The challenge: helping sales know who, what, and when
At Thomson Reuters, Aroon Jham leads the go-to-market analytics function, a role focused primarily on helping the sales organization make smarter data-driven decisions. While marketing plays a supporting role, the primary goal is ensuring sales teams know who to target, which products to pitch, and increasingly, when to engage.
“Knowing who to target and what to offer is challenging enough,” says Aroon. “But the hardest question for our sales teams is when to reach out. That’s where actionable intelligence becomes a game changer.”
Before integrating HG Insights’ data, Thomson Reuters’ sales teams relied heavily on internal data and their own instincts. While useful, these approaches often lacked external context and timely signals that could help predict customer behavior, competitive threats, or retention risk.
The solution: leveraging HG Insights for actionable signals
Thomson Reuters approached the challenge by combining first-party data with HG Insights’ third-party intelligence. The solution addresses the “triangle of sales:”
- Who: Identifying the most promising customers using propensity models.
- What: Matching target accounts with the right product offering.
- When: Using external signals and triggers to inform the optimal time to engage.
“HG Insights provides time-series data that allows us to spot divergences in buyer behavior and competitive activity,” explains Aroon. “For instance, if buyers are increasingly mentioning our competitors over Thomson Reuters, that’s a signal for our sales team to act before we risk losing ground.”
This approach has been especially effective in retention programs, where early alerts from HG Insights enable client services managers to proactively address emerging issues with customers. While quantitative ROI is still being measured, qualitative feedback from front-line teams has been overwhelmingly positive.
Aha moment: realizing the power of competitive intelligence
Aroon recalls a pivotal early experience that illustrated the value of HG Insights’ data. While evaluating initial sample data from HG Insights for competitive intelligence, his team noticed unusual activity in a high-stakes sales opportunity. Although it was early days, the data revealed that competitors were gaining traction with the same buyer.
“Long story short, we didn’t win that deal,” Aroon admits, “but it confirmed the validity of the data and highlighted how critical it is to have actionable intelligence, not just for acquisitions but also for retention and risk management.”
That moment cemented HG Insights as a vital tool for Thomson Reuters’ sales organization. By combining internal insights with HG’s external intelligence, the team can proactively engage buyers and respond to shifts in the competitive landscape.
Early wins: intelligence in action
HG Insights’ impact has been most noticeable in Thomson Reuters’ retention efforts. By providing timely signals about competitive presence and shifts in customer engagement, the platform allows sales teams and client services managers to intervene before potential issues escalate.
“Even if we can’t quantify every win yet, our teams appreciate having these insights,” Aroon notes. “They get an early warning system that helps them maintain strong relationships and make informed decisions with their customers.”
Best practices: how Thomson Reuters uses HG Insights
Aroon emphasizes three key practices for maximizing the value of HG Insights:
- Leverage intelligence, not just data: HG Insights provides actionable intelligence, not raw numbers. Sales teams can act on insights immediately, rather than spending time transforming data.
- Experiment and iterate: Use the platform to test hypotheses and explore new engagement strategies. Data-driven experimentation leads to insights that drive better decision-making.
- Integrate signals into daily workflows: Align HG Insights with existing CRM and sales processes so intelligence is accessible and timely for the people who need it most.
Why HG Insights stands out
According to Aroon, the real differentiator is that HG Insights delivers intelligence, not just data. Many third-party data providers supply raw datasets, but HG’s strength lies in packaging actionable insights that sales teams can immediately leverage.
“This isn’t just data,” Aroon says. “It’s intelligence that informs the right action at the right time. That’s a critical difference.”
Looking ahead: the future of data-driven sales
Aroon predicts that AI and analytics will become increasingly sophisticated and democratized, allowing more teams to harness intelligence without specialized technical skills.
“In the past, analytics required significant expertise,” he explains. “Now, with AI, anyone with a smart idea can leverage data to generate insights. That democratization will drive more powerful, actionable analytics across the organization.”
For Thomson Reuters, HG Insights is central to this future — empowering sales with the “who, what, and when” and enabling proactive, informed engagement across their customer base.
Conclusion: turning intelligence into action
Thomson Reuters’ experience demonstrates that actionable intelligence is critical for modern sales organizations. By combining first-party data with HG Insights’ external intelligence, the company has gained a competitive edge in targeting, engagement, and retention.
As Aroon puts it, “Use the intelligence, experiment with it, and integrate it into your workflows. The insights are only as powerful as the actions you take on them — and HG Insights makes those actions smarter, faster, and more precise.”