Why Your Data Deserves a Seat at the Strategy Table

It's Monday morning, and all of you are in the CRO's office for the weekly pipeline review. Unlike other days, today, your sales and marketing teams are high-fiving over higher conversion rates. Sales is praising marketing for those high-quality leads, while marketing is doing a victory dance over those closed deals.

Sounds like a corporate fairy tale, right?

But in reality, this level of synergy is rare. A recent study by Hubspot reveals that only 29% of sales and marketing teams are highly aligned, while companies with such alignment see 34% higher annual revenue growth.

This isn't just about sales and marketing. Across the board, only 31% of organizations can boast about having their data organized across all departments. Those lucky few - they're seeing a 23% jump in annual revenue growth. All in all, it seems that when teams play nice with their data, good things happen.?

Businesses need to focus on organizing, refining and leveraging their data through a structured, goal-oriented approach to make better decisions, improve interdepartmental cooperation, and drive measurable growth - Jennifer Fiocca, VP of Growth, CUBE84

AI is transforming how companies harness their data. When sales, marketing, and other teams align and share data, AI can process these multiple streams of information together, revealing trends and patterns that would otherwise go unnoticed. This cross-departmental data flow is essential for AI to deliver its most valuable insights.

So where’s the disconnect?

Companies have mountains of data but struggle to organize, manage and leverage it in a meaningful way. The challenge isn't just managing the data—it’s understanding which pieces of it actually drive value.?

Data disarray typically occurs when data is scattered across multiple systems, stored in isolated silos, or riddled with inconsistencies. This leads to confusion, misalignment, and ultimately, missed opportunities. Data becomes a burden rather than a business asset.

Overcoming scattered and overwhelming volume of data:?

The precursor to identifying key data is understanding your business objectives. Are you focused on increasing sales? Improving customer retention? Streamlining operations??

The success of each of these goals are an amalgamation of various functions in the organization. For instance, if the goal is to increase sales, you are still dependent on customer service and marketing to provide insights into other areas of your customer's journey, which are key attributes in your sales funnel.

Once the business objective is set, ask key questions to identify the data needed to achieve your goals. Here are three questions to get you started, followed by a table outlining data dependencies across departments:

• What are the primary objectives of your department?
• Which other departments influence the achievement of these objectives?
• How do your department's goals contribute to overall business success?

How to unlock the value from your data:

Now that you’ve identified key data, let’s examine its quality. More data doesn’t always lead to better insights. What matters is data quality—ensuring that the data you’re analyzing is accurate, timely, and complete.

By prioritizing high-quality, relevant data over sheer volume, businesses can reduce noise and focus on what truly matters.?

Measure, Refine, Repeat

The process of managing the right data isn’t a one-time effort—it requires ongoing measurement and refinement. As your business evolves, so will the data that matters. Regularly revisiting your data strategy, measuring results, and making adjustments ensures that you’re always focused on what’s most impactful.?

For example, a data point that was important last year might no longer be relevant today. Businesses need to stay agile and willing to pivot their data strategy as market conditions and customer behaviors shift.

Putting your data to work:

Use AI Analytics for Deeper Insights

Once high-quality data is in place, leveraging advanced analytics tools like AI and ML can help uncover patterns and insights that may not be immediately obvious. These tools can identify trends, predict outcomes, and surface the data points most likely to influence business results.

For example, AI might reveal that customers who engage with a specific type of content are more likely to make high-value purchases. Knowing this, your marketing team can adjust its strategy to focus on similar content, driving more sales from high-potential leads.

Encourage your teams to be connected and work together

Another key aspect of figuring out which data will move the needle is breaking down departmental silos. Sales, marketing, and customer service teams often analyze data in isolation, but true insights come from cross-team collaboration. When different departments share data and work together, they can uncover patterns and opportunities that might not be obvious when data is analyzed in isolation. AI is an evolving process that requires continuously refreshed and high-quality data. As your business and market change, so should the data feeding your AI systems, ensuring they remain agile and capable of delivering up-to-date insights.

Maintaining data health: How to keep your data clean and tidy

Nothing ruins a good meal faster than a dirty kitchen. The same goes for your data. Here's how to keep things sparkling:

• Establish clear data governance policies: Who's responsible for what data? What are the standards for data entry and maintenance? Make sure everyone knows the rules of the game.
• Invest in data quality tools: Use software to automatically clean, standardize, and validate data as it comes in. Think of it as your data dishwasher.
• Regular data audits: Schedule regular check-ups to ensure your data stays accurate and relevant. It's like? spring cleaning for your database.
• Train your team: The best data tools in the world won't help if your team doesn't know how to use them. Invest in training to make sure everyone's on board with your data unification efforts.

Conclusion:

Businesses can no longer afford to let valuable information slip through the cracks. Organizing and managing data effectively isn’t just a technical necessity; it’s a strategic advantage. By aligning teams, ensuring data quality, and leveraging powerful tools like AI, companies can transform scattered information into actionable insights. The key is to remain flexible, refine your approach over time, and foster a culture of collaboration. When your data is clean, clear, and connected, it becomes more than just numbers—it becomes the foundation for growth, innovation, and sustained success.