02 A Data-Driven Sales Playbook Emerges State of Sales 13 Some seasoned salespeople, used to Tides Turn Toward Data-Driven Forecasting unpredictable opportunities and prospects, may view forecasting as a fool’s errand. Many teams, Sales forecasting has reached a turning point, with half of teams now using data to however, have made strides in leveraging data to project their numbers. produce timely, accurate forecasts that spur action. Half of all sales teams say their forecasting is now Percentage of Salespeople Whose Forecasts Are Primarily Based primarily data-driven, while only 16% say it’s on the Following primarily based on gut feeling. 16% High Performers vs. Underperformers Gut feeling, intuition, 1.5X more likely to base forecasts on educated guess data-driven insights While top teams are even more likely to base their 50% forecasts on data, underperforming sales teams Data-driven insights are 1.7x more likely to forecast based on gut feeling. 34% A fairly even mix Base: All respondents Salesforce Research