By Gertrude Van Horn, SVP & CIO, Cien.ai

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“A compelling strategy isn’t enough. It’s the action, execution, and accomplishment that make it real.”

– Gertrude Van Horn, SVP & CIO, Cien.ai

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From Vision to Measurement

Traditionally, the fourth quarter is a time for exercises in strategy and vision — those sweeping plans we craft diligently and optimistically to inspire our teams and drive next year’s growth.

But as I discussed in our last article, strategy and vision aren’t enough. The real challenge is knowing whether your vision is accurate and the strategy is working — whether the effort, people, and investment behind it are truly paying off.

The concern is always around the ability to read the early warning signs — and to be able to course-correct in time.

That’s where measurement — and AI-powered visibility — come in.  Strategy becomes real when you can see how every part of your Go-To-Market (GTM) motion contributes — or fails to contribute — to your outcomes.

Making Strategy Measurable: People, Process & Technology

Every successful strategy balances three components: People, Process, and Technology. GTM is the same. It’s a delicate balance to monitor and measure.

• People: Are your teams focused on the right accounts? Are reps using their time effectively? Do they have the right skills?
• Process: Are deals starting with the right stakeholders and progressing through a healthy, repeatable sales cycle?
• Technology: Are you using AI-ready data to make confident decisions — and not just compiling dashboards? Is your intelligence built into the fabric of your systems, rather than bolted on around the edges?

When you can harness the ability to measure each of these elements in real-time, you turn your strategy from an annual planning exercise into a living, adaptive system for growth.

AI-Powered Intelligence That Makes Strategy Visible

Cien’s AI-powered GTM Suite works seamlessly with your CRM, drawing directly from your GTM and sales data.  There’s nothing to install, nothing to maintain.  Just results! Cien continuously analyzes millions of CRM data points to surface insights in real time, making action and insights fast and achievable.  Cien is not disruptive, enhancing existing workflows with embedded AI  and complementing standard metrics –  like pipeline velocity, conversion rates, and forecast accuracy – with additional depth and precision.

Cien helps leaders translate strategic goals into measurable execution through three lenses of intelligence — each revealing what was previously hidden but critically important to growth.

Deal Intelligence (DI):
DI analyzes pipeline quality, deal health, and win rates to reveal how well your strategy is landing in the market. It connects every opportunity to its source, stage, and probability of success — showing whether your ICP, segmentation, and sales focus are truly paying off.

Coaching Intelligence (CI):
CI measures the human side of strategy — skills and behaviors. It uncovers how reps spend their time, how effectively they engage prospects, and where targeted coaching can lift performance. CI connects leadership intent with frontline execution.

Value Intelligence (VI):
VI quantifies how much true value each rep or team creates — not just bookings, but sustainable, efficient growth. It shows whether your strategic bets are delivering measurable business impact across your GTM organization.

Together, these intelligences create an always-on feedback loop that connects your strategic intent to the reality of daily execution — across every deal, every rep, every quarter. The result is clear accountability, faster decision-making, and a measurable link between execution and growth.

From Blind Spots to Bright Spots

Most organizations still struggle with ineffective tracking and accountability. Without a robust system to monitor progress against key metrics, problems go unnoticed, and no one is held responsible for poor outcomes. In fact, studies show that only 6% of GTM teams track the full set of performance signals — leaving the majority effectively flying blind.

Traditional metrics like bookings or pipeline volume tell you what happened — but not why.

Cien’s AI-powered intelligence uncovers those hidden “whys.” It illuminates the friction points, behaviors, and process gaps that were previously invisible — the subtle shifts that separate average performance from excellence.

With Cien’s GTM Suite, you can identify execution gaps early, act decisively, and continuously align people, process, and performance to your North Star.

Vision Without Measurement Is Just Aspiration

Strategy doesn’t live in PowerPoint slides — it lives in what your teams actually do.

Cien’s Deal, Coaching, and Value Intelligence transforms data into clarity and action, empowering leaders to know not just what’s happening, but why — and how to make it better.

Because when strategy becomes a measurable, tangible reality, growth and revenue become the natural reward.

Ready to See Your Strategy in Action?

Discover how Cien’s AI-powered GTM Suite helps you measure the impact of every deal, every rep, and every decision.. Learn more at www.cien.ai.

About the Cien.ai Growth Essentials Series

This article is part of our Growth Essentials Series, inspired by our work with B2B executives, GTM consultants, and PE operating partners. These articles focus on non-technical strategies to accelerate revenue growth. For advanced RevOps analytics, check out our Practical RevOps Analysis Series.