In our conversations with sales and marketing pros, we hear that the sales environment is more competitive than ever. They see customer insight as giving them a competitive edge--and this desire to know their customers better leads them to us.
Almost invariably, they see our C-Suite database as a way to get the customer insight they need without having to spend precious nights and weekends doing their own research.
But more times than we can count, the conversation eventually turns to: "Now how can I use this information?"
Because as valuable as C-Level insight is, it's what you do with it that drives results.
Most of our customers use our content to uncover new sales opportunities and understand an executive's main focus so they can craft communications that cut through the clutter.
But a few customers are using our insight in more novel and creative ways. Here are the three that have caught our interest recently:
1. Executive Sponsor Matchmaking
Most enterprise companies have robust executive sponsorship programs for top customers. Instead of randomly assigning executives to top accounts, one company uses our insight to create the perfect match between executive sponsor and customer C-Level executive. For example, one CIO they wanted to engage had spent 25 years in the Army before moving into the private sector. So they matched him up with one of their own executives who was also an Army vet. They figured that having this strong affinity in common increased the chance that the relationship between the two executives--and the two companies--would progress and thrive.
2. Creating The Right Hospitality Experience
From golf tournaments to sailing regattas, sales organizations spend untold sums every year entertaining top customers at exclusive-access events. Wouldn't it help to know what kinds of activities interest them? One of our customers hosted a viewing party for a cricket match happening on the other side of the world. They used Boardroom Insiders to identify US-based executives who are crazy for cricket. Another customer decided to host an event at an aviation museum after they discovered that a significant percentage of their public sector executive customers were licensed pilots.
3. Recruiting Expert Speakers
Most enterprise companies host thought leadership events to get face time with customers and prospects. Creating the right agenda and content is critical to being able to attract the right people to these events. One of our customers mines our database for common careabouts across target execs and then creates their agenda accordingly. Once the topics have been identified, they take it a step further, using our profiles to find executive speakers who have something new or novel to say about a chosen topic. One year we helped them identify the perfect keynote speaker for their most important annual customer event.
These are just some of the ways that companies are using Boardroom Insiders to better engage executive decision makers.
Is C-Level engagement a priority for your company?
Share Your Thoughts