What Is ZoomInfo & How Do They Get Their Data? [Teardown]

We see you Googling “What is ZoomInfo”.

Are you evaluating whether they are right for you? We’ll break it down here to help you make the right decision.

Let’s get to it. 👇

What is ZoomInfo?

ZoomInfo is a B2B database and intelligence software that provides other businesses with company and contact information. The platform has more than just data, though. It offers a suite of outreach tools and automation features to connect and close deals.

ZoomInfo solves several common problems for B2B organisations, including having access to fresh data, tracking outreach channel performance, and automating tedious tasks for sellers.

Ultimately, implementing any platform like this aims to improve sales and marketing efforts by providing data and tools to reach decision-makers at the right time.

Who uses ZoomInfo?

ZoomInfo is used by salespeople, marketers and talent teams. 

The sales use case is probably the most well-known, so let’s discuss that first. Think about this...

You manage a sales team (or you’re a sales rep), and your job is to bring in new business. A lot of your job requires you to cold call prospects and convince them to buy your solution. But how can you cold call them without the data? This is where solutions like ZoomInfo come in.

The next use case is by marketers. In addition to contacting data for email lists, marketers can use ZoomInfo to create trigger campaigns based on intent signals and engage accounts in the market to buy right now.

Finally, talent solutions. ZoomInfo boasts market intelligence, like layoff insights and top-ranked companies based on cultural alignment. Recruiters can also use the outreach features to help pinpoint candidates most likely to respond.

ZoomInfo’s plans & packages

ZoomInfo’s pricing has different plans based on your job role (sales, marketing or talent). However, the exact cost of each plan is hidden behind a form. So you’ll need to get in touch to find out the price of any package you’re interested in.

Let’s get into what we can see though.

Check this out: How Cognism compares to ZoomInfo directly.

Sales

If you work in B2B sales, ZoomInfo offers SalesOS. 

Here are some examples of what you get in each tier:

• Accurate email addresses, direct dial phone and mobile phone numbers.

• Company insights and buying intent signals.

• Engagement apps and integrations.

Every package includes ZoomInfo Copilot, ZoomInfo’s version of an AI tool that helps sellers find the best-fit accounts while prospecting. However, their higher-tier plans offer more if you want to get the best use out of this AI.

What does Cognism offer instead?

Enter Sales Companion, Cognism's web app and browser extension with high-quality European data. Sales Companion helps you find the accounts and contacts that matter the most with phone-verified mobile numbers, intelligence, list-building and much more.

Marketing 

ZoomInfo offers packages for marketers that get you access to ZoomInfo’s foundational data (intent, company and contact profiles, and funding). Here’s examples of what else is included:

• Essential contact data and advanced company insights.

• Digital marketing solutions for display advertising, website chat and form management.

• Plug-and-play and flexible integrations.

Talent

Last, there are the talent packages. Here is what’s included as per ZoomInfo’s website: 

• Advanced candidate search with accurate contact data.

• Sourcing intelligence with candidate alerts and company scoops.

• Engagement apps and integrations.

ZoomInfo’s top three features

ZoomInfo has a long list of features, so let’s cover the most important for deciding.

1. Good data accuracy in the US

Let’s not beat around the bush; data is the most important feature to examine before committing to a provider. ZoomInfo does have a big database, possibly one of the biggest on the market. However, some users note data inaccuracies. This complaint is widespread in European regions. Many users say European mobile numbers aren’t always accurate or exist.

ZoomInfo is particularly strong in terms of its data in the US. This makes total sense; they’re a US company headquartered in Vancouver. If you only need to prospect in the US, this might make them a good choice, but if not, you shouldn’t rule out other options.

So what’s great for European contacts?

Cognism has a strong European database with GDPR-compliant data. This means you can quickly identify key decision-makers in your target markets and accelerate your sales pipeline. Cognism scrubs its data against Do-not-Call (DNC) lists in 13 countries, more than any provider.

2. An AI Copilot for prospecting faster

ZoomInfo’s AI Copilot helps users sell faster because it centralises every buying signal. This means Copilot helps each user surface important information about every account, such as buying intent, funding, and more. 

The platform combines your CRM (and other first-party) data with ZoomInfo’s data. ZoomInfo claims this AI sales tool helps ramp up reps quicker and surface insights for any account. Many users on G2 say that Copilot helps them surface information needed for cold outreach.

AI fad or not?

Sometimes, it seems that AI is just thrown into every SaaS tool these days. So, what about AI search functions like Copilot? Are they a fad? We say not. AI functions like ZoomInfo’s Copilot can seriously speed up prospecting. What we can say on our side is that users who use the Cognism AI search speed up their prospecting by around 74%.

3. Data compliance 

ZoomInfo is both CCPA and GDPR-compliant. This is super important to consider when looking at lead generation companies; you don’t want your business to be hit with hefty fines.

As mentioned, ZoomInfo’s data is best in the US. Some users on G2 have flagged some GDPR compliance issues. 

DNC list considerations

ZoomInfo does offer DNC list scrubbing; however, where the EU is concerned, it is not on the same level as Cognism. We scrub our data against 13 countries, including the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France and many more.

Where does ZoomInfo’s data come from?

ZoomInfo gets its data from various sources, including public records, business websites, annual reports, and web scraping. It doesn’t collect sensitive personal information; its platform only contains B2B data.

Each person added to the database will be notified through their business email address. You can opt-out in multiple ways, such as through their privacy centre, email, or by giving them a call.

What do people say about ZoomInfo?

I scoured the internet, looking at LinkedIn, G2, Reddit, and other review sites the gain sentiment and trends around what users say about ZoomInfo. Here are the three most common themes I found about ZoomInfo’s data, platform, and service.  

Data outside of the US or Canada may not be as accurate

People who have used ZoomInfo mention that the data outside of the US or Canada is limited in accuracy. Some cite the lack of direct dial or mobile numbers as a specific issue around this. Compliance with GDPR is also cited as a reason. Users also express dislike of the ZoomInfo data passport, which is the add-on you need to gain access to its European database. 

👉 If you’re looking for European data, you might like to learn about these UK data providers.

Users love the integrations, and they want more

There are plenty of reviews that describe the integrations with CRMs as seamless. Users describe these features as allowing them to maintain up-to-date records, track intentions, and manage leads without manual data entry (which is tedious and time-consuming). 

Some users have called for ZoomInfo to integrate with other sales enablement tools like Gong. We’ll be waiting to jump in the front of that queue… I guess. 

Renewals can be a point of contention 

Some users aren’t happy with the way ZoomInfo does their renewals. Specifically, the auto-renewal process, which some say isn’t enforced by clear communication. Other reviews state they received no communications when contacting their Account Manager to cancel their subscription.

The reviews on ZoomInfo renewals are mixed, though. Some users recognise their renewal as a positive experience and that contract discussions as a new customer aren’t always easy.

Where does ZoomInfo have data coverage?

ZoomInfo’s data coverage is global. There’s no question about that. However, the quality amongst European countries may vary. ZoomInfo’s data is most accurate in the US and Canada.

Plenty of users also agree that ZoomInfo has good-quality data for enterprise organisations, but it’s not so good for smaller-to-medium-sized businesses.

How did ZoomInfo get my data?

ZoomInfo gets data from several sources, including publicly available sources like websites and government records, customer contributions, third-party data providers and through telephone interviews. Your information is unlikely to be just from one source, so it can be challenging to discover the exact source from which your data originated. 

If you want to remove your data from ZoomInfo’s database, you can do that in several ways, including via email, through their privacy centre, or by calling to request the removal. 

Give Cognism's data a try

Cognism is a leading provider of high-quality European B2B data. We’re ready and waiting for you to identify new or existing target market decision-makers. Our database is GDPR compliant and scrubbed against Do-Not-Call lists in 13 countries. 

👉 Put us to the test against ZoomInfo with a data sample.