Recent market data suggests that direct conversations still hold major value in B2B. According to McKinsey’s B2B Pulse Survey [1], companies prefer in-person interactions when the purchase decision involves higher effort. A HubSpot report [2] also points out that many businesses miss opportunities due to a lack of human engagement during the buying journey.
Beyond sales impact, direct interaction with target clients can bring surprising insights and uncover unmet needs. A recent case confirms this reality: a lead generation campaign revealed not only interest in existing services, but also identified a recurring need not currently addressed by available solutions.
From lead generation to a new market opportunity
A local digital company collaborated with Knot Consulting, with the initial goal of generating qualified business opportunities in a well-known market. The collaboration had been running successfully for several months when the client agreed to explore a new vertical: transport and logistics. Entering such a domain requires a clear understanding of the product and a realistic view of the industry’s priorities, such as cost-efficiency and operational simplicity.
What followed was unexpected. While the services clearly generated interest, a specific, recurring need started to appear during client conversations. It was relatively easy to solve but none of the companies seemed to have it addressed.
Studying the current landscape
The next step was to understand whether there are already existing solutions covering this problem. The market validation project began with a structured market research, reviewing current solutions available. The analysis focused on functionality, positioning, pricing and go-to-market strategy.
The conclusion was that most systems were either too generic or built for other use cases. Others were too complex and required significant integration effort, limiting their adoption among SMBs. None of them provided a simple solution to the need identified during the lead generation campaign.
Validating and measuring the need through direct interviews
To understand if the problem was isolated or widespread, a market validation study was launched using the CATI method (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing). Close to 300 companies were contacted, resulting in a 14% success rate, well above the 10% considered strong for this type of outreach.
The transport sector was surprisingly open to discussion, with decision-makers representing over 80% of respondents.
Key findings included:
- 2 out of 3 confirmed facing the operational challenge
- More than 50% expressed interest in a demo or commercial discussion
- More than 50% said they would be willing to pay for this solution
The findings indicated that the opportunity was real and that demand was already present in the market, with interest from potential early adopters and little competition on the market.
Lessons learned
This project shows how discussing with the market can evolve into something more strategic. What began with a search for new clients, led to a product opportunity confirmed by direct client feedback.
For companies considering new verticals or looking to diversify their client base, this case offers three valuable takeaways:
- Entering a new market successfully depends on a deep understanding of the product and how it solves real problems for that audience.
- Prospecting can uncover both interest and insight into what clients truly value and are willing to pay for.
- True validation combines competitive benchmarking, commercial feedback, pricing signals and early willingness to engage.
Direct interaction remains one of the most powerful tools for discovering what clients need, even before they are able to articulate it. Sometimes, it opens the door to entirely new market opportunities.
References
[1] McKinsey & Company. (n.d.). Five fundamental truths: How B2B winners keep growing. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved June 25, 2025, from https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/five-fundamental-truths-how-b2b-winners-keep-growing
[2] B2B Marketing. (n.d.). UK businesses missing out on sales opportunities thanks to lack of human interaction, says HubSpot. B2B Marketing. Retrieved June 25, 2025, from https://www.b2bmarketing.net/uk-businesses-missing-out-on-sales-opportunities-thanks-to-lack-of-human-interaction-says-hubspot/
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