Understanding Intent Data with Alex Blakeway, Sales Director at The Access Group
We recently sat down with Alex Blakeway, Sales Director at The Access Group, to discuss the importance of first-party intent data.
Host
Joaquin Dominguez, was joined by marketing experts to discuss the topic.
Guests
Alex Blakeway, Sales Director, The Access Group
How to understand who is in the market for your product today
We recently sat down with Alex Blakeway, Sales Director at The Access Group, to discuss the importance of first-party intent data.
Most B2B marketers we have spoken to consider first-party intent data to be critical to directing sales activity. They offer valuable insights into customer behaviour, interests, and preferences.
According to Alex, "customers are looking for solutions to their problems. By understanding their needs and providing them with useful content, you can build trust, and attract new customers". He recommends the book They Ask, You Answer (Sheridan, 2017), as a guide for good quality content. He added, "In the digital world, there are no b2b and b2c; we all do the research if we're buying a software platform, a car or a dishwasher".
"Customers are looking for solutions to their problems, and businesses that can provide them with the answers they seek will attract thousands of potential customers".
Alex Blakeway
Challenges for understanding Intent:
Having a clear understanding of your Total Addressable Market (TAM) makes it easier to segment effectively, which leads to better capture of intent data.
Segmenting and targeting prospects effectively is crucial for business success, but this can be challenging without a clear understanding of the total addressable market, especially for The Access Group, with small, medium, and large businesses as potential buyers. Small and medium businesses are difficult to identify and target individually, while larger businesses are easier. Understanding the total addressable market enables more effective prospect segmentation and targeting, leading to better data capture for future campaigns.
Challenges in Capturing Good Quality Data
Alex discussed the benefits and obstacles of both sales self-generated and marketing-generated leads. While self-generated leads offer a more personal touch and a deeper connection with prospective customers, their consistency and volume can be inconsistent. On the other hand, marketing-generated leads provide a broader reach and a higher potential for quantity. With the help of a CRM, the lead-generation process is more standardized and allows for greater control.
Many companies still rely on manual work from salespeople. But it is hard work, often missed, to set up automatic recording of sales activities in the CRM, meaning sales engagement is often a missing factor in lead scoring.. Alex recommends starting with basic lead scoring based on people engaging with the company's first-party content.
"Start with basic lead scoring based on people engaging with the company's first-party content before moving into more sofisticated tools" Alex Blakeway
Measuring intent on different segments over time
The Access Group is the largest software company in the UK, offering services to different business verticals, such as recruitment, hospitality, education, etc. To better understand the market opportunities, they track changes in customer intent on different segments over time. This information can give valuable insights into allocating resources for change, churn, acquisition or innovation. And capitalise on cross-selling opportunities.
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