If you’re in B2B sales and tired of guessing what your competitors are up to, you’re not alone. Chasing rumors and gut feelings gets old fast. You want real data: who’s buying what, which companies are serious, and where your pitch can actually win. That’s where a tool like Hginsights comes in. But here’s the thing—these tools aren’t magic. They can surface gold, but only if you know how to use them and ignore the hype.
This guide cuts through the noise. I’ll show you how to get actual competitive intelligence from Hginsights, what’s worth your time, what’s just dashboard fluff, and how to make it actionable for sales.
Step 1: Get Clear on What “Competitive Intelligence” Actually Means
Before you even log in, you need a reality check.
Competitive intelligence isn’t about spying on your rivals’ Slack channels or uncovering secret product roadmaps. In B2B sales, it usually means:
- Knowing which companies use your competitors’ products
- Understanding their tech stack, buying cycles, and budgets
- Spotting accounts that are likely to switch (or at least listen to you)
Forget the James Bond stuff. The real edge is knowing who’s in-market, who’s dissatisfied, and where your pitch fits. Hginsights is built to surface this kind of info—if you ask the right questions.
Step 2: Use Hginsights to Map Out the Competitive Landscape
Once you’ve got your login, don’t just click around hoping for inspiration. Go in with a plan.
Here’s what’s actually useful:
- Installed Technology Data: See what software and hardware a company is already using. Want to pitch your CRM? Find companies still running on your competitor’s 2015 version.
- Intent Signals: Look for companies researching your category or competitors. This is noisy, but useful if you layer it with other data.
- IT Spend Estimates: Gives you a rough idea who has budget and who’s just window shopping.
- Geographic and Firmographic Filters: Slice by region, size, or industry—so you’re not chasing dead ends.
Skip: - Vanity metrics (like “most active” lists that don’t tie to your target market) - Vague trend graphs that look impressive but don’t help you prioritize
Pro tip: Don’t try to boil the ocean. Focus on a shortlist of competitor products that actually block your sales.
Step 3: Build a Target List That Doesn’t Waste Your Time
Here’s where most people get distracted. Hginsights will show you thousands of companies—you only need a handful of the right ones.
How to narrow it down: - Start with accounts using your top competitor’s product - Filter by company size or region that matches your ideal customer profile - Apply intent filters if available (but take these with a grain of salt—intent data is often messy)
Example:
If you sell a cloud security solution, filter for companies using an older rival, with a recent spike in cloud security research, and 500+ employees in North America. That’s a real list you can work.
Ignore: - Companies with no buying signal, even if they “fit the profile” - Accounts so big you’re never getting in the door (unless you’ve got a killer intro)
Pro tip: Export small batches to your CRM. Don’t dump a thousand “maybe” accounts into your pipeline—it’ll kill your focus.
Step 4: Dig Into Account-Level Insights (and Spot Weaknesses)
Now you’ve got a list, it’s time to actually learn something.
What to look for: - Tech stack overlaps: Are they using both your tool and a competitor? That might mean they’re unhappy, or at least open to consolidating. - Recent tech changes: Did they just rip out a competitor? Maybe they’re open to new solutions—or maybe they just signed a 3-year deal elsewhere. - Spending patterns: If the IT spend is trending up, they might be modernizing. If it’s flat, budgets are tight and a hard pitch won’t land.
Don’t get distracted by: - Laundry lists of every tool a company’s ever touched. Stick to relevant products and recent changes. - “Intent” scores with no context. Always dig for the why.
Reality check:
No tool will tell you why someone’s unhappy with a competitor. But you can spot signals: old versions, sudden tech drops, budget increases. That’s your opening.
Step 5: Turn Intelligence Into Outreach (Without Sounding Creepy)
Nobody likes getting a cold email that screams, “I know everything about you.” Use what Hginsights gives you—just don’t be weird about it.
How to use competitive intel in outreach: - Reference challenges users of [Competitor Product] often face, but don’t say, “I see you use X.” - Highlight how your solution solves problems that are common to their industry or tech stack. - Mention trends you’re seeing in their sector (“A lot of companies in [their industry] are moving away from [Competitor] because…”)
What not to do: - Don’t open with “We noticed you use X”—it’s off-putting and sometimes just wrong (data isn’t perfect). - Don’t pretend you have inside info you don’t. People can smell a phony pitch a mile away.
Better moves: - Use LinkedIn, news, or funding announcements to add context to your outreach. - Lead with value, not just “gotcha” intel.
Step 6: Track What Actually Works—And Iterate
Hginsights is a tool, not a strategy. The best reps test, learn, and adjust.
What to measure: - Which segments or filters produce the most replies or meetings? - Are certain competitor users more open to switching? - Does layering intent data improve results, or just add noise?
What to skip: - Fancy reports that don’t tie to actual sales outcomes - Chasing every new feature Hginsights rolls out (focus on the basics first)
Pro tip:
Regularly update your target list. Tech stacks change, budgets shift, and companies get acquired. Stale data is worse than no data.
What Actually Works (And What to Ignore)
Works: - Targeting competitor’s unhappy customers - Combining tech stack and intent data (with skepticism) - Using budget signals to avoid broke prospects
Doesn’t work: - Blindly trusting all intent signals - Mass importing huge lists without qualifying - Over-personalizing based on shaky data
Ignore: - Features that don’t tie directly to your sales process - Advice that promises “AI-driven” shortcuts—still mostly hype
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Competitive intelligence is supposed to make your life easier, not drown you in dashboards. Pick a handful of signals, build a focused list, and reach out like a human being. Don’t chase every new bell and whistle. Try, measure, adjust. And if a feature doesn’t help you close deals, ditch it.
Get out there, experiment, and let the data work for you—not the other way around.