Automation and seamless deployment models have enabled this new wave of procurement, and effective sales motions must embrace this dynamic and evolve to provide value to buyers across the modern path to purchase. The roles of the seller in this inherently more buyer-led journey needs to shift from proactive engagement and explicit orator of value proposition to responsive enabler and implicit buyer-assist. When a prospect (or current customer) interfaces with the platform itself far more frequently than with a human being, understanding the needs of the buyer necessitates “listening” to the data produced as the user engages with the solution. A new and burgeoning category has emerged comprising businesses focused on not fighting, but supporting this shift, and strategically software-enabling these modern sellers to be better listeners. We believe this is one of the more pronounced changes in the buying motion over the last decade, and platforms that empower sellers to adapt and transition with the times in an elegant way will garner widespread adoption over the coming years. Contextual Insights Every company leverages some tool or vendor for sales data. Most use ZoomInfo – often in combination with other data providers – to supplement an email address with a variety of salient and not-so-salient data points that help piece together the puzzle of who the person on the other end of the email/phone call is. Data in a silo can be tactically helpful, but arming reps with the most pertinent context to ensure every interaction with a prospect is engaging and productive is highly strategic. Delivering these insights in the most digestible way, to the right individual, at the right time, without disrupting their existing workflow is as important as the information itself. Any tool that introduces friction or creates overhead for end users will struggle to garner adoption. As the amount of data available continues to explode, being able to sift through the noise and surface the right piece of information in the context of the situation is tremendously impactful. The vendors in this segment that we believe are paving the way for a new type of truly engaging experience are positioned as much more than data providers, but rather thought partners to your GTM team. One of only two shameless portfolio company plugs in this series goes here to Cognism, a global leader in sales intelligence, providing businesses with data, tools to action the data and the contextual insights required to provide sellers with the best chance at having a great conversation. This focused, outcomes-based approach has catalyzed the business to grow over 10x in less than three years and will push them past $100M ARR in the near future. Context is queen, and the queen is valuable. - 9 -