Data Driven Selling
"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see" - Henry David Thoreau
In sales, the Customers may look at our proposal, our presentation or our pitch. But will they see the value we have crafted for them? How will they see what others offer in relation to what we are giving them? What matters to Customers, in the end, may be about the difference a purchase makes in terms of hard numbers and incremental money saved, revenue earned or profits made.
That ability to 'see' what your Customer 'sees' has always differentiated the winners in sales, from the also rans. In today's digital world, it is table stakes. Your Customer most likely has much more data about your offering and your competition, than you have. And, that data matters. If you cannot engage with this Customer, in the language of 'data' you risk attempting to connect using only a 'narrative'. Numbers win.
The language of numbers and data has power that is unmatched by mere words and narratives. The June 2026 issue of Mercuri Mail looks takes a deep dive into how data can be leveraged in selling. The features in this issue are themed around Data Driven Selling
- A Slice of History traces the fascinating story of how data and data science arrived and occupied the centre stage in business, research and information technology
- Spotlight feature looks at what makes Data Driven Selling an important skill for future sales professionals
- Master Class showcases how all value in the end is a number and suggests ways to cultivate an affinity and orientation for data
- Skill Up demonstrates how you can apply Data Analysis to Sales Work
- Idea Watch we look Good Moves to Make and Traps to Avoid in Data Driven Selling
- Must Read reviews the book "Story Telling with Data" by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic and gleans actionable nuggets we can use to become data driven in selling
- And then, as always, there is the staple of Have a Laugh and Sales Smarts
Happy reading! Happy Data Driven Selling!
