Good data does not guarantee good sales results.
The data deluge is real. Spending more time “looking for a data needle in a haystack” is an increasingly dysfunctional activity:
The Big Data story for sales is an evolving one. It started as a pure data story – the availability of data on companies and individuals. In this phase, reps enjoyed searching for information that they might find useful. The amount of information was manageable. This period came to an end around 2006 when there was an explosion of data from two places:
- Internal systems such as CRM and marketing automation; and
- External sources such as social networks, blogs, and product review sites.
The new era of selling is less about the raw data and more about insight. The best sales organizations are beginning to apply predictive analytics to all that is knowable about customers and prospects, identifying patterns, and serving up those insights to their sales reps.
In our survey, 90% of respondents foresee huge benefits to sales if Big Data were harnessed and insights delivered to reps in a single technology system.
Drowning or swimming along with the current? Please post a comment sharing your own experiences.
Learn why Big Data should be a big deal for sales by downloading your copy of the CSO Insights Report: 2012 Impact of Big Data on Sales Performance. Review a guest blog from CSO Insights President Jim Dickie offering critical tips in planning for sales growthin 2013.
