Self-sourced pipeline

Instead of wasting hours on self-sourced pipeline, use intent signals to help you identify best-fit accounts. So you can spend your limited time on valuable, timely outreach.

You can get many of these signals through manual research, but by using Sales Companion, Cognism users have all of these at their fingertips, personalised to them.

Here are some of the different signals and example use cases:

• Intent scores for topics you want to monitor (for example, alerts for when companies start searching for B2B data).
• Technographics allows you to see companies with software you integrate well with, or monitor how long a competitor has been with you, so you know they may be coming up for renewal. This play works great when you combine it with intent scores as well.
• New joiners and champion changes so you can see when a new decision maker has joined and if they’ve used your software before.
• Hiring, funding and news alerts.

Okay, you’ve got your target account list. So what’s next? Well, Sales Companion makes it easy, in the Browser extension, click into the account and scroll down to  ‘Recommended Contacts’. This is an AI-driven list of highly recommended contacts within the account, ready for you to prospect.

Each contact record includes the correct mobile and email for that individual and can be easily exported into your CRM or sales engagement tool. This means you know exactly who to contact, powered by relevant signals to make the conversation meaningful.

If your sales intelligence tool isn’t as helpful, map out the account. Find all the stakeholders and where they sit, figure out if they are a:

• Decision-maker.
• User/Champion.
• Potential blocker.

This way, you'll go in prepared and not waste time speaking to the wrong people. It's well worth taking the time to learn about the organisation structure first.

As an AE, the phone really is your friend when it comes to self-sourced pipeline. Of all the channels, it’s the most efficient with your time. Johnny Stiffel says it well. 👇 

So once you've mapped out your accounts, the next step is to pick up the phone and start right out the gate with a call. AEs at Cognism benefit from Diamond Data® our phone-verified mobile numbers. It helps to connect you with 87% of your list, so you know you can hit your quota with calls that connect!

Time block your designated hours for prospecting and hit some dials. Depending on your style, maybe you'd like to leave a voicemail (here's some voicemail scripts for you) if they don't pick up first time.

If you’ve completed steps 1-3, it’s time to bring in more channels. 

In this first example, we leverage that this manager has just hired two new reps. From conversations with other managers, we know that bad data can impact ramp, so this is a great time to reach out.

Why it works: 

• Attention-grabbing subject line.
• The ramp period is essential for dictating a team’s success. This can be a sticking point for sales leaders, so it’s a good idea to go into it.
• The email is short, relevant and timely.

If you’re reaching out to someone new to the company or if Sales Companion has identified a previous champion moving to a new account, here are two alternative approaches you can use.

Here’s the next: maybe you prefer to trial this on LinkedIn if the prospect posted about their job update. 

FAQs

What are the benefits of AEs self-sourcing pipeline?

Prospecting doesn’t finish when you’re promoted to AE. More and more companies are expecting their account executives to self-source pipeline. The benefits of it include: more ownership & accountability, less reliance on inbound leads, better collaboration with SDRS, and adaptability in market shifts like during economic downturn.

How is the AE role changing?

Account executives are increasingly becoming more responsible for the full sales cycle. This is due to several factors, including reducing team sizes, increased competition for the demand, and management’s desire for increased efficiencies. Increased focus on self-sourcing high-quality leads to tackle issues like churn, which is inevitable.

Find more GTM Plays for AEs in the hub. 👇