FIRST RESEARCH TOOLKIT A Guide for New Users

Transcription

1 FIRST RESEARCH TOOLKIT A Guide for New Users You now have complete access to a powerful set of Industry Intelligence Tools that will help you save time, enhance your credibility and gain the competitive edge to win more business. Welcome to First Research!

2 First Research is at your fingertips to help you save time, showcase your expertise and edge out the competition. getting started - first research CONTACT FIRST RESEARCH Toll-Free customerservice@firstresearch.com First Research and the First Research logo are trademarks of First Research. Copyright 2010 First Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

3 CONTENTS FIRST RESEARCH Industry Intelligence Essential Core Tools About First Research INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE TOOLS Industry Profiles Call Prep Sheets Industry Prospector Alerts State & Province Profiles GAIN THE ADVANTAGE IN EVERY STAGE OF THE SALES CYCLE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS SAMPLES Pre Call Planning Worksheet Prospect Letter getting started - first research 3

4 FIRST RESEARCH In order to win more deals, you must sell based on value, position at the right level and employ consultative selling, which means you must understand the customer s business problems and how your offering helps solve those problems. Sheryl Kingstone Director of Customer-Centric Strategies Yankee Group getting started - first research INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE Industry Intelligence Tools from First Research improve both your efficiency and effectiveness. Without adding hours to your workday, you can infuse sales calls, business meetings, presentations, proposals and outreach efforts with accurate, up-to-date industry information that demonstrates a thorough understanding of your potential and existing clients business challenges and opportunities. Industry Intelligence allows you to be strategic through every stage of the sales cycle. Instead of focusing on your products, you bring value to the table with industry insights that your prospects and clients can use to make more informed decisions and better meet their own goals. In doing so, it is easy to engage Business Decision Makers while positioning your products and services as solutions that address the industry and economic developments already impacting their business. 4 Contact Customer Service Return to Contents

5 ESSENTIAL CORE TOOLS As a First Research subscriber, you have ready access to: INDUSTRY PROFILES. Easy to read and updated monthly, Industry Profiles offer a guide to over 900 industry segments. These in-depth summaries are carefully organized and easily customizable, so current information about your target markets challenges, opportunities, critical industry statistics, issues and changes is always on hand. Click here to learn more about Industry Profiles. CALL PREP SHEETS. First Research Call Prep Sheets help you understand the issues before you pick up the telephone. These one-page industry overviews help you quickly tailor sales calls, gain confidence, streamline conversations and refine sales messages. Click here to learn more about Call Prep Sheets. INDUSTRY PROSPECTOR. Industry Prospector gives you the power to select and rank industries based on industry drivers and key economic metrics. Identify business opportunities and risks with ease. Click here to learn more about Industry Prospector. ALERTS. First Research Alerts automatically deliver at-a-glance insight directly to your in-box each quarter, keeping you abreast of critical issues, business trends and industry-specific changes affecting your clients. Click here to learn more about Alerts. STATE & PROVINCE PROFILES. First Research State & Province Profiles help you bring regional insight to prospects and clients. Updated monthly, they offer a concise view of shifting economic and business issues using state and province specific employment data, real estate insight, business news updates and Web resources. Click here to learn more about State & Province Profiles. ABOUT FIRST RESEARCH First Research is the leading provider of Industry Intelligence Tools that help sales and marketing teams perform faster and smarter, open doors and close more deals. First Research performs the heavy lifting by analyzing hundreds of sources to create insightful and easy to digest Industry Intelligence that can be consumed very quickly to better understand a prospect s or client s business issues. Customers include leading companies in banking, accounting, insurance, technology, telecommunications, business process outsourcing and professional services. First Research can benefit any organization that has prospects in multiple industries. First Research is a subsidiary of Hoover s Inc. For more information, visit getting started - first research Contact Customer Service Return to Contents 5

6 INDUSTRY PROFILES Whether I am targeting a specific company within an industry or the industry in general, I always start with First Research. The Industry Overview helps me understand company categories, general trends, major factors affecting the industry, business processes and issues. It s high-level enough that in about 10 minutes, I have enough situational knowledge to talk effectively with a company executive. Dave Christofaro Global Accounts Manager Sales Performance International 6 Industry intelligence tools Access the critcal industry information you need to win more business. Contact Customer Service FAST FACTS Covering Over 900 Industry Segments Continuously Updated Written from the Salesperson s Perspective Gain clarity and insight in just a few minutes by reading an Industry Overview. The Recent Developments chapter provides industry-specific news articles and economic indicators from the past 30 days as well as targeted insight into industry trends and events from the past three months to create a compelling and current look at an industry s latest news and trends. Business Challenges and Trends & Opportunities chapters deliver valuable awareness of your prospect s key vertical issues. Executive Insight presents specific talking points relevant to the CEO, CFO, CIO, HR professionals and Sales and Marketing Executives. Call Preparation Questions kick-start conversations and convey your understanding of an industry. Use them to engage prospects and clients in insightful discussions about their business issues. The Financial Information chapter offers financial and economic benchmarking information beneficial for assessing an industry s financial strength. Get an extended view of the projected growth of an industry with the Industry Forecast Rating. Web Links & Acronyms deliver news and industry associations along with clear definitions of the most frequently used industry acronyms, so you can speak a prospect s language from the start. Return to Contents

7 INDUSTRY PROFILE QUICK TIPS ACCESS AN INDUSTRY PROFILE Log in to First Research and you ll see a centralized search box that lets you search for Industry Profiles by key word, SIC code or NAICS code. Industry Profiles are also organized by the following sectors: Construction & Real Estate Finance & Insurance Food & Agriculture Healthcare Manufacturing Public Services, Education & Recreation Retail Services Technology & Communications Transportation, Energy & Storage Wholesale Select the specific industry you are targeting within those categories, click on the link and the individual Industry Profile you have chosen will open. You can also List All Profiles or view them Alphabetically and scroll to find the Industry Profile you need. QUICKLY FIND WHAT YOU NEED Click on the Chapter List in the upper left corner of an Industry Profile to jump directly to the chapter that you want to access. UNLIMITED DOWNLOADS Print, Cut and Paste or PDF an Industry Profile for offline use. Select Print-Friendly Version, PDF Version or Copy/Paste Version from the menu on the left-hand side of an Industry Profile. Then select ALL CHAPTERS for the complete Profile. Or add and remove individual chapters by checking the boxes beside chapter names to customize your Profile. industry intelligence tools VIEW RELATED PROFILES Lists of Related Profiles appear on Industry Profiles, State & Province Profiles as well as Call Prep Sheets. Just click on the link you want to learn more about and you ll jump to a related Industry Profile. First Research customers now have quick access to key company-specific data via a Hoover s search box on the First Research site. Gain company information and executive insight for your key prospects or clients. Contact Customer Service Return to Contents 7

8 CALL PREP SHEETS Call Prep Sheets have been very useful in providing call preparation questions and identifying key issues for particular industries. Libbie Lanier Small Business Banking Sales and Product Development Manager BB&T 8 Industry intelligence tools Contact Customer Service FAST FACTS One-Pager Executive Summary Easy to Print Linked to Every Industry Profile Helps You Understand Issues Before You Pick Up the Phone Use Call Prep Sheets to engage prospects and boost your confidence. Quickly get up to speed for sales calls with First Research Call Prep Sheets, a one-pager executive summary attached to every Industry Profile. Key Business Challenges and Business Opportunities outline critical industry topics, offering insight you can use to illustrate your understanding of a prospect s or client s business issues. Build your confidence, increase appointment-setting rates and kick-start engaging conversations using strategic industry-specific Call Prep Questions. Executive Talking Points highlight the key topics of interest to C-Level Executives. Use them to deliver the right information, to the right people at the right time. Fast Facts and Recent Developments work together to help you quickly establish credibility without wasting hours searching for the information you need. Return to Contents

9 CALL PREP SHEET QUICK TIPS ACCESS A CALL PREP SHEET Call Prep Sheets are located as a link below the Chapter List at the top left of every Industry Profile. Choose the Industry Profile you want and click on the VIEW CALL PREP SHEET button for a one-page executive summary of your prospect s business issues. NO TIME TO PREPARE? Grab a Call Prep Sheet on the way to a meeting and you re armed with a one-page industry overview, intelligent questions and the latest industry trends when you re in a hurry. The majority of our customers use First Research for call preparation and 72% of users note that First Research saves 30 minutes or more per call. IMPROVE YOUR CALL PLANNING PROCESS Incorporate Call Prep Sheets into the call planning process to ensure better prospect engagements and kick-start dynamic conversations about key industry trends and business issues affecting your clients. NEED MORE IN-DEPTH INFO? The More button on Call Prep Sheets takes you to related Industry Profile content. You can also jump to the full Industry Profile by clicking on the VIEW FULL INDUSTRY PROFILE link at the top of a Call Prep Sheet for more in-depth industry information. Industry intelligence tools Contact Customer Service Return to Contents 9

10 INDUSTRY PROSPECTOR Our research and experience has consistently demonstrated that preparation is one of the key components needed to achieve improved sales effectiveness, and we believe that First Research s industry intelligence can provide the foundation for that preparation. Jennifer Saunders Vice President of Marketing Huthwaite Industry intelligence tools Make decisions with ease using the Prospector drop down menus. FAST FACTS Analyzes industry data using four key drivers At-A-Glance industry ranking based on economic metrics Powered by data from national research firms, university think-tanks, and staff researchers Industry Prospector provides time-sensitive insight regarding key industry and economic developments. Use it to make decisions with ease and confidence. Simple industry ranking by critical accounting ratios, such as Return On Investment and Assets to Sales Lists industries by hiring trends, indicating growth and reducing your risk Discover new paths to market for your sales campaigns and business development 10 Contact Customer Service Return to Contents

11 ALERTS First Research Alerts eliminate time-consuming information searches and keep you up to date on critical issues, key business trends and industry-specific changes. Ata-glance summaries are delivered directly to your in-box quarterly, so you re prepared to quickly respond to clients, capture cross-sell opportunities and focus in on the industryspecific information you need without wading through information you can t use. Use Alerts to stay current and enhance your credibility. ALERT QUICK TIPS FAST FACTS At-A-Glance Industry Update Delivered to Your In-Box Quarterly Highlights Key Industry Changes You Choose the Industries You Want Sent When Your Select Industry Profiles are Updated SIGN UP FOR ALERTS Sign up for Alerts with just one click via the Add to my Alerts button, which appears at the top of every Industry Profile and Call Prep Sheet. Industry intelligence tools MANAGE ALERTS The dedicated Alerts Tab also makes it easy to manage Alerts. You can select specific Industry Alerts you would like to receive, add all or remove all with just one click and even sign up to receive an alert when State & Province Profiles are updated. AFTER THE SALE Use Alerts to stay apprised of and react to issues affecting your clients. By summarizing this current and concise industry information for clients, you ll further demonstrate your expertise and enhance client loyalty. 10 Contact Customer Service Return to Contents 11

12 STATE & PROVINCE PROFILES First Research offers compelling information that helps our team create powerful vertical messaging, making conversations more relevant and effectively engaging customers. Holly Stadler Director of US Inside Sales Operations Microsoft Corporation Industry intelligence tools Use State & Province Profiles to tailor your product and service offerings to meet a client s regional needs. FAST FACTS Overview of Regional, State and Province-Specific Information STATE & PROVINCE PROFILE QUICK TIPS Quarterly Employment, Real Estate and Business Trends Available for Each of the 50 U.S. States, the District of Columbia and 10 Canadian Provinces ACCESS A STATE & PROVINCE PROFILE Log-in to First Research, click on State & Province Profiles and you ll be directed to a click-through graphic map of the US and Canada. Simply click on the state or province for which you need information. PREDICT REGIONAL GROWTH Leverage regional real estate and hiring trends to anticipate subtle shifts in local economies. Updated Monthly. DEVELOP MARKETING CAMPAIGNS Use State & Province Profiles to mitigate risk and analyze regions for successful marketing campaigns and business development. FORECAST ROI BY TERRITORY Develop and penetrate sales territories with ease, using recent state and city industry events and analysis. 12 Contact Customer Service Return to Contents 11

13 GAIN THE ADVANTAGE THROUGH EVERY STAGE OF THE SALES CYCLE Customer Retention End of Sales Cycle Middle of Sales Cycle Beginning of Sales Cycle Marketing first research - FAQ Marketing: Infuse your marketing and communications efforts with meaningful, industryspecific information that speaks to your clients. Beginning of Sales Cycle: Shorten the research process, cut time spent on pre-call planning and craft clientfocused introduction letters and follow-up s that communicate the targeted business understanding necessary to engage key prospects. View Sample Pre Call Worksheet View Sample Prospect Letter Middle of Sales Cycle: Gain credibility with accurate, up-to-date industry information that demonstrates a thorough understanding of your prospect s or client s unique business challenges. End of Sales Cycle: Enhance communications and stand out from the competition with client-centric presentations and proposals using meaningful content specific to their industry. Customer Retention: Maintain meaningful contact and identify cross-sell opportunities with clients by staying on top of critical issues, key trends and industry-specific changes. 12 Contact Customer Service Return to Contents 13

14 Frequently Asked Questions first research - FAQ Q: HOW DO I LOG IN AND ACCESS FIRST RESEARCH? A: To access First Research Industry Intelligence Tools, visit and click on the Subscriber LOGIN BUTTON at the top right-hand corner of the homepage. Enter your username (typically your address) and password on the First Reseach Log in page. OR Contact your First Research Representative for customized log in instructions specific to your company. Q: HOW DO I FIND INDUSTRY PROFILES? A: Log in to First Research and you ll be directed immediately to a centralized search box that lets you search for Industry Intelligence by key word, SIC code or NAICS code. Industry Profiles are also organized by sectors. Click on a Sector Heading (e.g. Construction & Real Estate or Manufacturing), select the specific industry you are targeting within that category, click on the link and the individual Industry Profile you have chosen will open. first research - FAQ *You may also List All Profiles or View Profiles Alphabetically and scroll to find the Industry Profile you need. Q: IS THERE COMPANY INFORMATION IN FIRST RESEARCH? A: No, First Research focuses on Industry Intelligence, which reveals the trends, challenges, and opportunities within businesses in selected fields. Though there will be business specific information found in the RECENT DEVELOPMENTS section of a profile, the tool s scope is focused on industry data. NOTE: There is a link to Hoover s within every First Research Industry Profile. Once at Hoover s, you can search for specific company information. Q: WHAT S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST RESEARCH STAND-ALONE AND THE HOOVER S INTEGRATED PRODUCT? A: The First Research Stand-alone product has more features than the integrated product. The Stand-alone product includes Alerts, State & Province Profiles, Mobile Access, PDF, Print, and Copy/Paste versions, Archived Industry and State Profiles, and Industry Prospector. The integrated product offers the Industry Profile only. For more information, please visit 14 Contact Customer Service Return to Contents 13

15 Q: HOW DO I ACCESS CALL PREP SHEETS? A: Call Prep Sheets are available to First Research subscribers for every Industry Profile. Choose the Industry Profile that corresponds with the industry you are researching and click on the CALL PREP SHEET button located at the bottom of the Chapter List for a one-page executive summary of your prospect s or client s current business issues. Q: HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR ALERTS? A: Sign up for Alerts with just one click via the Add to my Alerts button, which appears at the top of every Industry Profile and Call Prep Sheet. The dedicated Alerts Tab also makes it easy to manage Alerts. You can select specific Industry Alerts you would like to receive, add all or remove all with just one click and even sign up to receive an alert when State & Province Profiles are updated. Q: HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR MOBILE ACCESS FOR MY CELL PHONE? A: Mobile Access is now available to all First Research users, so you can access Industry Intelligence whenever you need it. Simply log in to First Research and click on Mobile Access to sign up and receive select First Research content via your PDA, whether you are using a BlackBerry, a Palm or Windows PDA, or even a web-enabled cell phone for one year. You will be asked to reconfirm your Mobile Access after one year. Q: HOW DO I FIND REGIONAL INFORMATION AND DATA FOR MAJOR CITIES? A: Log in to First Research, click on STATE & PROVINCE PROFILES tab and you ll be directed to a click-through graphic map of the US and Canada. Simply click on the state or province for which you need regional information. first research - FAQ Q: IS IT POSSIBLE TO SEE ARCHIVED INDUSTRY PROFILES FROM PREVIOUS YEARS? A: Yes, let your First Research Representative know and you can have ARCHIVED PROFILES available for viewing on the homepage, under the TOOLS & RESOURCES section. Q: WHAT ARE SIC AND NAICS CODES TABS WITHIN THE INDUSTRY PROFILES SEARCH BOX? A: SIC stands for Standard Industry Classification, and NAICS mean North American Industry Classification System. Both code systems were created by the government to classify businesses into industries. Hence, you can input either type of code and it will map you to an Industry Profile. The SIC & NAICS codes are listed at the top of every Industry Profile. Q: HOW CAN I KEEP UP WITH CHANGES AND UPDATES? A: Always check the log in splash page for news, events and information to stay up to date with all that First Research has to offer. And be sure to sign up for the First Research Advisor, our quarterly customer newsletter, which is designed to keep you up-to-date on all of the enhancements made to First Research. With each issue of the First Research Advisor, you will learn about the newest Industry Profiles, best practices, economic update, companies using First Research, latest and greatest enhancements, company news and upcoming events. You can also view archived versions of the Advisor under TOOLS & RESOURCES. 16 Contact Customer Service Return to Contents 15

16 Q: HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR THE FIRST RESEARCH ADVISOR (NEWSLETTER)? A: Log in to First Research, click on FIRST RESEARCH ADVISOR in the TOOLS & RESOURCES menu and enter your address under FIRST RESEARCH NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP to receive this helpful e-publication. Not sure if you re interested? You can view archived issues of the First Research Advisor on the same page before subscribing. Q: HOW ARE HOOVER S AND FIRST RESEARCH CONNECTED? A: Hoover s acquired First Research in Hoover s is the world leader in business intelligence; company specific information and added First Research to provide powerful industry intelligence to fortify business prospecting, retention, and overall relationship management tools. You can buy First Research as stand-alone separate from Hoover s or purchase the bundled product of both Hoover s and First Research. Q: WHERE CAN I FIND BEST PRACTICES FOR USING FIRST RESEARCH? A: Log in to First Research, click on TRAINING TOOLS in the TOOLS & RESOURCES menu and select TIPS AND BEST PRACTICES. You will be directed to a series of best practice tips to ensure that First Research keeps working for you. And, don t forget to sign up for the First Research Advisor, which features a Best Practices department in every issue. first research - FAQ Q: HOW DO I PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR INDUSTRY PROFILES AND OTHER FIRST RESEARCH TOOLS? A: Your comments are vital as they help us better serve you and even exceed your expectations. Feel free to contact your First Research Representative directly or call Customer Care toll free at You may also submit comments online. Log in to First Research, click on CONTACT US in the top menu to offer input or ask questions. In addition, there is a link on the left-hand side of every First Research Industry Profile to provide feedback. Click on GOT FEEDBACK to be directed to a short form in which you can type your comments. Q: WHERE CAN I FIND OPEN TRAINING SESSIONS? A: You can access open, recorded training sessions here: Q: HOW DO I CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE? A: There are several ways to contact us: Call toll-free and select Customer Service from the voice menu. customerservice@firstresearch.com Online simply log in to First Research, click on CONTACT US from the top menu, and input your question or comment and you will receive a prompt response. 16 Contact Customer Service Return to Contents 17

17 Sample Pre Call Planning Worksheet Easily prepare for a call by organizing your research into a quick reference sheet. By having this information in front of you during a call, you will stay focused and ask the pertinent questions that will set you apart from the competition. first research - SAMPLES 18 Contact Customer Service Return to Contents 17

18 Sample Prospect Letter Enhance your prospect communication by infusing First Research Industry Intelligence into prospect letters to reveal how your solutions can help your prospects address their current business challenges. first research - SAMPLES 18 Contact Customer Service Return to Contents 19