Did you know there’s a real fear in sales and marketing and it’s nothing to do with Halloween? It’s called the ‘data dread’ and yes, there is a way of fixing it – with Power BI.
According to a survey by Deloitte, 90% of sales and marketing professionals work with data or spreadsheets every week, yet two-thirds still feel uneasy about using it, and 30% actively avoid it altogether.
The report also shows that three-quarters say their reliance on data has grown in the past two years.
If you lead a business, you’ll know how much you depend on numbers and dashboards to make decisions. For your teams however, this can sometimes feel overwhelming even though the problem isn’t a lack of data, more that the story behind it isn’t clear.
Data alone doesn’t move people. Stories do.
According to Deloitte, good data storytelling can improve business performance by up to 20%. When people can see and understand the story behind the data, they make better, faster decisions.
So where does data fit within the sales and marketing function and how can the fear of data be addressed, effectively?
Data in sales
Sales teams track pipelines, forecasts, and conversion rates — often juggling multiple spreadsheets, CRM reports, and sales targets to understand what’s really driving performance. They want to know where leads are coming from, which opportunities aren’t converting, and what their revenue forecast looks like for the next period.
Data in marketing
Marketing teams must measure campaign performance, engagement, and ROI. They’re looking at website analytics, social media reach, email open rates, and lead quality from different campaigns — all to prove what’s working, and what’s not.
The meeting of two worlds
Very often this kind of analysis doesn’t come naturally for sales and marketing people. Marketers whilst strategic, are also often creative and driven by ideas and visuals. And at HG Technology, we are yet to meet a salesperson who doesn’t love to tell a good story (and that goes for our sales director Malcolm).
So, what if the two worlds could meet? What if numbers and narratives could come together connecting activity to outcomes and turning insight into action?
This is where Power BI comes in and used properly, can really make a difference.
Part of Microsoft’s Power Platform, it turns disconnected spreadsheets and siloed dashboards into clear, visual insights that everyone can understand and act on — quickly.
Take our financial services client Alternative Bridging Corporation, for example. Using Power BI, we worked with them to bring their sales and operations data into one shared view. It gave them a clearer picture of their pipeline, quicker identification of bottlenecks, and stronger collaboration between teams. Numbers became narratives — helping them see not just what was happening, but why.
At HG Technology, we help organisations see clearly by:
• Giving staff access to tools they’ll enjoy using
• Providing training that builds confidence
• Turning raw data into stories that drive performance
Get in touch now for a free no obligation chat if you’d like to find out more. Email us on enquiries@hgtechnology.co.uk.