The research covered a wide range of topics, such as company growth rates, revenue growth challenges, annual revenue planning process, revenue forecasting process, technology used, state of revenue intelligence program adoption, and Intelligent Revenue technologies.

However, the resulting data needed to be translated into something more accessible and actionable for their target audience.

PaperplaneCo produced a series of multi-channel assets that extended the research into content pieces that were effective for different stages of the customer journey.

These included:

• A social video
• An ebook
• A series of infographics
• Blog posts
• Mini-guides

SOCIAL VIDEO

Through these assets, Xactly established themselves as thought leaders in the industry, extended the reach of the research and provided valuable insights into the State of Revenue Intelligence.

The research methodology included a mix of qualitative interviews, quantitative surveys, and desktop secondary research. The goal was to gather qualitative data on the personas’ pain points, motivations, and decision-making processes, as well as quantitative data to validate and supplement the findings.

The research process provided valuable insights into the personas’ behaviours, preferences, and decision-making criteria, enabling Xactly to tailor their messaging, product offerings, and customer experience to better meet the needs of each persona. The resulting profiles were used to inform and guide product development, marketing strategies, and sales processes, leading to increased customer satisfaction and business growth.

Xactly’s investment in persona research was a success, providing a data-driven approach to understanding their target audience and allowing them to create more effective and targeted strategies for engaging with their customers.

Xactly turned to PaperplaneCo to reexamine their buyer personas and add fresh perspectives based on new buyer insights and market research. These personas would, in turn, support marketing, sales, and customer success initiatives at the company.

Our team used a combination of insights, including quantitative data provided by the client about its customers, market research done by our team, and qualitative interviews with members of Xactly’s target audience. 

To make interviews easier for Xactly’s busy customer success team, we created communications leading up to the interviews and discussion guides that were subsequently used by interviewers. The discussion guides helped to keep conversations on track so our team could get a deeper look at what was on current customers’ minds. Interviews covered a range of qualitative topics, including interviewees’ pain points, the things they love about their job, and their thoughts on B2B as a whole. 

Interviews with current customers as well as prospects not yet familiar with Xactly spanned a range of functions and helped us get a unique insight into the revenue and finance mindset.

Our team synthesised interview data and insights, then wrote and designed each in-depth persona document. The data from persona profiles was used to update marketing and sales collateral, based on new keywords and customer segments, helping Xactly to personalise their go-to-market strategies more effectively.