing WHO to engage. It’s the first element in the incredible Jenga Tower of our strategic sales plan… one of the Four Cs of Marketing, and I submit vital to achieving the results you want.

In truth, contact identification and research are sub-components of complete account research. And comprehensive account research is vital not only to ensure you reach the right target audience, but also to ensure your messaging is relevant to the industry and the customer you’re trying to reach. Indeed, you can break your pick and do more damage than good trying to message out to the RIGHT contacts with the WRONG message – that is, a value proposition that rings hollow because it falls outside the context and requirements of your customer. Account research helps you better understand your target customers and tailor sales efforts to meet the needs and preferences of those customers. By conducting thorough account research, you’ll learn about your buyers’ purchasing habits, budget constraints, decision-making processes, and pain points. This information can be used to develop more targeted and effective sales strategies, as well as to improve the overall customer experience.

So how to get the most out of your efforts? Well, at the risk of sounding too textbook, I try to begin each business cycle by focusing like a laser on the roles of those who influence and those who decide which product or service is needed to solve their individual plain points. The marketing folks neatly segment these roles into buying personas, but I just try to discover the titles that best match the roles that matter most. Many sales professionals make the mistake of aiming too high with VITO letters aimed at the top of the food chain. While they may occasionally get lucky, chances are they won’t get far. Senior management selling is usually only helpful if that person is willing to point you in the direction of the buying committee or key contacts who will be recommending a solution to senior management. Most just tune out the noise from their otherwise already too busy workday.

While online search tools are essential, don’t get too enamored with these shiny objects; they can be useful but may also become a crutch to poor practices. “A fool with a tool is still a fool.” I start with Google because it’s fast and free and gives a pretty good overview. Likewise, Wikipedia – while not always accurate and complete – serves to fill the gaps nicely. Then there’s every sales pro’s go-to source: Linkedin and its primo service, Sales Navigator. Yes, I’m a fan – not only for contact identification but also for insights into the account and alerts when notable events occur. For public sector, there’s a paid service from Bloomberg Government that is mostly useful and a wide selection of third-party subscriber services like Zoominfo, InsideView and others. Most organizations pick one or a few to more easily integrate with their CRM. I’ve used and found most of these to be helpful once you learn their breadth (and limitations). Of course, nothing works better than referrals, either in person or virtual, and I found Linkedin fits the latter – so long as you remain polite and respectful in all instances.

What are some mistakes to avoid??I’ve paid my share of tuition with my own mishaps. Avoid spraying and praying to find influencers, as you can quickly lose credibility and it can be hard to recover. And don’t be a professional pest for referrals; ask?politely once or twice, then move on – at least for a time to keep from becoming labeled a nuisance. Some Covid-era fads really took off post-pandemic, like pre-recorded video, which I think has its place, but only if it’s authentic and produced capably; avoid playing the novelty cards, like “I know where you went to school.” These novelty techniques usually serve to reveal you as the novice you are, not the sales pro you want to be with something useful to say.

Overall, account and contact research is a critical component of successful B2B sales because it helps you understand your customers and create value for them, leading to stronger and more sustainable relationships. And as we all take our first steps of the new year, it’s absolutely essential to breaking in and growing your customer base.