We asked our top analysts for their insight into their best research practices. What works for them when they research prospective customers as part of ABM Step 1 Account Selection, ABM Step 2 Company Insight and ABM Step 3 People Insight. With the benefit of their experience doing deep company research, here’s what they shared.
5 best practices for doing company research
1. Look for companies that align with our business focus
Research a prospective customer’s core business operations to ensure that they align with a need for our products and services. We can create value for them, if we work hard enough to understand their business. And if we don’t, let’s save their time and ours.
2. Research the key employee who care (or who should care) about the problem we solve
Research the employees who work in the area that our business supports. Read the “About Us” page and employee bios on the company’s website. Seek out the social media profiles of executives and department directors—What are their posts like? Where are they getting their information online, ex. interest groups, webinars, etc.? Are they proud to represent the brand or work in this industry? And what do they highlight about the company, technology, brand or industry? Are they focused on team achievements, or do they focus on their personal accomplishments?
3. Collect Relevant Data and Information about the prospects (according to titles and keywords)
Identify our high-value potential customers: critically important in ABM Step 1 Account Selection. These are the businesses that have the potential to contribute the most to the revenue of our company. We focus our research on those accounts. Get a good snapshot of their customer needs and how we add value to solve challenges they face. And to the extent possible from the outside looking in, can we ascertain where they are in the customer journey. This is the time to think through and compile the curiosity questions for the discovery process to prepare for a discussion with them.
4. Expand your research to news and recent events, LinkedIn & Twitter posts etc.
A company’s website, blog, and social media are great ways to learn about a company. Search for general news coverage and specific industry publications for recent updates about the company and its competitors. Scanning customer forums and product reviews can also help you gauge a company’s or their products’ reputation. And it can help you find common ground for discussion, if you share common interests.
5. Put Your Research into Action – Execute ABM Campaigns & Begin Sales Outreach
Your research is complete. Now it’s time to act. Use the knowledge gained to inform ABM Step 4 Content & Messaging, frame our contextually relevant content cluster, refine our messaging to better focus on the customer’s problem and prepare for outreach.
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