The 4 make-or-break data points winning sales teams invest in
Arming your team with the right data is the key to success in 2022. Check out the guide to discover how👇
The scourge of B2B sales
There’s one thing every salesperson hates.
Not cancellations. Not changes to the comp plan. And not even being stereotyped as money-crazed scoundrels.
Missing quota.
From the top to the bottom of any sales team, failing to hit your number is a gut punch like no other.
Of course, there are a myriad of reasons why this might happen.
But one that’s becoming increasingly important to sales leaders is the quality of the data at their reps’ fingertips.
This has been highlighted by the pandemic, where more creative outreach tactics—such as rocking up at your prospect’s office after being ghosted—have to be shelved.
In this environment, prospecting needs support.
Reps at the coalface need the data they use to be more accurate and actionable. Sales leaders, meanwhile, need to squeeze more juice out of their teams and be certain the data they’re arming them with is compliant.
So, over the course of this page, we’ll be covering 4 data points you should invest in to transform your team’s connect rates and constantly exceed quota.
Keep scrolling 👇
Key topics on this page:
What's on this page:
MOBILE DATA: CONTENTS
Mobile data benefits | Connect rate vs dials
Mobile data
So your data provider claims to have 10 trillion contacts in its database. But that doesn’t match with your reps’ daily experiences.
Time and again they hit dead ends. So much so that, on average, they’re not selling 77% of the time.
Why?
Because your data provider is being creative with the truth. Large swathes of their database is made up of switchboard data. And most of that is useless in the hybrid working environment.
Instead, you need mobile coverage.
This is the only way you can reach prospects working from home with any kind of reliability.
To see how mobile data could transform the productivity of your sales team, keep scrolling 👇
The benefits of mobile data
It’s easy for reps to become demotivated when they constantly reach gatekeepers during prospecting.
As they’re begging to reach decision-makers on every call, their motivation plummets and they become reluctant to pick up the phone.
Of course, all of this means that they have fewer conversations. And ultimately, your business has less pipeline to close.
This is where mobile data comes in.
With it, reps will:
- Avoid the gatekeeper.
- Get right to the decision-maker.
- Have a better chance of booking meetings.
- Avoid pitching to the wrong people.
Best of all, your conversion rates at each stage of your sales strategy will be a lot higher, leading to higher revenue figures and growth.
Here’s exactly how mobile data gets your sales team better connect rates 👇
Connect rate vs dials
It’s no use having your reps calling a ton of dead numbers just to hit their dial targets.
You need them to have the best connect rates possible for them to bring in more pipeline for your AEs to close.
But the average connect rate is 18 calls to one connection. And that’s a massive waste of valuable prospecting time.
With mobile data, you’ll cut this number down significantly.
How?
Well, to echo our earlier sentiments, mobile data will get you straight through to the decision-maker - the person you actually need to speak to.
According to industry research, dialling the switchboard is going to take up 22 minutes of your reps’ time before you get through.
Direct dials will only take 5, improving your connect rate, and, in turn, improving your conversions.
Flick to 👉 The one-stop shop for all your data needs to find out where to get direct dials!
VERIFIED DATA: CONTENTS
What is verified contact data? | How does verified contact data unlock your sales team?
Verified data
Cold calling is like a good denim jacket. It’ll never go out of fashion.
For example, according to data collected by Rain Sales Training 👇
- 82% of buyers say they’ve accepted meetings with salespeople after receiving a cold call
- 71% of buyers want to hear from a salesperson early in the buying process
- 57% of C-level executives and VPs say they would rather hear from sales reps via phone compared to other media
These are the kind of numbers that make you want your reps spending every second of their day calling prospects, booking meetings, and contributing revenue.
But this is where the good news ends.
Because 42% of sellers lack the data necessary for making a good cold call and 17% of sellers’ contacts are non-working numbers.
As a result, sales leaders are left in limbo, knowing exactly what they need to max out the efficiency of their teams, without it existing.
Until now.
A data quality game changer
Every data vendor shouts about the amount of contacts in its database. Which was fine when these contacts were in the office and you could reach them on their direct dial.
But that all changed with the pandemic.
Connect rates plummeted as people deserted their desks and reps had to feed off scraps, relying on non-compliant and often inaccurate sources of mobile data to hit target.
In step verified contact data.
What is verified contact data?
Verified contact data confirms the identity of the prospect and the accuracy of their contact details. In this process, data teams call the mobile and direct dial numbers to ensure the end-user connects with the right person, in their current role, and at the correct company.
How does verified contact data unlock your sales team?
B2B sales teams can use verified contact data to increase their speed-to-connect rates. This means reps can have more conversations with senior decision makers in their chosen industries and geographies.
Flick to 👉 The one-stop shop for all your data needs to find out where you can get verified contact data!
COMPLIANT DATA: CONTENTS
What does Do Not Call list mean? | How do you check if someone is on a Do Not Call list? | What happens if you call someone on a Do Not Call list | What is a Do Not Call check? | Overcoming DNC hurdles
Compliant data
Your first concern when reps pick up the phone to cold call should be whether they’re actually allowed to contact their prospect.
That is if you don’t want to be hit by six-figures fines.
For example a British nuisance call blocker company was fined £170,000 by the ICO in August 2021. That was after they made “188,493 unsolicited direct marketing calls to customers registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).”
And on the whole, compliance is a touchy subject for data providers.
While many are CCPA compliant, the water is a lot murkier when it comes to GDPR compliance. In particular, whether or not their databases include numbers on Do Not Call lists.
That likely means the onus is on you to ensure your team is prospecting compliantly.
Here’s exactly what you need to know about global DNC lists, and how you can protect yourself.
What does Do Not Call list mean?
A Do Not Call or DNC list is a list of phone numbers marketing and salespeople cannot call. This is because people on DNC lists have specifically requested not to be cold called in line with their individual privacy rights.
Different geographies have different DNC lists, and you need to be aware of them all to ensure your team’s prospecting is compliant.
How do you check if someone is on a Do Not Call list?
The US has a National Do Not Call Registry. You can call the registry on 1-888-382-1222 to check whether a number is listed or not. The UK offers a similar service in the form of its Telephone Preference Service (TPS) which can be contacted on 0207 291 3320.
If you’re contacting someone outside of the UK and US, search for equivalent services in the geography to ensure your prospecting is compliant.
What happens if you call someone on a Do Not Call list?
In the US, you can be fined up to $41,484 per call by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In the UK, you can be fined £500,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). According to GDPR, you can be fined £17.5M or 4% of global turnover.
What is a Do Not Call check?
A DNC check is a database that allows you to search for phone numbers which are opted in to national DNC lists. A DNC check may not cover more than one geographical region, so be sure to use localised tools.
Overcoming DNC hurdles
All of this said, expecting your reps to check against every number they call is both unrealistic and unsustainable.
That’s why it’s easy to imagine how you could become a company that makes hundreds of thousands of non-compliant calls.
Fortunately, the solution is simple. Choose a data provider that:
- Scrubs their contact data against global DNC lists
- Has a database that only provides B2B and not B2C contact data
- Has a notified database
Flick to 👉 The one-stop shop for all your data needs to find out where you can get compliant data.
INTENT DATA: CONTENTS
What is intent data? | Why is intent data useful for sales teams? | The one-stop shop for all your data needs
Intent data
Intent data is a buzzword at the tip of the tongue of most sales leaders.
And for good reason.
It can give you the edge over your competitors, meaning you and your team have better awareness of your market and a lot more context heading into cold calls.
But what exactly is it? And what key benefits can it bring?
Keep scrolling for the answers 👇
What is intent data?
Intent data is behavioural data on the company level, which can identify whether a company has expressed intent to invest in your (or similar) products or solutions. As a result, you can prioritise your outreach, targeting companies that are most interested in what you have to offer.
With intent data, you can also refine your ICP and find new companies and markets that are ready to buy your solution.
Watch the video above for a comprehensive breakdown of intent data in B2B sales 👆
Why is intent data useful for sales teams?
There are 4 key benefits of intent data for B2B sales teams. These are:
1 - Get in early
Every salesperson knows: it pays to be the first person in touch.
With intent data, you’ll be able to get in front of potential clients earlier in their buyer’s journey. Your awareness of potential customers, who are just starting to look around, means that you can start targeting them sooner.
You’re also more likely to find potential buyers who aren’t aware of your company…yet. With intent data, you’ve got a chance to intercept buyers before they start investigating competitors.
2 - Lead scoring
If sales teams are identifying a lot of outbound leads, they might not have time to reach out to all of them. This is where lead scoring comes in. It’s the process of prioritising leads, so you know who to speak to first.
What’s the best way of scoring leads?
By their intent. If they’re more likely to buy, you want to get on the phone and start pitching to them straight away.
One of the most valuable aspects of intent data is that you can rank prospects in order of intent. This will give you a list of targets, ordered by who you should contact first.
It’s a lead generation game-changer.
3 - Cold calling context
If you have knowledge of the types of companies a prospect is looking at, and the type of company you are, you can have a more valuable call with them.
It will give you insights into the reasons why they’re looking at your solution. This means you’re not looking for pain points at the start of your cold call. You already know them.
You’re also going to do a better job of building rapport when you already know about the prospect’s intent to buy.
4 - Reduce churn and upsell
This might be one for the Customer Success team, but it’s no secret that retaining customers is more cost-efficient than finding new ones.
Intent data allows companies to see the solutions their current client base are considering. They might include additional features that you don’t yet offer, or alternate solutions to your own.
You now have a chance to either work to save the client, or add the feature they’re looking for.
It’s a great indicator of the gaps in your product, so you can improve your offering over time - and keep your customers from moving elsewhere.
The one-stop-shop for all your data needs
The cynics among you may be suspecting that Cognism’s platform has something to do with the 4 key data points we’ve mentioned throughout.
And you’d be right.
On count 1, mobile data:
- Cognism has more mobile numbers than any other data provider on the market. This means you can reach your prospects regardless of whether they’re in the office or working from home.
On count 2, verified data:
- Cognism’s Diamond Data® is phone-verified contact data.
- Meanwhile, Diamonds-on-Demand gives customers the ability to ask Cognism to Diamond-verify a contact on demand. This means you never hit a dead end with high-value prospects.
On count 3, compliant data:
- Cognism hits 3 key compliance criteria.
On count 4, intent data:
- Cognism partners with the industry-leading intent data provider, Bombora, embedding the company’s Surge® functionality within our platform. This means you can surface ready-to-buy accounts, and the right contacts at those accounts, all within one platform.
All in all, Cognism is the one-stop shop for your sales team’s needs. See for yourself by booking a demo below 👇