In the Business Development Representative (BDR) world, whitespacing is a cooler way to refer to prospecting. It’s a critical strategy for identifying untapped potential within existing accounts or uncovering new business opportunities that align with your company’s offerings. This practice involves a systematic approach to prospecting that leverages advanced tools and platforms to maximize efficiency and results. Here’s how BDRs can effectively utilize whitespacing using tools like LinkedIn Navigator, ZoomInfo, Lusha, Crossbeam, 6sense, CRMs (Salesforce), and outbound platforms like SalesLoft and Outreach.
What is Whitespacing?
Whitespacing refers to the process of identifying new opportunities and contacts within a given account or market that have not yet been exploited. It involves analyzing current accounts to find gaps where additional products or services can be introduced, as well as identifying new prospects that align with your company’s offerings.
Tools for Whitespacing
1. LinkedIn Navigator
LinkedIn Navigator is a powerful tool for identifying and reaching out to potential prospects. It allows BDRs to:
- Search for Prospects: Use advanced search filters to find decision-makers and key influencers within target companies.
- Save Leads and Accounts: Keep track of promising leads and monitor their activity. You can then export leads to ZoomInfo
- InMail Messaging: Send direct messages to prospects, increasing the chances of a response compared to traditional emails.
2. ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo provides detailed company and contact information that helps BDRs:
- Build Target Lists: Access a comprehensive database of business contacts to build a list of potential prospects. You can either create them new or import a list of leads from LinkedIn Navigator.
- Enrich Data: Ensure that contact information is accurate and up-to-date, enhancing the quality of outreach efforts.
- CRM Integration: The cool thing about ZoomInfo is that you can integrate with your CRM so you can export your leads there.
3. Lusha
Lusha is a data enrichment tool that BDRs can use to:
- Find Contact Information: Use a Chrome extension to quickly access phone numbers and email addresses of key decision-makers directly from their LinkedIn profiles. This tool allows you to gather contact information efficiently and compile it into a targeted prospect list.
- Verify Data: Ensure that the contact information is accurate and reliable, improving the success rate of cold outreach.
4. Crossbeam
Crossbeam is ideal for identifying strategic partnerships and overlaps in customer bases:
- Partner Ecosystem: Discover potential partners that share a customer base or target market.
- Account Mapping: Identify mutual customers with partners to explore joint opportunities.
5. 6sense
6sense uses AI and big data to identify and predict buying behavior:
- Account Identification: Find accounts showing buying intent for your products or services.
- Behavioral Insights: Gain insights into prospects’ online behavior and tailor your outreach accordingly.
6. Intent Data
Identify prospects actively researching solutions like yours using ZoomInfo or other similar services. These tools track online activities, revealing potential buyers’ interests and behaviors, allowing you to prioritize high-intent leads and tailor your outreach for better conversion rates.
- Behavior Tracking: Monitor online activities that signal buying intent.
- Prioritization: Focus efforts on high-intent leads to maximize conversion chances.
Implementing Whitespacing with SalesLoft and Outreach
SalesLoft and Outreach are outbound platforms that help BDRs manage and streamline their outreach efforts. Here’s how to integrate whitespacing insights into these platforms:
1. Data Import
After identifying new prospects and enriching contact information using the aforementioned tools, import this data into SalesLoft or Outreach. This creates a centralized database of leads ready for engagement.
2. Cadence Creation
Set up cadences in SalesLoft or Outreach that outline the sequence of touchpoints for each prospect. This can include emails, calls, LinkedIn messages, and more.
3. Personalization
Use the data gathered from LinkedIn Navigator, ZoomInfo, Lusha, 6sense, and intent data sources to personalize your outreach. Mention specific pain points, industry insights, or mutual connections to make your messages more relevant and compelling.
4. Automated Outreach
SalesLoft and Outreach allow for automated email sequences, ensuring consistent follow-ups with minimal manual effort. This keeps prospects engaged and increases the likelihood of conversion.
5. Tracking and Analytics
Monitor the performance of your outreach efforts using SalesLoft’s or Outreach’s analytics. Track open rates, response rates, and conversion rates to identify what’s working and refine your strategies accordingly.
Whitespacing is an essential technique for BDRs to uncover new business opportunities and maximize the value of existing accounts. By leveraging tools like LinkedIn Navigator, ZoomInfo, Lusha, Crossbeam, 6sense, intent data, and outbound platforms like SalesLoft and Outreach, BDRs can streamline their prospecting efforts, personalize their outreach, and achieve better results. Understanding and mastering these tools not only enhances the efficiency of your prospecting process but also significantly boosts your success rates. Remember, we are only as good as our data, so ensure it is accurate and up-to-date to maximize your whitespacing efforts.
4o
Anthony Lobosco
