In an exclusive interview, Shakeel Itoola, Chief Data Officer at Demand Science, discusses how their intelligence platform and integrated B2B solution suite amplify innovative companies’ sales and marketing capabilities worldwide.
What are some of the unique features of Demand Science? Which sectors are growing?
Shakeel Itoola: We are filling a clear gap in buyer intelligence for sales and marketing professionals who are seeking enhanced ROI and cost-efficiency through more accurate data, consolidated intent sources and predictive and actionable signals for identifying in-market buyers. While others provide intent solutions, we are unique in our one-stop-shop approach combining multiple sources of intent data in a single solution. The market continues to show accelerating demand for the comprehensive suite of solutions we offer at Demand Science.
Our core clients are in the B2B software, technology and business services categories, and we also see greater demand for our solutions across a broad base of market segments. This increased traction is part of why Demand Science is in the midst of sequential record-breaking quarters of growth.
How does Demand Science serve its customer segment?
Itoola: We provide a global buyer intelligence platform and data-centric B2B solution suite that amplifies sales and marketing ROI. We leverage decades of experience in the demand generation and technology space to create more actionable insights for sales and marketing decision-makers. As part of that effort, we provide innovative AI analytics merged with enriched data to identify in-market prospects and customers at scale. Demand Science also has solutions for every stage of the demand generation funnel, enabling B2B product and solution providers to accelerate their marketing and sales process and drive revenue.
The COVID pandemic has seen significant data security breaches for various organisations, both SMBs and large enterprises. How prepared are businesses now?
Itoola: Data security, GDPR and privacy initiatives must be a significant focus for every business. That’s why we counsel all of our customers to monitor, adjust and implement policies continuously, procedures and technologies to keep their organisations and their data as secure as possible from known and emerging risks.
The COVID pandemic has been problematic for organisations that do not have mature data security programs in place. Not only have some organisations transitioned employees and partners to remote work with little or insufficient adherence to industry security standards, but there has also been an increase in fraudulent and global cyberattacks by both cybercriminals and unknown sources. Any business that does not make data security a priority puts itself and its customers at risk.
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What are some of the customer pain points that Demand Science addresses?
Itoola: We recently surveyed 250 sales and marketing executives in B2B companies, having annual revenue over $10 million. And 60 per cent of respondents told us that lead conversion improves by at least 50 per cent with intent data. However, accessing and aggregating the data is a significant pain point, as is knowing which signals are driving ROI. It’s clear that intent data is important.
Also, 77 per cent of the respondents said they are at least occasionally overwhelmed trying to use intent data to create high-quality leads. It’s easy to see why 66 per cent of marketers are using three or more different sources of intent data, yet 58 per cent say they would prefer only one source of intent data.
We also know that marketers and sales professionals have lots of ‘data’, but not all of that data is useful in efficiently driving higher revenue. That is where we come in, with one-stop onboarding for intent data and the predictive intelligence to activate data based on performance, time and market dynamics.
Can you give us a sneak peek of the upcoming product upgrades that your customers can look forward to?
Itoola: We are constantly innovating, and you will soon see us providing more in the areas of automated content trends, and additional sources of intent that are truly unique and disruptive in our market. Our ‘healthy data’ powers solutions that are designed to provide new digital experiences, to adapt in real-time to changing market dynamics and to provide an enhanced level of accuracy for Intent data across all global markets and industries. We look forward to sharing more with your readers as we roll out our newest data and technology enhancements in the near future.
What is that one area in which tech marketers must currently upskill themselves in?
Itoola: First, let me talk about what skills tech marketers don’t need to upskill themselves with when they partner with us – they won’t need to become data scientists or data engineers. The categories where Demand Science competes — including market and buyer intelligence and sales enablement SaaS solutions — are rapidly changing and getting more complex. Our goal is to eliminate the complexity that tech marketers face, knowing they are being inundated with ad hoc solutions for their tech stacks.
For example, our ability to leverage revenue intelligence for ‘guided next action’ is a disruptive game-changer in the business intelligence marketplace, as is being a one-stop-shop for predictive intent and healthy B2B data. So, instead of spending more of their limited time on aggregating data and trying to analyse it, we enable tech marketers to focus on upskilling their actionable marketing tactics, including leveraging content trends and improving ROI.
What is that one leadership motto you live by?
Itoola: ‘Never stop innovating.’
