Let's imagine a game of chess. Each piece has a strategic role and victory is only achieved with a sequence of precise and anticipated moves. In the corporate world, especially in B2B sales, competition is fierce and each negotiation is like a game of chess. To emerge victorious, sales teams need to be increasingly strategic and accurate in their moves.
It is in this context that market intelligence comes into play, as a powerful ally for salespeople. Just as a chess player needs to know the rules of the game, the pieces and the strategies of their opponents, salespeople need to have a clear vision of the market, customers and competition .
In this article, we will explore how market intelligence uk email address list can transform your sales team into a true team of champions, dominating the market and achieving extraordinary results.
With this text, you will learn:
What is market intelligence and how does it work in practice?
The main benefits of market intelligence for B2B sales
How to build an ideal customer profile and segment the market
The best tools and techniques for collecting and analyzing data
How to integrate market intelligence into your sales team's routine
And much more!
Get ready to checkmate your competition and take your sales to the next level.
Why should I invest in market intelligence?
To answer this question, let’s use the example of the day-to-day operations of Econodata’s sales department. On several occasions, the team has heard phrases such as “ I serve all sectors of activity… ” or “ I serve any company that needs XYZ services ”.
These claims often come from companies that have not yet implemented a market intelligence process into their sales operations. Ignoring investment in this area can lead to serious problems, such as:
1) Wasting time trying to talk to the wrong leads
In B2B sales , time is money. By directing efforts toward leads who have no interest, need, or financial capacity to purchase your products or services, your company is wasting valuable resources.
Studies such as “The Forrester Wave™: Marketing And Sales Data Providers For B2B, Q1 2024” show that companies that use market intelligence data can significantly reduce the time spent on prospecting , directing their sales teams to leads with greater conversion potential.
2) Lack of understanding of the true potential of the market
Without market intelligence analysis, companies can underestimate or overestimate the size and potential of the market. For example, one manufacturing company that approached Econodata believed its market was small.
However, when using the Premium Platform Market Calculator , they discovered that the target market was three times larger than they had imagined, revealing opportunities that were being overlooked.
In other words, by applying market intelligence, companies begin to identify new business opportunities, personalize their sales approaches, optimize their resources and, consequently, increase their sales and win new customers.
“That famous saying goes that if you only have 8 hours to chop down a tree, spend 6 hours sharpening your axe. To sell to the right customers, you need to start with the market intelligence process. In other words, find out who I want to sell to and who has the greatest purchasing potential.
This is worth much more than, for example, a productivity indicator of how many calls my prospector made in a day. There is no point in making 150 calls in a day and not converting anything, not yielding anything. So, sometimes, it is better to make 20 assertive calls in a day to the right lead and convert that into sales than to turn on a prospecting machine gun.
And the market intelligence process comes before all of this,” said Paulo Krieser, CEO of Econodata.
The 3 pillars of market intelligence
To implement market intelligence in B2B sales, it is essential to focus on three main pillars:
definition of the ideal customer profile (ICP) ,
market segmentation and
generation of qualified leads .
Let's get to know each of them better:
1. Ideal Customer Profile – ICP
The first step in market intelligence is to define your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), which is a detailed model of the type of company that benefits most from your products or services.
This definition involves answering questions such as:
What is the ideal company size?
What is the CNAE (National Classification of Economic Activities) of interest?
Who are the decision makers and purchasing influencers?
For example, a management software company can define its ICP as medium-sized companies in the retail sector, with annual revenues exceeding R$10 million, located in large urban centers.
A tip that can be very useful for your prospecting process: try to delve deeper into defining your Ideal Customer Profile , looking for answers to other questions such as:
When do they prefer to buy?
How much do they spend on products and services similar to yours?
Where do they consume content (television, newspapers, magazines, portals)?
Where can we find them?
With these answers in hand, you will have a strong evidence base to move forward.
2. Market segmentation
After defining the ICP, the next step is to segment the market to focus on the most promising audiences. This can be done based on criteria such as company size, industry, and geographic location.
For example, using tools such as Econodata’s “Consulta CNAE” , companies can segment their prospect lists by specific sectors, facilitating a more personalized and efficient approach. Access and check it out .
3. Lead generation
Lead generation involves creating lists of potential customers who fit your ideal customer profile.
The success of this stage depends on precise segmentation and qualification of leads , which can be done through market intelligence platforms that collect and analyze large volumes of data.
This ensures that the sales team works with optimized lists, increasing the chances of conversion.