Three Reasons Sales Leaders Want Even More Data About Their Buyers

Sales in the 21st century is all about the data. Sales teams source, record, and analyze massive amounts of data about B2B buyers and accounts (and sellers).

Why then would a sales leader want more data?

In the case of win-loss analysis, the answer is it’s the source.

Here are the three use cases we hear most often from sales leaders.

1. Find what we’ve missed so far about late stage losses and fix it

All of our clients already record closed/lost reasons in the CRM. They do lost deal reviews. They’ve heard or read the rep’s loss report. But they know they can’t rely on this “internal” data alone. They want to hear from the other side. Direct from the buyer. And they want insights they can use to win more of these “best fit” opportunities.

2. Create certainty

Fear and doubt can undermine quota attainment during uncertain times. Sales leaders who bring new data and insight into buyer decisions are able to lead with conviction and bring certainty to their team. By taking steps to improve overall win rate, they improve the individual rep’s win rate. Quota attainment increases. We’re often asked to do additional shareouts with sales teams to spread this confidence and conviction.

3. How can we triple revenue next year instead of doubling revenue

Once they’ve addressed late stage losses, sales leaders want to go on the offense. They want input from buyers in early stage “no decisions” and competitive losses. They see these “lower fit” buyers as the new frontier. We’ve found ways to improve fit by understanding what’s causing the mismatch. We interview these buyers about the status quo, pain point, use case, and other attributes of the early stages in their journey.

Data-driven sales leaders want direct input from buyers

While B2B sales teams are literally swimming in data, it’s not enough. Data-driven sales leaders want input directly from buyers. They’re using this data and insights to find new ways to improve win rate and lead with conviction. From there, they often go on the offense. They shift to improving win rate with “lower fit” buyers that are lost early in the sales cycle.