The Secret Source of Killer Sales Intelligence You’re (Probably) Not Using 

Data is one of the most powerful ways to inform sales team success better, but only if you know how to use it. Unfortunately, while many sales teams collect plenty of data, only a minority know how to turn it into actionable insights that can be used to transform your sales.   

In this post, we’ll explore some overlooked ways to turn data to your advantage. From setting up the right sorts of systems from the get-go to collecting strategic data through simple questionnaires, there are plenty of options when it comes to transforming your sales from ordinary to outstanding.   

Choose the Right Data Provider 

First things first, you’ll need to ensure your sales team has access to the highest quality leads possible. Finding the best sales lead database is crucial here. While there’s plenty of options to choose from, make sure you do your research first. Work out which features will bring the most value to your team, and find a sales lead database that offers those options.

Some examples of features to look out for include alerts on saved leads, on-demand research tools, lead scoring, AI data verification, and Chrome extensions that can identify additional sales lead data from websites, including LinkedIn.  

Harness the Power of Demand Marketing 

Demand marketing has the power to transform both customer engagement and your pipelines. It can help offer both a wraparound view of your buyer behavior, in addition to helping to assess their organizational intent. As you evolve your demand marketing strategy, this essential first step is to get clear on your customer buying journey. 

As the market shifts towards more of a customer-led model, using data to identify—and then solve—pain points within your customer’s journey can be a great way to increase the success of your sales team. This can also help you move away from tactical and reactive demand generation towards a more sustainable, long-term model of strategic demand marketing instead. 

Collect Your Net Promoter Score

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures the loyalty of your existing customers using just one question. This is usually a variation of: “How likely is it that you would recommend [name of brand]] to a friend?” Presented as a rapid survey, response rates are usually excellent. 

Respondents choose a rating between 0-10 and are then split into three different categories:

1. Promoters. Enthusiastic and loyal customers who rate your company 9 or 10. Promoters tend to be repeat customers who refer others and provide testimonials. 
2. Passives. Satisfied customers who rate your company 7 or 8. These customers often respond well to email sequences with competitive or time-limited offers.
3. Detractor. Customers who rate your company anywhere from 0 to 6. Potentially unlikely to become repeat customers and may even reduce growth through negative word-of-mouth.

You can deploy NPS surveys at set points throughout the year and after specific interactions like a call to your sales team or a purchase. The data from NPS surveys can be compelling and used in various ways. For example, you may choose to segment your audience and offer each category a tailored email sequence or improve specific touchpoints along the customer journey. 

It’s also possible to add additional questions to your short survey, which can encourage customers to provide more information about what they like (and don’t like) about your service. For example, given that many customers feel that sales calls don’t offer enough value for their time, this could be a good question to find out if your team is effectively communicating the value of your products.  

Choose the Right Enterprise CMS for Your Business  

An enterprise content management system (CMS) builds on the features of a regular CMS by adding extra capabilities and features that allow you to effectively engage your sales prospects, with the ultimate goal of increasing your revenue. It’s also a powerful way to collect additional, valuable data.

Research shows that 55% of data collected by businesses is never analyzed or used to further their business goals. Known as dark data—these insights can be used to help meet your sales goals—once you know how to find them. An enterprise CM can help you do just that.    

Choosing the best enterprise CMS will come down to which features are most important to your business goals, but some options to consider include:

• Omnichannel content distribution
• Multi-language capabilities 
• Integration and automation 
• Mobile responsiveness 
• Advanced content management settings 
• Ease of use 
• Strong customer support 

Use Data to Personalize Your Sales Outreach 

Don’t let all that hard work go to waste once you’ve implemented a range of strategies to collect data. This data gives plenty of powerful opportunities to personalize your sales outreach, forge a stronger connection with your customers, and ultimately transform your sales results as you look towards the future.