B2B teams lose money with bad data. Bounce rates rise; reps spend unnecessary hours trying to reach non-existent or incorrect contacts; and inaccurate contact information can skew an organization’s pipeline forecasting as well as cost a significant amount of money.
Data intelligence and lead enrichment solutions address these issues by providing high quality (firmographic, technographic, etc.) and accurate contact data that can fill the holes that exist in your current contact record databases.
The below list identifies some of the top solutions for B2B data intelligence and lead enrichment along with identifying the strengths of each solution and how to determine which is right for your organization.
What These Systems Really Do
Data intelligence systems deliver the raw materials: business information on companies, including their names, contacts, industry types, sizes, revenues, locations, technology stacks, and the key decision maker. The lead enrichment process takes a limited piece of information (such as an e-mail address or company name) and adds to it additional pieces of information that were previously missing.
The best tools combine both with verification, so the data is checked rather than just collected. Many also add intent signals, which show which accounts are actively researching solutions like yours.
1. BizProspex
BizProspex is a B2B data service provider. The primary focus of BizProspex is to provide verified contact and company data for sales and marketing teams. It suits organizations that want targeted, segmented lists and enrichment services without a heavy enterprise platform contract. Its appeal lies in a service-oriented approach. Instead of leaving teams to self-serve through a giant database, BizProspex emphasizes building and cleaning data around a specific ideal customer profile (ICP).
Therefore, the best suited business type would be mid-sized B2B businesses requiring highly targeted lists based upon industry, job title, geography or company size; as well as marketing departments that run account-based or email campaigns where deliverability matters; as well as sales departments whose CRM records have gone stale or are missing key information which needs enrichment and cleansing; and agencies that require reliable data for multiple client campaigns. The main strengths of this data service include verification of data, customizable segmentation options, and flexibility in how data is delivered. As you do with all providers, request sample data from BizProspex prior to committing to their services, and also inquire regarding their verification methods, frequency of refreshes, etc.
2. ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo is the best-known provider of B2B intelligence. They offer a very large and comprehensive database of company and contact records, org charts, technographics and intent data. Additionally they provide sales engagement and workflow tools.
Best for: Larger sales organizations looking for one stop shop solutions and have budgets to support this.
To consider: It is on the higher end of price points and the contract terms are often rigid. Therefore smaller teams would likely not utilize a majority of the feature sets and therefore would not be able to justify the costs.
3. Apollo.io
Apollo has a searchable contact list along with sequence and dialer outreach capabilities. Because of its affordable pricing, easy access and low barrier to entry, Apollo has become a favorite among many startups and lean sales teams.
Good for: Sales teams (small to medium size) looking to do prospecting and/or outreach from within a single tool.
To consider: The quality of data in regards to regions/segments may vary; thus, verify data quality before running a large campaign.
4. Cognism
Cognism is known for its phone-verified mobile numbers and has good coverage in Europe. They also have good compliance with GDPR and other local data protection laws, including do-not-call list screening.
Ideal for: Companies who primarily sell into EMEA regions (Europe/Middle East/Africa), or companies that rely on a high volume of outbound calls.
To consider: Because they are positioned towards midmarket and enterprise clients, the cost could be too high for an extremely small team.
5. Clearbit (Currently an Enrichment Layer by HubSpot)
HubSpot uses Clearbit to provide Breeze Intelligence with an enrichment layer. Real-time lead enriching, including adding company information when a user completes a form submission, and identifying visitors are two of its key strengths.
Best for: Companies that currently use HubSpot and would like the ability to easily add enrichment data into their CRM.
Consider: The value proposition for companies using HubSpot will be most effective. Companies utilizing another CRM system may wish to review all integration possibilities before purchasing this product.
6. Lusha
Lusha is a minimalistic solution to find email addresses and phone numbers in your browser while you browse LinkedIn or company website pages via a browser extension.
Best for: Small groups of representatives and individual representatives that require the quick retrieval of contact information.
Consider: Bulk list creation and/or deep understanding of accounts are limited abilities for Lusha.
7. Dun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet is a well-established authority for all types of company level data, including D-U-N-S numbers (company identifiers), corporate hierarchy, and risk/credit assessments.
Best for: Companies that have need for master data management, account hierarchy, or compliance/risk assessment in addition to sales data.
Consider: Stronger on company level data than individual contact detail; typically sold as an enterprise purchase.
8. Seamless.AI
Seamless.AI utilizes real-time search to provide prospecting contact information on demand. Their goal is to offer fresher contact data than traditional static databases.
Best for: Teams who are involved in outbound activities and would like to quickly build their prospect list.
Consider: Like other real-time tools, you will need to periodically spot-check accuracy and email deliverability.
What to Consider When Selecting a B2B Data Platform
Determine your ideal customer profile (ICP) first. If you don’t understand who you want to target, no platform will be able to help. Identify the industry types, company size ranges, job title names, and geographic locations prior to researching potential vendors.
Test your data quality using your existing records. Ask for a sample of their data; test them on one of your lists that you are familiar with. Evaluate their email bounces, name/title accuracy, and phone number accuracy.
Evaluate the integration capabilities. Most value is added by enrichment, when it is fed directly into your CRM and/or marketing automation tools. Verify whether they offer native integrations or simply API access.
Prioritize compliance. Ensure the vendor complies with GDPR, CCPA, and other local laws regarding data source, opt-out processes, etc.
Select a provider whose model matches your internal team. A self-service platform makes sense for organizations with internal data operations. Service-oriented providers such as BizProspex will build and clean data to meet your specific requirements.
Total cost. Compare the costs associated with a credit system, seat license(s), and contract terms, not just the headline price, in evaluating which solution is best for your organization.
Final Thoughts
No single solution will be the best fit for every team. Enterprise sales organizations typically prefer using either ZoomInfo or D&B; HubSpot users tend to prefer using Clearbit; EMEA-based teams prefer Cognism; and, in general, most small-budgeted startups will gravitate toward Apollo or Lusha.
If you are looking for verified ICP-specific data and enrichment options that allow for a manual (hands-on) process, then BizProspex would likely be the first place to start when evaluating solutions.
Regardless of which one you ultimately decide to utilize, test it out with a pilot, track its success, and continually assess if this still aligns with the evolving needs of your organization. Accurate data compounds: better targeting leads to better engagement, and better engagement leads to a healthier pipeline.
