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Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly popular for identifying potential customers, prospect qualification, conducting research, sales automation, and more. ZoomInfo Copilot is one of the products by the ZoomInfo company that helps revenue teams discover and manage sales opportunities through AI.
According to ZoomInfo, Copilot is an AI solution that leverages buyer intent, company and contact data, and other signals to assist sales teams in identifying those prospects who are easier to engage. (zoominfo.com)
What Is ZoomInfo Copilot?
ZoomInfo Copilot is a part of the ZoomInfo sales intelligence ecosystem and is created to assist sales professionals in moving from manual prospect discovery to signal-based prospecting.
The AI-powered solution helps discover signals and prospects.
The goal of ZoomInfo Copilot is to prioritize potential customers for sales teams based on the signals they discovered.
How ZoomInfo Copilot Works
ZoomInfo Copilot leverages different signals to help sales professionals understand which prospects might be interesting for them.
Such signals include:
- Buyer intent
- Company data
- Contact data
- Website activity
- Technographic data
- Business change
- Engagement signals
As ZoomInfo states, Copilot helps sellers discover prospects with relevant signals and take actions with regard to them during the sales process. (zoominfo.com)
AI for Sales Prospecting
Conventionally, prospecting means manual research of companies, identifying the relevant decision makers, and analyzing whether accounts are potentially interested in buying something.
However, the application of AI helps to eliminate manual effort and analyze the discovered signals in order to prioritize prospects.
For instance, a sales team can leverage intent and company data to discover companies that seem to research a specific category.
Then, the salesperson analyzes the data and decides whether to approach the account.
ZoomInfo Copilot vs Traditional Sales Intelligence
| Feature | ZoomInfo Copilot | Traditional Sales Intelligence |
| Data Insights | AI-powered insights | Manual research |
| Lead Identification | Automated | Mostly manual |
| Workflow | Integrated | Often separate tools |
| Personalization | AI-assisted | Limited |
| Speed | Faster prospecting | More time-consuming |
| Best For | Modern sales teams | Basic sales research |
Buyer Intent Data
Buyer intent is one of the key terms in the contemporary sales process in the B2B space.
Intent data is used to recognize companies with interest in certain subject matters, products, or solutions.
By combining account and contact information, intent signals may help salespeople prioritize reaching out to prospects.
Still, buyer intent is supposed to be considered an indicator rather than confirmation that the company is ready to buy. The reason for researching the topic may be diverse.
Account Prioritization
A huge sales team may potentially have thousands of accounts. The sales representatives can’t research each potential prospect equally well.
With Copilot, the goal is to recognize accounts that may require some extra attention because of the signals they generate.
It will help sales reps concentrate on what is relevant to their target accounts.
Contact Discovery of ZoomInfo Copilot
Identifying the right person in the company is yet another challenge during the prospecting phase in B2B sales.
ZoomInfo gives sales teams access to business contacts and company information that may help them recognize key decision-makers.
It is still recommended to verify the information prior to any outreach since business roles, contacts, and even the company structure can change.
AI-Powered Recommendations
Another benefit of using sales intelligence assisted by AI is fast analysis of large amounts of information that sales reps would be unable to do manually.
Recommendations can help sales representatives to recognize accounts or contacts that may need more attention.
The responsibility of evaluating the recommendation and recognizing whether the prospect is indeed relevant stays with the sales rep.
Benefits of ZoomInfo Copilot
There are several goals that an AI-based sales-intelligence platform can help businesses achieve.
Faster Prospect Research
Automated analysis of information can help reduce the research time for accounts.
Better Prioritization
Sales teams can prioritize prospects depending on the signals they send.
Relevant Outreach
It becomes possible to make the outreach more relevant since the prospect’s business and interests become clear.
Improved Sales Productivity
Time spent on unnecessary research can be saved and spent on relationship-building and qualified accounts instead.
ZoomInfo Copilot and CRM Workflows
Integrating sales intelligence into existing workflows makes it more efficient.
Integration with CRM systems helps sales teams unite prospect research with account management, lead tracking, sales activity tracking, and reporting.
The specific benefits an organization can gain from ZoomInfo integration depend on its subscription plan and technical infrastructure.
Responsible Use of Data and Privacy
Since sales intelligence software stores business and contact data, it is necessary to pay attention to its responsible use.
It means that organizations should know:
- What data is collected,
- Where it comes from,
- When it is updated,
- Compliance requirements,
- Where it is stored,
- Access to it,
- Outreach practices.
All privacy, marketing, and communication regulations should be followed in case contact information is used for prospecting.
ZoomInfo Copilot Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| AI-powered sales insights | Can be expensive for small businesses |
| Helps identify qualified prospects | Learning curve for new users |
| Automates sales research | Some features may require higher-tier plans. |
| Improves sales team productivity | Data accuracy can vary by industry. |
| Supports personalized outreach | Requires ongoing data management |
Is ZoomInfo Copilot Useful for Small Businesses?
Usefulness of the sales intelligence platform depends on the sales process, target audience, and budget.
Small organizations with a clearly defined B2B target market will benefit from a sales intelligence platform if sales reps conduct lots of prospect research.
However, businesses with a very narrow target market will not need the platform because manual research is sufficient for them.
It is necessary to compare the platform features and cost and how much prospecting can be reduced.
ZoomInfo Copilot vs. Manual Prospect Research
Typically, traditional prospect research involves manual investigation of company websites, social networks, directories, press releases, etc.
With AI-assisted prospect research, it is possible to integrate additional data and signals into the workflow.
AI-assisted prospect research does not always mean replacement of salespeople. It enables salespeople to focus on research and reduces repetitive activities.
The role of human judgment in qualification, messaging, relationship building, and closing is very important.
Best Practices for Using AI Sales Tools
Here are several recommendations for getting the most out of AI sales technology.
Determine the Ideal Customer Profile
It is important to determine the industries, company sizes, locations, technologies, and characteristics of the companies that can become ideal prospects.
Verify the Information
All information generates by AI and AI recommendations should verify before uses for outreach.
Personalize Outreach
General messages should not sent to all the prospects. Business context is very important.
Measure Results
Monitor important metrics such as:
- qualified opportunities,
- scheduled meetings,
- conversion rate,
- pipeline generation,
- sales cycle time,
- revenue.
Maintain Well-Organized Data
Organized data in CRM and sales process allow teams to get more benefit from sales intelligence.
FAQs
What is ZoomInfo Copilot?
ZoomInfo Copilot is a product based on artificial intelligence designed for revenue teams to uncover prospects, analyze buying signals, and prioritize sales opportunities. (zoominfo.com)
What does ZoomInfo Copilot use?
ZoomInfo states that Copilot employs buying signals, company data, and contacts to assist sales teams in detecting sales opportunities. (zoominfo.com)
Can ZoomInfo Copilot be used for prospecting?
Yes. Copilot is design for prospect finding, account prioritization, and sales research.
Is buyer intent the guarantee of purchase?
No. Buyer intent is just a sign of interest but not a guarantee that a certain prospect will buy the product.
Conclusion
ZoomInfo Copilot combines artificial intelligence, sales intelligence, buyer intent, company information, and contact data to assist revenue teams in uncovering and prioritizing sales opportunities. (zoominfo.com)
The major feature of the product is the ability to automate manual research of prospects and focus salespeople’s attention on relevant accounts. But companies should implement AI recommendations along with a well-functioning CRM process, proper data management, and KPIs. For companies evaluating ZoomInfo Copilot, the right decision will depend on target market, sales volume, existing technologies, budget, and automation needs.
