Why Most B2B Data Is Useless and What To Do Instead

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/756
 
AI is transforming how businesses use data, but most are still stuck with outdated models. In this episode, Brian Perks shares how to unlock high-impact insights by shifting from fragmented data to identity-driven ecosystems. Learn how to optimise your ideal customer profile, reduce waste, and build scalable, AI-powered sales strategies. 

🎙️ What you’ll learn 

• How to eliminate low-value data and focus on high-conversion targets 
• Why identity-based data is critical for fraud prevention and sales activation 
• How to optimise your ICP for repeatable, scalable growth 
• What LinkedIn advertising gets wrong—and how to fix it 
• How startups can access enterprise-grade data tools 

✅ Highlights 

• “We are making the data available to the platform in its entirety.” 
• “You only want the sales, the marketers, the people that are going to buy your products.” 
• “Companies using 5x5 data have customers that essentially stay forever.” 
• “AI cannot spontaneously generate your email address or mobile number.” 
• “We act as the barometer to let you into the room and see the digital universe.” 
• “LinkedIn has been your professional resume. It is not Facebook for business.” 
• “Most companies don’t run the kind of analytic to understand their soft costs.” 
• “IP-based ABM marketing hits every device on that IP—you’re paying for all of them.” 
• “Small companies no longer have to be in the data business first to build data-enabled products.” 
• “AI models still depend on human journalistic research.” 
• “Publishers are getting scraped 1000 times per visitor under fair use.” 
• “We’re going to need AI shepherds to verify and validate output.” 

🧰 Mentioned 

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/sales-navigator 
• CloudFlare - https://www.cloudflare.com  
• Claude - https://claude.ai 
• Xandr (Microsoft Advertising): https://www.xandr.com 

✅Keywords 
ai sales, identity data, fraud prevention, data licensing, linkedin advertising, b2b marketing, ideal customer profile, sales activation, publishing models, audience extension, data utility, generative ai 

Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption

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Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith