Intelligent usage of market intelligence | Brittain Marketing blog
Monday, 19 December 2011 16:38
There is a process involved in gathering information, converting it into intelligence and then utilising this in business decision making.
Information can provide valuable insight into company's current operations, but insight without intelligence is like a keyboard without vowels ... not completely useless, but you will have difficulty making any sense! And making sense of information is what I wanted to talk about.
In recent times we have had a higher demand from companies wishing to obtain key information about prospects, and competitors, to use to their advantage and help strengthen their position in the market place.
Now, there are many different methods of gathering this information in the first place, and I'm sure there will be some deliberations as to what is the best, or should I say the most successful method. I could spend all afternoon reeling off every approach, but there is none more effective than strategic telephone engagement.
the beauty of using the telephone to gain relevant information about your prospects is that you are engaging all the time and showing genuine interest to your target audience by effectively listening to their wants, needs and problems. It is with this process you can gain a level of confidence and build a strong rapport at the outset which will be dividends in the long run.
The reward is having the opportunity to collate information about the company's operations, straight from the decision maker's mouth, which is otherwise unobtainable. Contract renewal dates, annual expenditure on your particular product and/or service, specific requirements, purchasing processes, buying motives, existing concerns or dislikes about their current supplier, all of which can be analysed and detailed in a business report to give your sales team the upper hand.
Competitor analysis can be extremely advantageous on many levels also. By acquiring information on a real or perceived weakness within a competitor organisation, opportunity arises to exploit and respond accordingly. Used in conjunction with an appointment setting campaign, gathering this information provides an opportunity to discuss specific issues during the face-to-face meeting stage. By highlighting existing problem areas and how your company would overcome them will instantly put you in the driver's seat, and demonstrates to your prospect that you are taking their concerns on board and being pro-active with them!
All of this information can also be used to formulate future sales and marketing strategies, aid in the development of products and/or services and give you the reassurance that you have your ear firmly to the ground.
To find out more about how Brittain Marketing can support your efforts in obtaining this information in the first place, please contact Aaron Mears on 0844 880 4585.
