00:02 Hey everyone, welcome back to the deep dive. You we always love digging into ways to make your sales and marketing efforts really hit the mark. you know, recently you sent over some really interesting stuff about using business intelligence, which is right up our alley. Always love a good day to deep dive. Exactly. So today we're going to zoom in on one tactic in particular that caught our eye. It's all about paying close attention to something specific, company awards. Yeah. I mean, think about it, right?

00:31 a company wins an award, it's a pretty public declaration that they're doing something right. They're probably feeling pretty good, maybe even a little more open to new ideas and yeah, potentially even new investments. Exactly. That's the kind of opportunity you don't want to miss. It's like cutting through all the noise and getting right in front of them when they're primed and ready. Absolutely. And the really cool thing is that it's not just like a hunch or a guess. This is rooted in data and real world insights. You the material you share from Dealfront, they're

01:00 all about B2B data and intelligence, so this is like their bread and butter. And what makes it super valuable is that it's not just theoretical, they're showing how sales and marketing pros can use this stuff on a daily basis to get real results. Awesome. So for our deep dive today, we're going to break down exactly how this all works and give you actionable steps that you can start using right away to take advantage of this intent signal.

01:25 is what they call it. Yeah, exactly. Intense signal. It's a fancy way of saying, hey, this company is showing us they're interested in something. In this case, growth and momentum, which often means they're more open to solutions that help maintain that. Perfect. So before we get too far, can we just define what intense signals are in general? Because some folks listening might be thinking, OK, intense signals, what is that? Yeah, for sure.

01:47 In the simplest terms, think of intent signals, like digital footprints that companies leave behind as they go about their business. They visit websites, download content, attend webinars, all sorts of things. And each of these actions can signal a certain level of interest or intent. Okay, makes sense. Yeah, so instead of just blindly sending out messages and hoping for the best, you're actually looking for these little hints, these signals, that tell you, this company might actually be interested in what I have to offer right now.

02:16 So it's about being strategic, about being in the right place at the right time. And in this particular case, that right time is when a company's been recognized with an award. Exactly. It's a moment of celebration. They're feeling good. Their profile's been raised. And that often translates into a greater willingness to explore new possibilities, new partnerships. OK. So leap dig into why awards are such a strong, intense signal. What makes them stand out from all the other noise? Well, you know.

02:44 Winning an award, does a couple of things for a company. First, it instantly boosts their credibility. Like they've been recognized by their peers, by experts, by the industry at large, and that holds a lot of weight, right? Yeah, it's like a stamp of approval. Exactly. And that kind of validation can lead to all sorts of positive outcomes. Increased visibility, more media attention, a stronger brand reputation. You know, it can really put them on the map. Right. And all of that can fuel their growth.

03:13 They might be looking to capitalize on that momentum, maybe expand into new markets, launch new products or services, you really take things to the next level. And to do that, they often need new solutions, new partners. So that's where you come in. And the other interesting thing about awards, right, is that there's an emotional element to it. It's not just a data point. It's a moment of pride and excitement for the whole company. Yeah, exactly. It's a celebration and that creates a positive atmosphere, a sense of openness and receptiveness. So

03:43 When you reach out with a genuine message of congratulations, you're tapping into that positive energy. You're not just another sales pitch. You're someone who's acknowledging their achievement. That's a great point. It's about building that rapport right from the start. Now, the article we looked at from Dealfront, it actually breaks down different types of awards that are worth paying attention to. know, not all awards are created equal. Right. It's about finding the awards that align with your specific target audience, your ideal customer profile. So.

04:11 they highlight a few key categories. First, you have the industry-specific awards. These are the ones that really showcase a company's expertise within a particular sector. Like, if you're in tech, maybe it's an award for innovation or cybersecurity, or if you're in healthcare, maybe it's an award for patient care or medical research, things like that. So it's about understanding what matters most to your ideal client and looking for awards that reflect those values. Exactly. And then you have awards focused on

04:40 business growth. Think about things like the Inc. 5000 list or the Deloitte Technology Fast 500. These recognized companies that are experiencing rapid revenue growth, you the ones that are really scaling up. if you're offering solutions that help businesses grow and manage that growth, these awards are a huge signal for you. Exactly. And then increasingly important these days are the, you know, environmental or sustainability awards. Yeah, absolutely. Things like LED certification or B Corp status.

05:10 These demonstrate a commitment to social and environmental responsibility, which is a big deal for lot of companies and customers these days. Huge. So you're not just looking at their financial performance, but also their values, how they operate, what they stand for. Absolutely. And finally, you have the employer awards, things like best places to work or awards for diversity and inclusion. Right. So it's about the company culture, how they treat their employees. Exactly. And this can tell you a lot about a company's stability, their leadership.

05:39 their overall approach to business. You know, a company that's invested in its employees is often a company that's invested in its future. That's a great point. So you've got all these different categories of awards, and the key is to figure out which ones are most relevant to your specific ICP. Right. If your ideal customer is a fast-growing tech startup, then those business growth awards are going to be gold for you. But if your ideal customer is a large enterprise that prioritizes sustainability,

06:09 then those environmental awards are going to be much more important. Makes sense. So now we know why these awards are such valuable signals. But how do you actually find out about them? How do you know when a company in your target market has won an award? Yeah, well, the old school way was pretty labor intensive, to say the least. It was a lot of manual research. You'd be scouring the internet, reading industry publications, maybe even calling up company press offices. Oh, that sounds fun. Yeah, and incredibly time consuming, right?

06:38 and you're always running the risk of missing something. Like what if a key announcement slips through the cracks? You've wasted all that time and now you're behind the curve. Yeah, not ideal. So then came along tools like Google Alerts, right? That was supposed to make things a little easier. Yeah, Google Alerts was definitely a step in the right direction, you know, towards automation. You could set up alerts for specific company names and you'd get notified whenever they popped up online.

07:07 but I'm guessing it wasn't perfect. It was better than nothing, but yeah, it still had its limitations. You'd often get a ton of irrelevant results, like a random blog post mentioning the company in passing. And it wasn't always the fastest at picking up on news. Plus, you still had to sift through all those alerts manually to find the ones that actually mattered. OK, so not quite the magic bullet. that's where these modern automated solutions come in. Exactly.

07:31 These platforms are like having a whole team of researchers working for you 24 seven. They're constantly scanning the web, social media, news sources, everything to identify these key signals, including company awards. And they deliver those insights straight to you in real time without you having to lift a finger. Wow. That's a game changer. And the article specifically highlights Dealfront's Target platform as an example. How does that work exactly? Yeah. So Dealfront, Target,

07:58 It's a B2B intelligence platform that's designed to help you find and qualify leads. And one of its key features is this whole intent signal tracking thing. So within Target, you can actually set up filters to narrow down your search and look for companies that have won specific types of awards. You know, like you can say, OK, I want to find companies in the manufacturing industry that have won a sustainability award in the past six months. And boom, Target will generate a list for you. That's amazing. So no more endless Google searches and scrolling through news websites.

08:28 Exactly, it's all right there at your fingertips. And what's even cooler is that Target integrates with your CRM. So you can instantly see if any of those award-winning companies are already in your database, which would be a huge opportunity for cross-selling or up-selling. Oh, that's smart. Yeah. So you're not just finding new leads, you're also identifying potential for growth within your existing customer base. Exactly.

08:51 And then if you want to dig deeper into a specific company, you can just click on their profile and see all the details about the award they won, the source of the information, all that good stuff. So you have all the context you need to craft a really personalized message. And then to make sure you don't miss any of these opportunities, you can set up alerts. Right. Absolutely. So once you've created your target list in Dealfront Target, you can then use their other tool, Dealfront Connect, to set up alerts for the award intent signal.

09:18 You can choose how often you want to be notified, whether it's daily, weekly, whatever works for you. And then whenever a company on your list wins an award, you'll get an email notification. It's like having your own personal assistant tracking all this for you. Exactly. It takes all the guesswork out of it. OK, so you've identified a company that's won an award. You're excited. You want to reach out. What are the key steps you should take? OK, so first things first. Don't just jump straight into a sales pitch. I know it's tempting, but hold your horses.

09:48 The first step is research and qualification. Right, because just because they've won an award doesn't automatically mean they're a perfect fit for your product or service. Exactly. You still need to do your due diligence. Look at their website, check out their social media, read their press releases, anything you can get your hands on. Try to understand their business, their challenges, their goals. And then look at their team. Who are the key decision makers? Who are the influencers? Who do you need to connect with?

10:14 So it's about getting a clear picture of the company before you even think about reaching out. Right. And then once you've done your research, you can start crafting your outreach strategy. And here, the key is personalization. Yeah, because nobody likes to receive a generic mass produced message. No, especially not a company that's just won an award. They're probably getting bombarded with all sorts of generic congratulations. So you need to stand out.

10:41 Mention the specific award they won, talk about why it impressed you, connect it back to your own company's values or mission. Make it clear that you've actually put some thought into this. And the initial outreach is just the first step, right? It's about building a relationship over time. Exactly. So you might start with an email, maybe a LinkedIn message, maybe even a phone call if you have a direct line. But the key is to be consistent, to stay top of mind, to nurture that relationship.

11:07 And the article actually provides a really detailed example of an email outreach timeline that you can follow. Yeah, it's a great framework. on day one, you send that initial congratulatory email mentioning the award, maybe highlighting a relevant piece of content or a case study. Then a week later, you follow up with something a little more in depth, maybe addressing a specific challenge that their industry is facing and how your solution can help. And then

11:32 you continue to nurture that relationship over the next few weeks, providing value, sharing insights, building that trust. So it's not just about hitting them with sales pitches over and over again. It's about being helpful, being informative, being a valuable resource. Exactly. And then at some point, you can start transitioning into a more sales-focused conversation. But even then, it should always be about how you can help them achieve their goals, not just about closing a deal. Right.

12:00 So we've talked a lot about the benefits of using this strategy, but what kind of results can you realistically expect to see? Well, first and foremost, you're going to be reaching out to companies that are already experiencing success and growth. And that means they're more likely to have the resources and the inclination to invest in new solutions. So you're targeting the right people at the right time. Exactly. And because you're reaching out in a timely and personalized way, you're much more likely to get their attention and stand out from the competition.

12:28 You know, if you're the first one to congratulate them on their award, you're already making a good impression. And that can lead to more qualified leads, more sales conversations, and ultimately more closed deals. Exactly. Plus, you're building stronger relationships with your prospects. You're positioning yourself as a trusted advisor, someone who's genuinely interested in their success. And that can pay off in the long run, you know, even if it doesn't lead to an immediate sale. Absolutely. So are everyone listening?

12:55 As you think about your own industry and your own ideal customer profile, ask yourself, what awards really matter in your space? Which ones signify the kind of success and growth that aligns with your target market? Once you've identified those key awards, start thinking about how you can implement a system to track them and reach out to those winning companies in a meaningful way. It might take a little effort upfront, you know, to set up those alerts and get your process in place, but trust me, it's so worth it.

13:25 because when you can connect with the right prospects at the right time, it can make all the difference. Great advice. Well, that's all the time we have for today's deep dive. But as always, we encourage you to keep exploring, keep experimenting, keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in your sales and marketing efforts. Absolutely. And don't be afraid to leverage the amazing tools and resources that are out there to help you achieve your goals. Until next time. See ya.