IHS Markit Customer Success Story | LinkedIn Sales Solutions

IHS Markit expertise allows it to serve multiple industries, including those in aerospace, defence and security, automotive, chemical, energy and natural resources, financial markets, governments, life sciences, maritime and trade, as well as technology verticals. While this offers many opportunities for IHS Markit, it poses an immense challenge for its sales team.

Associate Director Sam Devine explains:
“In my role, I oversee the maritime and trade vertical in Australia, New Zealand the South Pacific islands, and within this vertical, we focus on three main client segments— Marine & Logistics, Government & Defence and Commodities & Financial services. From a sales perspective, it’s a wide target market, which makes it challenging to develop an intimate understanding of each segment and each potential client.”

Having used LinkedIn Sales Navigator in his previous role with another company, Sam knew that the tool would be a powerful addition to his prospecting arsenal. When he joined IHS Markit three years ago, he made sure to bring LinkedIn Sales Navigator with him.

“For me, the biggest use case of LinkedIn Sales Navigator is being able to tag key prospective accounts and the relevant contacts within that account to get instant updates on what’s happening with them delivered directly to my inbox,” said Sam.

This information is important to the sales process, as it enables Sam to best position IHS Markit and its capabilities in a way that shows prospective customers how these can help them solve a problem or grasp an opportunity. For this reason, Sam credits LinkedIn Sales Navigator for contributing to about 80% of the deals he has closed with corporates, including one notable account that he scored in his early days with the company.

“When I first started at IHS Markit, I identified several of the largest Australia-based exporters with lead potential and tagged them using LinkedIn Sales Navigator. One day, I received an update that a livestock exporter on my list was having trouble with one of their vessels. This was causing them to lose time mid-ocean. I used this as a conversation starterto reach out to a couple of commercial operators within this specific account to learn more about their shipping operations. The conversation grew and, four months later, turned into an arrangement that generates a significant amount a year for us,” shared Sam.

This proves to the 10-year sales veteran that access to information has assisted in reshaping the sales landscape, and the future of selling hinges on customer insights.

“Access to information is getting easier,” he points out. “Customers now have product information at their fingertips — they no longer need a salesperson who is merely a product expert; they want a salesperson who also understands their industry and their challenges. In delivering a value-added, insights-driven experience to the customer, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is definitely a handy tool to have.”

INDUSTRY: Information Services

NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 10,001+

LOCATION: London, England

ABOUT THE COMPANY: IHS Markit is a global leader in information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide. Our company partners with clients in business, finance and government to help them see the big picture with unrivaled insights that lead to well-informed, confident decisions. IHS Markit serves more than 50,000 key customers in over 140 countries, including 85 percent of the Fortune Global 500. Headquartered in London, IHS Markit is committed to sustainable, profitable growth.

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Sam Devine

Associate Director
IHS Markit

Challenges

Solution

Results