Data Driven: How Performance Analytics Delivers Extraordinary Sales Results

Chapter 2Pulling Back the Curtain

Sharp packed her laptop and work papers into her bag, exited Trajectory's headquarters, and waded into the sea of vehicles that filled the lot behind the building. She was so preoccupied with trying to unravel the conflicting input she had received from her team that for a moment she forgot where she had parked her own car, a yellow Porsche Cayman GTS she had recently purchased for herself as a hiring present. Every one of her leaders was fighting for a bigger slice of the budget. They were blaming others for poor performance, and no one was looking at the big picture, including her, she thought for the moment.

As Pam negotiated through row after row of cars, she was struck by the diversity. No two were alike. “People sure have different tastes,” she thought. “Automobile companies that truly understand their buyers and know what they want have a huge advantage.”

Suddenly, Pam was surprised to find herself standing in front of another Porsche: a red 918 Spyder. This was her absolute dream car, but the near $900,000 price tag put it far out of her reach. “I'd love to know who owns this,” she thought, as she circled it admiringly. “This person must have been on the ground floor of a startup whose IPO really took off.” She left her business card on the windshield with a note on the back that read, “Nice wheels! From another Porsche owner.”

Pam had left early to avoid the rush-hour traffic, so she arrived at the San Francisco International Airport ...