Challenges in New Business Development: 70% of Companies Prioritize It, Yet Fail to Achieve Results
— uSonar Releases "B2B Sales Practice Survey Report" —

uSonar Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce the release of our survey report, "B2B Sales Practice Survey [2025]."
As companies increasingly integrate IT and data utilization into their business strategies, this survey investigated the challenges and concerns they face when developing new business opportunities. The results highlight the difficulty of growth through existing clients alone; while 70% of respondents stated that they "prioritize new business development," only 40% reported achieving their targets.

Furthermore, in addition to a lack of sales skills and know-how, "accuracy of sales lists" emerged as a top challenge in new business development. Specifically, there was a notable demand for "additional information indicating customer needs" (intent data that reveals which services a prospect is considering) within sales lists, confirming high expectations for intent data.

For the full survey results (25 pages), please provide your contact information in the application form on this page.

Alternatively, you may click the "Get the Survey Report" button below (you will be redirected to the Useful Resources page).

Get the Survey Report

1. The Gap Between Importance and Achievement in New Business Development

Although approximately 70% (69.6%) of companies recognize new business development as "very important" or "somewhat important," only about 40% (41.2%) actually achieved their targets. This underscores the inherent difficulty of meeting new business development goals.

2. Objectives and Challenges in New Business Development

When asked about the primary objectives for new business development, respondents cited "increasing sales (67.9%)," "expanding market share (42.0%)," and "stabilizing/diversifying business (34.2%)."
Regarding challenges, in addition to "lack of sales skills/know-how (36.3%)" and "differentiation from competitors (33.3%)," "accuracy of sales lists (21.5%)" was also ranked highly.

3. Improving Sales List Accuracy

Regarding the challenge of sales list accuracy, when asked, "What kind of customer database would you like to have to improve the results of new business development?" the most common answers were "latest basic information" (28.1%) and "additional information indicating needs" (27.7%).

Furthermore, when those who answered "additional information indicating needs" were asked what specific information they desired, the top responses were "consideration status of competitor products/services" (61.6%) and "consideration status regarding specific products/services" (50.0%).
We believe these results indicate a strong, underlying expectation for the use of intent data (web behavioral data indicating corporate purchase intent). Conversely, the high level of demand suggests that companies currently lack access to this type of information.

Survey Background: We believe many companies are pursuing new business development while simultaneously working on IT and data utilization initiatives. We aimed to clarify the actual sales practices, including specific concerns and challenges, within this context.

Survey Subjects: Men and women aged 30–59 working as full-time employees in corporate planning, public relations, sales promotion, marketing, or sales-related roles.
Number of Responses: 498
Period: March 5–8, 2025
Method: Internet research (Contractor: B2B Marketing, Inc.)

The business strategy platform "PLANSonar" enables accurate formulation, execution, and progress management of market strategies based on "LBC," Japan's largest corporate database of 8.2 million records. It is equipped with extensive Interest Sign data, allowing you to understand the needs of your target companies.
・Learn More Here: https://usonar.co.jp/content/plansonar/

Contact for Inquiries:
uSonar Co., Ltd. Public Relations (Hiyama, Sawada)
Email:ir@usonar.co.jp