Sales Analytics: A Role-Based Approach

Choosing the right metrics to report on sales pipeline, productivity, and performance is important, but these metrics naturally trigger questions about why the results are what they are or why a metric is trending in a particular direction. Sales analytics extends beyond historical reporting to generate insights about the causes of performance (both good and bad) as well as predictions and prescriptions for performance. In this report, we define the types of analysis that sales operations can provide for three key sales roles — sales leaders, first-line managers, and sales reps — to complement their judgment and experience and enable more effective, fact-based decisions.