Why the Hardest Data to Collect Is Your Secret Weapon for B2B Growth

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What if I told you that the hardest data to collect could actually be your secret weapon for explosive growth? Stick around because the data you might be ignoring could unlock the growth you’re looking for and solve the challenges your marketing and sales teams are facing. Today, we’ll explore why the toughest data to gather is often the most valuable for B2B businesses, and how you can use it to make a significant impact on your revenue.

The Story Behind the Discovery

This insight came to us during a meeting with a client where we were analyzing their data—everything from demographics and firmographics to behavior and conversion rates—using our signal analytics process. No matter how we sliced the data, it wasn’t revealing a clear way forward. That’s when we asked the client a simple but powerful question: “When can you actually tell if someone is going to convert?”

What we uncovered was game-changing. The most critical data points weren’t captured in any database, CRM, or third-party tool. They were insights shared during meetings—the kind of manual, qualitative data that often gets overlooked. Once we started collecting these data points manually, the results were transformative, leading to significant revenue growth.

What Data Are We Talking About?

This isn’t your standard demographic or behavioral data. We’re talking about:

1. Manually collected insights from conversations with prospects and clients.
2. Specific signals identified during meetings, transcribed calls, and customer interactions.

These signals can be categorized and input into your CRM to enhance your data analysis and decision-making. Let’s break down why this matters.

Why Manual Data Points Are Crucial

These manual data points are invaluable because they:

1. Shape your messaging: By identifying recurring pain points and customer goals, you can refine your messaging to resonate better with your audience.
2. Indicate readiness to move to the next step: Certain cues from conversations reveal when prospects are primed to advance in their buyer journey.
3. Inspire new product or service ideas: Customer feedback often highlights unmet needs that can guide product development.

Without these insights, your ability to optimize messaging, identify conversion signals, and innovate effectively will be limited.

Where to Collect These Data Points

Here are four key areas to focus on:

1. Prospect Conversations: Whether through formal calls, face-to-face meetings, or networking events, these interactions often reveal critical insights.
2. Account Manager Meetings: Strategy sessions with existing clients can uncover opportunities for upselling and retention.
3. Onboarding Sessions: New clients tend to share detailed pain points and goals, offering rich data to capture.
4. Support Calls: Customer service interactions highlight recurring problems and potential churn risks.

Examples of Valuable Data Points

Here are six examples of manual data points you should prioritize:

1. Pain Points: Categorize or summarize customer challenges to identify trends.
2. Current Solutions and Tools: Gain insights into the customer’s tech stack and workflow.
3. Personal Goals: Understand what individual stakeholders want to achieve.
4. Business Goals: Capture organizational objectives to align your solutions effectively.
5. Decision-Making Processes: Map out procurement steps, sign-off requirements, and roadblocks.
6. Internal Team Structures: Build an accurate picture of organizational dynamics to tailor your approach.

How to Use These Data Points

The key is to cross-reference these manual data points with other metrics, such as demographics, firmographics, behavioral data, and financial metrics. By aggregating and analyzing these insights, you’ll:

• Identify high-converting prospects.
• Improve efficiency by focusing on the right opportunities.
• Craft data-driven strategies for growth.

Real-World Results

One client who implemented this approach saw their closed-won deals more than double in a single quarter. By capturing and analyzing manual data points, they improved efficiency without significantly increasing the number of total opportunities. Their sales team, armed with better insights, was able to focus on the most promising prospects and achieve outstanding results.

Take Action

Start collecting these manual data points today. Train your team to recognize and capture valuable insights during every interaction. Cross-reference this information with your existing data to uncover patterns and opportunities. The results could transform your business, just like they did for our client.

If you found this post helpful, share it with your team and let us know your thoughts. The toughest data to collect might just be your biggest growth driver.

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