ZoomInfo is a tool for finding and researching sales prospects. It's great at its core value proposition. Like any tool, however, its effectiveness depends on how you use it. Think of ZoomInfo as the hammer in your sales toolkit. Owning the best hammer won’t build you a mansion unless you know how to use it. To truly leverage ZoomInfo and improve your sales pipeline, you need a strategy beyond simply searching for contacts.
Part of the Strategic Equation
Let's start with expectation-setting. ZoomInfo provides several tactical advantages, but to use it effectively, it needs to be part of a bigger plan. Most people who bring it to us are 6 months into their 1st year's subscription, and it's looking like the last because they've accomplished nothing but noise with it.
Why? Because it's not a strategic device. It's a tactical one.
So, when we're asked if we can use email to warm up ice-cold leads from ZoomInfo, the answer is, "yes, but..."
- Yes, but people don't buy from unknown companies spamming them
- Yes, but that intent data has nothing to do with you, they're still cold
- Yes, but it's going to take a unified effort with marketing to do it
- Yes, but your speed to lead needs to be lightning fast
- Yes, but this should not be your sole source for leads—cold leads close at cold lead rates
Here are five tips to help you maximize your ZoomInfo subscription and supercharge your sales pipeline:
1. Set Up an Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Approach
An ABM strategy allows you to focus your efforts on high-value accounts rather than casting a wide net. ZoomInfo’s rich data enables you to easily identify and target the companies and decision-makers that matter most to your business.
How to use ZoomInfo for ABM:
- Refine your target account list by filtering based on company size, industry, revenue, and more.
- Identify key decision-makers and influencers within those target accounts.
- Leverage contact details to craft personalized outreach, making each interaction relevant to the needs of the account.
ZoomInfo makes it simple to find specific people who are involved in the buying process. This allows your sales team to focus their efforts on high-potential accounts.
Once you’ve identified your target accounts, the next step is building effective outbound sales sequences. ZoomInfo can help you create personalized, multi-touch campaigns that nurture prospects through the sales funnel.
2. Create Marketing That Gives Leads a Reason to Engage
Don't just stuff your "buy now" message into your prospect's inbox. Have something to say.
People don't care about your brand or your mission or why your company exists. They only care about their problems and goals. So, show them that you understand the challenges they face. Show them you have solutions.
Do this with content that provides something of value. That way, those cold leads can learn from you while they seek solutions.
Content ideas for warming up ZoomInfo leads:
- Top-of-funnel (traffic):
- Blog posts
- Social media posts
- Landing pages
- Middle-of-funnel (leads)
- Salary guides (for staffing agencies)
- Calculator (show how ROI works for your service)
- Sample product (for SaaS)
- White papers and ebooks
- Bottom-of-funnel (meetings)
- Demo
- Consultation
Most businesses focus solely on bottom-of-funnel. But most people are annoyed by this approach.
By creating different ways for your prospects to interact, your emails are more likely to succeed. That means more opens, clicks, and replies.
3. Utilize Intent Data
ZoomInfo’s intent data is a game-changer. It helps you identify when potential customers are actively researching solutions like yours.
How to leverage intent data:
- Identify which companies are showing interest in your industry or product based on online behavior.
- Prioritize outreach to companies with high intent scores—these are the accounts most likely to convert.
- Tailor your messaging to address the pain points that these prospects are researching, increasing the relevance of your outreach.
Using intent data helps you focus your efforts where they’re most likely to result in a sale, saving you time and boosting your conversion rate.
4. Use ZoomInfo for Data Enrichment
Data enrichment is key to making direct contact with leads. ZoomInfo integrates with many CRMs, allowing you to enrich your existing data and fill in any gaps.
How to use ZoomInfo for data enrichment:
- Automatically update outdated or incomplete contact records.
- Add missing details such as titles, phone numbers, and email addresses
- Segment your contacts based on role or intent
This ensures that your sales team always has the most current information. reducing time spent searching for contact details and increasing the effectiveness of your outreach.
5. Customize Outreach with ZoomInfo Scoops
ZoomInfo’s “Scoops” feature highlights leadership changes, new product launches, and other business developments. These updates help you tailor your messaging to align with what’s happening within your target accounts.
How to use Scoops:
- Monitor leadership changes that may open the door to new opportunities.
- Reach out to companies that have recently raised funding or launched new initiatives
- Use this information to craft highly customized outreach messages
Scoops can significantly increase response rates and help you build relationships with prospects.
Conclusion
ZoomInfo is only as effective as the strategy behind it. Use it as a tactical device for data enrichment, segmenting, and sending marketing campaigns. These tips will help you build stronger relationships with prospects and close more deals.
Learning how to use ZoomInfo effectively requires some time and strategy, but the payoff—a robust, high-quality sales pipeline—is well worth the effort.
And don't forget to CALL! Generating engagement is only valuable if you jump on it.
Want more? We build custom Sales systems using our proven template methodology. Then we show you how to use everything—with another proven template... an LMS-hosted certification for your sales team based on your CRM. Learn more here.
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