Learn how to use research to find and connect with your ideal prospects in technical sales. Discover tips on how to segment your market, verify contact information, qualify leads, personalize messages, and measure results.

It is critical to always be learning and staying curious. Even more so because of these 3 things: 1. Dynamic Industry Landscape: Software sales is highly dynamic, with frequent updates, new technologies, and evolving market trends. 2. Competitive Edge: Being informed about the latest features and industry advancements gives a competitive edge, allowing sales representatives to articulate value effectively. 3. Customer Expectations: Customers expect sales professionals to have up-to-date knowledge, instilling confidence in the salesperson's expertise. It helps you to stay relevant and to be a trusted advisor.

How can you use research to prospect more effectively?

Research is a vital skill for technical sales professionals who want to find and connect with their ideal prospects. By conducting thorough and relevant research, you can uncover valuable insights that can help you tailor your pitch, address pain points, and build trust. In this article, we will share some tips on how to use research to prospect more effectively.

1 Identify your target market

Before you start researching individual prospects, you need to have a clear idea of who your target market is. This means defining the characteristics, needs, and challenges of the ideal customers for your product or service. You can use various sources of data, such as industry reports, market research, customer feedback, and competitor analysis, to segment your market and identify the most promising niches.

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Alexis Pradaut

Digital Transformation & AI @SAP - I help CEOs grow their company | Entrepreneur, Conferences
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Here are my best tips: 1. Use internal resources or people to know more about your prospects (ex. presales or value engineers) 2. Use internal and external data to categorize your prospects by what is the most important to them that your software solves. Ex selling an ERP is for business growth, efficiency and mitigating risks 3. Build an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to target them effectively and prioritize your time

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2 Use multiple sources of information

Once you have narrowed down your target market, you need to find and verify the contact information of the prospects within it. You can use various tools and platforms, such as LinkedIn, Google, social media, blogs, podcasts, and events, to search for potential leads and learn more about their background, interests, and goals. You should also check their company websites, press releases, and annual reports to get a sense of their current situation, priorities, and challenges.

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Shreyas Sachidananda

Founding BDR at Test Sigma| Account Based Marketing | Callls over Emails | Books over Bars(Well, not really.)| Badminton | Volunteer.
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Few things to consider: 1. 10k reports/annual reports- Do not have to go through the entire report CtrlF - and search for keywords, our team uses - " human resources" "risk" "learning and development" " plants" etc, find 4 to 5 keywords and skim through the report. Understand what they are trying to solve - an account research should not take longer than 20 minutes, then you can call the prospect and start off by - " Hey <name> I was going through your annual report and ( tie what you read with what you can solve) and we have helped X,Y(similar industries) solve the same - always worked for me. 2. If you are calling a decision maker either read an article they wrote or podcast - not fully but 5-10 minutes & use the script given above

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Alexis Pradaut

Digital Transformation & AI @SAP - I help CEOs grow their company | Entrepreneur, Conferences
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1. Utilize CRM Data: Leverage customer relationship management (CRM) systems for insights on current clients and their needs. 2. Use Linkedin, Youtube, articles, blogs, podcasts to pinpoint exactly what your prospects are looking for 3. Be interested: Most of all, use this research in the next steps to show you really are interested, by personalising, by tying their problems to what you can offer, etc...

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3 Qualify your prospects

After you have gathered enough information about your prospects, you need to qualify them based on their fit, interest, and readiness to buy from you. You can use different criteria, such as budget, authority, need, and timeline, to score and rank your prospects and focus on the ones who are most likely to convert. You should also use your research to identify any potential obstacles or objections that might prevent them from buying.

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4 Customize your outreach

The final step is to use your research to craft personalized and relevant messages that will capture your prospects' attention and interest. You should use your research to show that you understand their needs, challenges, and goals, and that you have a solution that can help them. You should also use your research to demonstrate your credibility, value proposition, and differentiation. You should avoid generic or spammy messages that sound like sales pitches and instead aim to start a conversation and build a relationship.

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5 Track and measure your results

To improve your prospecting effectiveness, you need to track and measure your results and adjust your strategy accordingly. You should use metrics, such as response rate, conversion rate, revenue, and customer satisfaction, to evaluate your performance and identify what works and what doesn't. You should also use feedback, such as comments, questions, and objections, to refine your research and outreach methods and learn more about your prospects.

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6 Keep learning and updating

Research is not a one-time activity, but an ongoing process that requires constant learning and updating. You should always keep an eye on the changes and trends in your target market, industry, and prospects' behavior and preferences. You should also keep in touch with your prospects and customers and provide them with relevant and valuable information that can help them solve their problems and achieve their goals. By doing so, you can maintain your competitive edge and grow your sales pipeline.

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Alexis Pradaut

Digital Transformation & AI @SAP - I help CEOs grow their company | Entrepreneur, Conferences
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It is critical to always be learning and staying curious. Even more so because of these 3 things: 1. Dynamic Industry Landscape: Software sales is highly dynamic, with frequent updates, new technologies, and evolving market trends. 2. Competitive Edge: Being informed about the latest features and industry advancements gives a competitive edge, allowing sales representatives to articulate value effectively. 3. Customer Expectations: Customers expect sales professionals to have up-to-date knowledge, instilling confidence in the salesperson's expertise. It helps you to stay relevant and to be a trusted advisor.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Pronoy Roy

Sr. Associate - Enterprise Pre-Sales at upGrad Enterprise driving business growth.
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Researching for prospects is similar to how people search for travel destinations and places to visit there. Know your target audience and use various channels like linkedin, company website, news websites, information channels to research about your prospects and their pain points. look for triggers which can be used to reach out to prospects. The more you research the more it helps in prospecting quality leads.

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How can you use research to prospect more effectively?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify your target market

2 Use multiple sources of information

3 Qualify your prospects

4 Customize your outreach

5 Track and measure your results

6 Keep learning and updating

7 Here’s what else to consider

Technical Sales

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How can you use research to prospect more effectively?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify your target market

2 Use multiple sources of information

3 Qualify your prospects

4 Customize your outreach

5 Track and measure your results

6 Keep learning and updating

7 Here’s what else to consider

Technical Sales

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