2019 is set to be the year that intent-based sales comes of age. For years, marketers, CRM companies, and sales people have laid the groundwork for the paradigm shift in sales strategy that is about to occur on a huge scale. Up until now, marketers have worked hard to build the best workflows and conversion paths, CRM software has become progressively better at putting the right prospects in front of sales teams, and sales people have, in one way or another, given reams of feedback on what a “good lead” is.
Almost every innovation we have experienced in this digital age can be enhanced by intent data, which is the core of intent-based sales. However, advertisers and the platforms they perform their work on have already seen their toolboxes grow in size and complexity on a seemingly monthly basis. The return on investment they will see by using intent data will be marginal compared to what sales teams will reap.
Think about it: while targeting strategies in digital marketing have exploded over the years, prospecting has evolved at a glacial pace in comparison. Give a salesperson a leads list, phone, and an email account and they will do what salespeople have been doing for decades. Intent-based sales gives new life to the same fundamentals salespeople know well, but with ROI potential that exceeds almost every new marketing innovation a company could invest in in 2019.
Don’t Waste Reps Time in 2019
Working with the right partner to implement an intent-based sales program means your reps will work warm, in-market prospects for a far greater proportion of their day than ever before. Imagine the intrinsic value of fewer exhausting conversations about call volume and why leads aren’t worth working.
Seamless transition from MQL to SQL is not just possible, it’s necessary
If your sales team doesn’t nail the first interaction, the chance of converting that lead to a deal falls drastically. Imagine a world where reps know just what to say, based on real data, when the lead comes to them. If you want sales acceleration, intent-based sales will help pass the baton with the precision of an Olympic sprinter.
Fish where the fish are
On the leads lists we analyze from our clients, we see an average of just 11% being in-market, while hundreds of target companies are being picked off by your competitors, or going unserved. Intent-based sales promises saying the right thing, to the right person, at the right time. In a world where timing is increasingly important, starting in the right place will give massive improvements on ROI.