Lead Enrichment for Dominating B2B Sales in 2024

“Lead enrichment.”
Yawn, right? Sounds like some boring data process only geeks could love.

Well, it’s anything BUT boring. When done right, lead enrichment can transform your B2B sales game and catapult revenue growth.
It’s how you level up those skimpy lead records chock full of nothing but names and email addresses into 360-degree view prospect profiles.

This additional intel on leads allows your sales teams to prioritize and personalize outreach for sky-high conversion rates. In turn, you rake in more customers and revenue.

However, doing enrichment effectively requires strategy and effort. Reliable data doesn’t just magically appear (unless you’re Harry Potter).

Let’s explore what lead enrichment is, why it offers so much upside, types of data to enrich, proven tactics and tools to use, common mistakes to avoid, and tips to maximize the impact for your B2B sales in 2024 and beyond.

In this guide we’ll cover:

1. What is Lead Enrichment?
2. Why Lead Enrichment Is Essential for Sales Success
3. Best Types of Data for 360-Degree Lead Enrichment
4. 9 Powerful Tactics and Tools for Enriching Leads
5. Be Wary of These Common Lead Enrichment Mistakes
6. Extract Maximum Value from Lead Enrichment
7. FAQs

What is Lead Enrichment?

Let’s start simple.
Lead enrichment is the process of enhancing your lead data by appending additional details and context.

Maybe you capture only a name, company, and email when someone initially engages with your brand, whether by downloading content or registering for an event.
This is your lead “record,” but it’s extremely limited information. Hard to assess fit, personalize outreach, or determine sales readiness with just that bare minimum of data.

Lead enrichment allows you to flesh out those skimpy lead records into robust profiles with a complete view of the prospect.

You enrich leads by appending useful intel like:

• Job title
• Location
• Industry
• Tech stack
• Website activity
• Social profiles
• Firmographic data
• Intent signals
• Engagement history
• And much more

Without leaving your CRM, you can access a lead’s full profile containing the details needed to effectively nurture and convert them.
It transforms lead data from a shallow puddle into a deep ocean of actionable insights for your sales and marketing teams.

Enrichment provides the crucial context required to:

• Pinpoint Ideal Prospects: Identify those most likely to buy based on fit, role, and intent.
• Personalize Engagement: Craft messaging that resonates based on interests and needs.
• Improve Lead Scoring: Gauge sales readiness accurately with robust data points.
• Inform Sales Plays: Determine how to guide each lead through the journey.
• Shorten Sales Cycles: No need to start from scratch learning about leads.
• Boost Data Hygiene: Maintain clean lists instead of relying on outdated info.

And as a result, you drive more pipeline and revenue!

Why Lead Enrichment Is Essential for Sales Success

Remember the days of spraying and praying with generic sales outreach?
“Dear Sir or Madam, I hope this letter finds you well…”
Not effective, right?

Response rates were dismal. Most outreaches end up in the trash because prospects expect personalized communication.

But gathering enough details to tailor messaging one-to-one used to require tons of tedious manual research on each lead. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

This dynamic of rising expectations for personalization coupled with inefficient manual processes has made lead enrichment essential.

Check out some of the key reasons it matters so much:

Pinpoints the Most Valuable Leads

The best sales teams focus on prospects with the highest potential to convert rather than just the most leads.
Enrichment provides the details needed, like technically a lead’s role, intent signals, past engagement, industry, company size, etc., to accurately gauge fit and focus on qualified accounts.

You identify lookalike profiles of existing customers and go all in on those high-propensity targets instead of spreading efforts thin across low-quality leads.

Creates Relevant, Tailored Messaging

Generic communication goes straight to the trash folder.
But by appending details on leads’ interests, challenges, roles, companies, etc., you can craft messaging that directly speaks to their needs.

This personal touch makes prospects engage more with content and respond to outreach.

Boosts Sales Efficiency

Manually researching leads before calls is time-consuming and cuts into selling time.
With lead enrichment, all the background intel sales needs is already appended to each record in the CRM.

No more scrambling to learn about the prospect right before an important call. Sales can focus on selling rather than research.

Raises Lead Scoring

Basic lead-scoring models using limited data leave much to be desired.
However, lead enrichment provides the many signals needed to accurately gauge sales readiness based on engagement, job role, company, intent, and more.

This allows sales teams to definitively say “Lead A is hot, Lead B is not” based on data rather than gut feel.

Supports Ideal Customer Profiling

What does your ideal prospect look like? Lead enrichment provides the comprehensive data to analyze and codify that profile based on your best customers.

You can then enrich toward that defined ideal and identify lookalike targets that match the profile of those most likely to buy.

Powers Account-Based Sales & Marketing

ABM relies on thoroughly researching target accounts - aka lead enrichment.
Compiling intelligence on the key contacts, organization structure, technologies, initiatives, and stakeholders provides the foundation for orchestrating ABM campaigns.

Drives More Relevant Ads

Pixeling your website allows advertising platforms to build lead enrichment-style profiles based on engagement.
These can be used to serve tailored ads across channels. If someone is on your pricing page, you can advertise discounts.

Improves Sales and Marketing Alignment

When sales and marketing nurture leads based on the same enriched data in an integrated CRM, it prevents disjointed experiences.
The baton can be seamlessly passed between teams, improving coordination on shared goals.

As you can see, lead enrichment is mission-critical for sales teams aiming to boost revenue in our distracted, data-driven age.
The additional context provides a supercharged foundation for executing proven sales best practices that drive results.

Best Types of Data for 360-Degree Lead Enrichment

As a quick refresher, lead enrichment involves appending additional data to the basic contact record captured initially to create a complete profile.
But what kinds of data should you prioritize?
Here are some of the main categories modern B2B sales teams focus on to achieve 360-degree view lead enrichment:

Contact Data

These are the details needed to get in touch with prospects to start nurturing them in the first place.

• Direct phone numbers (especially mobile)
• Personal email addresses
• Mailing addresses

With accurate, direct contact data, you reduce dependency on generic info like [email protected] and gatekeepers.

Firmographic Data

Perspective on leads’ companies provides helpful context:

• Company name, industry, location
• Company size based on revenue and employees
• Department and job titles

Segment and personalize campaigns using attributes like industry, company size, and job function.

Technographic Data

What technologies are leads using? This allows matching to compatible solutions:

• CRM, marketing automation, sales tools
• Cloud platforms and SaaS apps
• Website analytics and tracking
• And more

Demographic Data

Basic personal attributes provide perspective:

• Age, gender, education level
• Location
• Role seniority and tenure

Use to understand priorities based on the stage of career, background, and geographic region.

Intent Data

Active research provides a strong signal of interest and readiness:

• Keyword searches
• Website page visits
• Content downloads
• Form submissions
• Paid ad clicks

Leads doing heavy research have high sales potential—prioritize them.

Social Data

Social media activity provides helpful personal and professional context:

• LinkedIn profile details
• Twitter connections and engagement
• Facebook groups and interests

Informs outreach strategies and messaging personalization.

Buying Stage

Where leads are in the journey dictates sales plays:

• Early-stage: starting research
• Mid-stage: comparing solutions
• Late-stage: finalizing vendors

Target content and actions to match their stage.

Account Hierarchy

For large companies, understanding the org chart and decision-makers is key.

Behavioral Data

Past interactions on your properties provide powerful insight:

• Email opens, clicks
• Website visits and activity
• Content downloads
• Form fills
• Event participation

Determine sales readiness based on engagement level.

Predictive Scores

Data can be run through scoring models to determine propensity and lifetime value scores. This identifies the highest potential targets.

As you can see, numerous data types can be leveraged to paint a complete picture of lead records.
Choosing what to prioritize depends on your sales strategy, ideal customer profile, and other factors.

14 Powerful Tactics and Tools for Enriching Leads

Ok, so lead enrichment provides tons of upside. And you now know what data can be appended.
But how do you go about collecting all this detailed information at scale?

Luckily, modern tools and technologies make lead enrichment much easier compared to the manual processes used previously.
Here are some of the most popular tactics and platforms teams leverage:

1. Tap Your Existing Databases

Your CRM, marketing automation platform, and other databases likely already contain rich behavioral data on prospects.
Compile it into lead profiles—this first-party data is extremely valuable.
Pro Tip: Set up tracking and integrations to continuously capture engagement data from your website, email, ads, and more.

2. Leverage LinkedIn for Social Selling

LinkedIn profiles contain rich, accurate professional details that can be used to enhance lead records.
Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to extract data manually, or automated tools like Dux-Soup or SalesLoft.

This social context helps humanize outreach.

3. Deploy Data Enrichment Software

Purpose-built tools like Lusha, DiscoverOrg, and Demandbase can append extensive firmographic, technographic, contact, and buying stage data to leads.
Often they integrate with CRMs and marketing automation systems for a turnkey solution. They provide economies of scale via bulk enrichment.

4. Leverage External Data Providers

Data providers like ZoomInfo, Clearbit, or Apollo offer massive databases of enriched lead information. You can use their services to fill in gaps in your records with additional intel.
Many offer APIs for seamless integration into your CRM.

5. Send Email Surveys

Use surveys, questionnaires, and quizzes to get leads to self-identify helpful details like role, challenges, interests, etc.
Can be triggered based on certain actions or sent to a batch of prospects.

6. Conduct Web Research

Enable sales development reps to manually research prospects using tools like LinkedIn, ZoomInfo, and RocketReach.
Extract details to expand lead profiles pre-call. Allows for customization.

7. Listen & Learn

Pay close attention on sales calls for intel prospects reveal about initiatives, struggles, and goals to expand their profiles.
Look for “breadcrumbs” they drop in other venues like webinars too.

8. Tap Your Network for Insights

Ask colleagues in Customer Success or Services to share insights into prospects they already have relationships with.
Their personal experience can provide invaluable context.

9. Use IP Enrichment

Enrich website traffic by identifying anonymous visitors through reverse IP lookup tools.
Platforms like Leadfeeder or Albacross reveal firmographic details on visitors to append into CRM records.

10. Deploy Web Tracking Tools

Installing tracking pixels allows you to monitor prospect behavior on your website. Platforms like HubSpot, Marketo, or Pardot can then enrich records based on activity.

11. Enrich With Email Intelligence

Analyzing email interactions (opens, clicks, replies, etc.) provides insight into lead engagement and interest. Use tools like Mailmeteor, or Mailchimp to track and append email data.

12. Leverage Predictive Scoring Models

Predictive lead scoring tools use AI to analyze lead behavior and firmographics to assign scores based on the likelihood to convert.
Use platforms like 6Sense or Lattice Engines to enrich records with scores.

13. Tap Intent Data Providers

Intent providers like Bombora or TechTarget compile purchase signals across the web to identify high-propensity buyers.
Use their services to enrich leads in your CRM based on relevant keyword searches or content consumption.

14. Enrich Data in Real-Time

Platforms like Clearbit Enrichment or FullContact provide real-time enrichment APIs that append data as soon as new leads enter your CRM.
No more waiting to manually enrich records weeks after they’re captured.

Combine several of these tactics to enrich lead profiles thoroughly and automatically without requiring heavy manual work.

Be Wary of These Common Lead Enrichment Mistakes

Lead enrichment provides tremendous upside. But there are some common mistakes organizations make that hinder the impact:

Relying on Low-Quality Data

Garbage in, garbage out. Outdated or inaccurate data undermines the entire effort.
Always verify accuracy before nurturing enriched leads. Prioritize trusted, high-quality sources.

Going Overboard Appending Every Datapoint

Often less is more. Appending too much data causes overload and makes key details get lost in the noise.
Focus on enriching the fields that are most aligned to your sales strategy and motions.

Failing to Segment Your Enriched Leads

What gets measured gets managed. Divide leads into segments based on enriched data for tailored actions.
Otherwise, you just treat all leads equally, minimizing the value.

Not Updating Your CRM

One-time enrichment provides a snapshot. But to compound value, enriched data must flow back into your CRM as a system of record.
Don’t leave it siloed in a side system.

Skipping Impact Analysis

Many enrichment efforts fail to prove ROI because teams don’t track how it impacts metrics like lead quality, sales cycle length, and win rates.
Regularly analyze the data to optimize your process and strategy.

Turning Leads Off with Bad Timing

Prospects can feel bombarded if overly salesy outreach immediately follows enrichment.
Pace and frame outreach carefully to come across as helpful versus invasive.

Avoid these missteps with the right strategy, savvy tool selection, and processes to activate enriched data.
Now let’s wrap up with tips to extract max value from lead enrichment.

Extract Maximum Value from Lead Enrichment

Hopefully, this guide has provided a comprehensive playbook on enriching your B2B leads for sales success.

Here are some core takeaways to maximize effectiveness:

• Clearly define enrichment goals and ideal target profiles
• Carefully determine the highest-value data points to focus on
• Maintain a healthy balance of first and third-party data sources
• Keep an eye on data privacy considerations
• Start small if needed to prove impact before scaling
• Treat enrichment as an always-on program, not just a one-off project
• Enable sales and marketing to seamlessly leverage enriched data
• Avoid overcomplicating integrations between systems
• Measure impact on metrics Like lead quality, sales cycle velocity, and conversion rates
• Use enrichment to identify lookalike high-propensity prospects
• Keep iterating and optimizing based on the results

By following these best practices, your teams will be positioned to dominate B2B sales and boost revenue growth in 2024 and beyond!

Time to level up!

FAQs