In B2B marketing and sales, data is the fuel that drives growth. But what happens when your contact data becomes invalid? With professionals frequently changing roles and companies, it’s common for contact details to become outdated. In fact, studies show that nearly 30% of B2B contact data goes bad every year, which can lead to wasted marketing efforts and missed sales opportunities.
Instead of discarding this “unusable” data, it can still provide immense value. Here’s how you can turn invalid contact data into an asset:
1. Replenish Invalid Contacts with Like-for-Like Replacements
When a contact leaves a company, it’s a signal that you should replace them with someone in a similar role at the same organization. This is crucial, as organizations often continue to have the same needs and budgets, regardless of personnel changes. Sales and marketing teams should collaborate to ensure they are replenishing these contacts quickly. Tools like data enrichment platforms can help identify and verify new decision-makers, ensuring continuity in your outreach.
2. Track and Trace Contacts to New Organizations
When a valued contact moves to a new organization, this opens the door to new opportunities. Tracking their career movements allows you to build relationships with both the original and new companies. These transitions can turn into goldmines, as the contact already knows and trusts your brand. According to LinkedIn, 87% of B2B buyers say they would prefer to work with a company they’ve had a positive experience with before. Keeping in touch with your contacts as they shift roles ensures you maintain that trust.
3. The Benefits of Staying in Touch
Maintaining relationships with contacts as they move from one organization to another offers numerous advantages:
- New Leads: A contact’s new company may have different pain points or budgets, providing fresh sales opportunities.
- Credibility Transfer: When a decision-maker familiar with your product moves to another company, they often advocate for you within their new organization, making it easier to close deals.
- Competitive Edge: Competitors might miss out on these transitions, giving you an edge if you’re proactive in tracking and updating contact data.
Final Thoughts
Invalid B2B data doesn’t have to be a dead end. By focusing on replenishing lost contacts and tracking their career journeys, you can maintain a steady pipeline of opportunities. As 65% of B2B marketers say generating traffic and leads is their top challenge, harnessing the power of “invalid” data can keep your pipeline thriving in a dynamic business environment.
Don’t let invalid data become a liability—turn it into a tool for long-term success.
