What Kind of Data Should Be Utilized?
To more efficiently promote GTM strategy planning and customer approaches, it is important to utilize data obtained from data providers in addition to the existing customer data within your company, such as the following:
1. Industry Data
Based on the Japan Standard Industrial Classification and the proprietary classifications of corporate data providers, we segment target company groups and define clusters that have high affinity with our products and services.
2. Sales/Profit-Related Data
We assess whether a company is in a financial position to invest by grasping the upward or downward trends in its sales and profits. We also group information such as "investment status by area" as described in medium-term management plans.
3. Company Size Data
We determine the number of personnel (executives and employees) and understand the scale and location of offices other than the headquarters. Furthermore, by grasping the areas of focus in corporate activities from publicly available information, we identify areas where human resources are planned to be deployed.
4. Technographic Data
We identify the tools implemented on websites to evaluate a company's progress in the digital transformation domain. Marketing-related tools, in particular, can be used to research competitor trends and evaluate the likelihood of business negotiations with a company.
5. Intent Data
We visualize the interests of companies and personnel based on behavioral trends on media sites and other platforms. We can also obtain information related to approach prioritization, such as whether interest in competing services is increasing.
6. Affiliation Data
We clearly define and classify relationships between companies, branches, and organizations based on criteria such as capital. This allows us to identify group companies that may have similar challenges and consider horizontal expansion of B2B sales approaches.
By utilizing multiple data providers that possess the data mentioned above, it becomes possible to understand customers from various perspectives and refine tactics.
What Can Be Achieved by Utilizing Data?
So, how exactly should data be utilized?
While there are various success stories, here are three of the most common data utilization policies.
Deepening Customer Understanding by Appending Supplemental Information to Companies
Corporate research through desk research allows you to grasp a company's "current location," such as its company profile, history, and related news. However, it is difficult to understand the connection from the "past" to the present, such as the background leading up to the current situation or the challenges faced by management, as well as their orientation toward the "future." Consequently, the only way to infer BANT is to keep pushing for appointments.
By understanding in advance which departments have potential needs related to your company and what kind of investments those departments are making, B2B sales efficiency will improve dramatically.
By aggregating various information disseminated by the target company, connecting highly relevant information, and reading the context of corporate activities, it is possible to infer the content and urgency of their needs.
Increasing the accuracy of these inferences and enhancing customer resolution is the advantage of utilizing the data mentioned earlier.
Optimizing Customer Approaches Using Highly Fresh Supplemental Information
Long-established data providers have primarily built their businesses through manual data collection and verification. While this method ensures data accuracy and the comprehensiveness of necessary data, it often lacks the "freshness" (real-time nature) of information.
Generally, it is said that data providers that also offer online data improve the freshness of information while also enhancing accuracy and comprehensiveness.
By utilizing data providers that engage in data collection using online data and digital technology while retaining the benefits of offline data collection, you can establish an environment where you can access a large amount of corporate data while ensuring data "freshness." This allows you to consider ways to advance business negotiations advantageously while grasping information faster than competitors.
Reducing Time Costs by Utilizing More Information Sources
Information from a single data provider cannot satisfy all needs.
However, when utilizing multiple data providers, integration is considered difficult due to the aforementioned differences in "freshness."
By integrating multiple data sources and centralizing the flow of information into a single data management system, you can eliminate data-related tasks previously performed manually using CRM tools, allowing you to devote more time to strategic discussions.
