Ask the market research experts: Ian Moyse, EMEA sales director at Natterbox

Our latest interview as part of our Ask the market research experts we have spoken to Ian Moyse, EMEA sales director at Natterbox. I was keen to talk to Ian as it isn’t just PR and marketing teams that can benefit from research. It is an extremely powerful tool for sales professionals.

Alongside his role at Natterbox, Ian is also on the board for the Cloud Industry Forum and FAST.

Arlington Research: What annoys you when you see some pieces of research being quoted by companies?
Ian Moyse: Too often a statistic or research data point in isolation is used to prove a point. It frustrates me when I can quickly find 10 data points proving the contrast, but that this one point has been used as it suits the frame of the story.  Try to cite several varying data points and certainly provide a source to the data, ideally a link back to the source material.  It is also good to frame the research with some personal validations, perhaps a real-world customer comment.  Too often research or statistics do not cite the method utilised, for example a personal bug bear of mine is where a statistic is quoted such as an average; ‘which average’ is the default question those who know me expect to hear.  Take an average of 63 stated, is that the mean average everyone assumes or is it the median or modal average, all of which demonstrate very different data behind this average!

Arlington Research: How do sales teams use research in your experience?
Ian Moyse: In my experience and view of Sales in general there is a lack of understanding of this part of modern selling. Social Selling is a key tool in the sales kitbag today and this involves a methodology combining ‘Find, Connect, Listen, Share and Engage’.

I too often get approached cold on Linkedin where I factually know they have not done any research.

Much of this can be blamed on a lack of training, training that Social Selling is not a tool, but a methodology, a process of doing things to gain the desired outcome. Too many have attended Linked in Navigator training and simply use their old cold call or email approaches on social media, A random blast and hope approach. We are past this, the buyer dynamic has changed and so has to the seller approach.

I recommend start by reading ‘Social Selling’ by Tim Hughes to open the eyes to the methodology not tool aspect of Social Selling.

Arlington Research: How do you use research in your role? 
Ian Moyse: I operate in  B2B environment and going into any new prospective customer whether prior engagement and trying to open that door or during engagement requires research at all stages.  What is the business, where are they at (have they just announced acquisitions or cuts, what is their Boards goal for the year ahead, what is their organisations Mission and culture) who are the people you need to engage, how long have they been there, where were they previously, what are their goals? …. And the questions go on…..

In the ‘olden times’ you would simply have to turn up and ask the customer most of this, ‘tell me about you’… We live in different times, where that open question would sound crass! Why have you not checked the website at least?  You might have read their corporate brochure in reception in those times, checked the persons office walls for clues of pictures of hobbies for connection etc.

Today it’s usually all out there. Their company website, Linkedin, other social platforms, articles about the company, blogs, interviews with people from their organisation, perhaps with the person you are trying to engage or whom are meeting themselves.  There is a plethora of easy research to do if you are open to it.

Arlington Research: Who is the most famous person you have met through work? 
Ian Moyse: Marc Benioff, founder and CEO of Salesforce only a few weeks before you asked me this question in fact.  I was at an event where their were quite a few famous faces, some Hollywood A listers and it is always interesting to see how famous people interact with the general public and requests for todays default ‘selfie’. Witnessing a variety of reactions that evening from very welcoming to totally rude from one A lister to numerous fans, just excited to see them it was great to see that Marc Benioff, the most successful financially of all present was so friendly and approachable welcoming a selfie and leaving us feeling energised and positive, not put down and disappointed as we witnessed of others being sent away from their requests of other famous people present.

Arlington Research: Who do you think people should follow/look out for/learn from because they always share interesting information?
Ian Moyse: From a Sales perspective there are a variety I recommend following for good modern Sales insights of varying aspects, all of which by dipping in occasionally to their content will bring you marginal gains and new ideas;

APS – @AssocProfSales
ISM – @ISMprofessional
Top Sales World – @TopSalesWorld
Joanne Black – @ReferralSales
Daniel Disney – @thedandisney
Tim Hughes – @Timothy_Hughes
Tamara Schenk – @tamaraschenk
Mark Hunter  – @TheSalesHunter

If you enjoyed this interview why not read the others in the series:

Tim Camero-Kitchen, author of How to get to the top of Google
JakePryszlak, The Research Geek
Theo Priestly, CMO at WFS Technologies