Sales Intelligence 101: Using AI and Networking to Target Ideal Customers

Two Tall Guys Talking Sales

Welcome to another compelling episode of Two Tall Guys Talking Sales with hosts Kevin Lawson and Sean O'Shaughnessey! Kevin and Sean dive deep into a central challenge for sales teams: identifying ideal customers and building a robust prospect list. In this episode, they uncover practical strategies, share indispensable tools, and illustrate how a strong grasp of your customer can turn prospects into loyal clients. Whether you’re part of a lean sales team or managing large territories, this episode is loaded with insights to help you grow.

Key Topics Discussed

• Building Your Prospect List (approx. 2:00): Kevin introduces the concept of creating an ideal prospect list and breaks down the importance of strategic targeting beyond mere proximity or broad industry fit.

• Activating and Leveraging Networks (approx. 3:00): Both hosts discuss the value of networking to uncover warm referrals, emphasizing the need to build a customized, one-to-one outreach strategy.

• Effective Tools for Targeting Customers (approx. 4:45): Sean and Kevin highlight essential tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, KnowledgeNet, and AI-powered tools like Perplexity to streamline the process of finding and qualifying leads.

• Understanding the Customer’s Goals and Structure (approx. 7:20): Sean shares a story about understanding internal company dynamics and how knowing a prospect’s structure and goals helps in creating value-oriented solutions.

• Actionable Research Insights (approx. 10:15): The duo dives into practical research techniques to understand client organizations and stakeholders, stressing that informed sellers are empowered sellers.

Key Quotes

• Kevin: “To build a good prospect list, it doesn’t have to mean endless hours on Google or hundreds of cold calls. With the right tools, you can have a list ready before lunch.” (approx. 5:55)

• Sean: “Your job isn’t just to sell a product; it’s to solve a problem. When you start with that goal, the sale becomes almost inevitable.” (approx. 14:40)

• Kevin: “Whether you’re a team of one or a team of five, using the tools at hand to maximize your reach and impact makes you competitive.” (approx. 13:00)

Additional Resources

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator

• KnowledgeNet

• Perplexity.ai

A Significant Actionable Item from this Podcast

Leverage AI-powered tools to gain deeper insights into target companies and individuals before engaging in outreach. By using resources like Perplexity to understand a client’s structure, goals, and decision-making processes, salespeople can craft highly personalized solutions that add immediate value. In the episode, Sean challenged people to use Perplexity to research his fellow co-host, Kevin Lawson. Here is that Perplexity search: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/can-you-help-me-with-informati-Hdjvd9OgQTWFXrODrlhHnQ

In this episode, Kevin and Sean clarify that sales is about more than products—it’s about partnerships. Discover how to empower yourself with the right tools, refine your approach to prospecting, and bring authentic value to each client. Tune in to Two Tall Guys Talking Sales for actionable strategies to transform how you engage, connect, and close.

To understand if your company is doing a great job in sales, take this quick and easy 10-question assessment: https://salesxceleration.com/sales-agility-assessment/?locationid=28995327 You can reach out to Kevin at Lighthouse Sales Advisors & Sales Xceleration - [e-mail] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwlawson/ You can reach out to Sean at New Sales Expert, LLC & Sales Xceleration - [e-mail] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/soshaughnessey/