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

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“Having a strategy is easy. Determining whether it’s working is not.”

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

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From Vision vs Reality Divide

As Q4 planning kicks into gear, boardrooms buzz with optimism. Growth plans are mapped, targets set, and teams aligned around bold objectives.

But when execution begins, results rarely match expectations. The problem usually isn’t the strategy itself — it’s the clarity gap between what leaders believe is happening and what’s actually taking place in the field.

98% Say Their Strategy Is in Motion. Only 10% See Results.

A recent study conducted by Highspot in partnership with Dynata surveyed over 450 GTM leaders across industries. The findings were stark:

• 98% of leaders say their GTM strategy is active.
  
• Only 10% believe it’s delivering measurable value.

The gap is widening because most teams can’t see, in real time, whether their strategy is working.

Why GTM Strategies Falter

The culprit? A lack of visibility into execution.

Most CRM dashboards track activity but fail to explain why performance varies, where conversion rates drop, or how reps are really spending their time. Without clean, consistent data and a unified lens on execution, even great strategies run blind.

Adding to the problem, many organizations rely on AI bolt-ons — disconnected tools layered on top of existing workflows. As Highspot’s Revenue Enablement Leader Annie Lizenbergs notes:

“If AI lives in another platform, tab, or tool, it just becomes more noise. Reps ignore what disrupts their flow.”

The best GTM teams don’t bolt AI on; they embed it into the fabric of the work effort, guiding decisions and surfacing insights exactly when and where they’re needed.

How Cien’s GTM Suite Bridges the Gap

Cien’s TrueAI-powered GTM Suite was built to uncover what traditional systems miss.

Through Automatic Data Enhancement (ADE), the platform transforms incomplete, inconsistent CRM data into trusted, decision-ready intelligence — automatically measuring duplication, completeness, activity capture, and process adherence.

Its Deal Intelligence, Coaching Intelligence, and Value Intelligence modules then translate millions of data points into real-time insights that highlight execution friction across teams, processes, and market segments.

Think of it as a growth GPS — continuously recalibrating your GTM motion and alerting you to detours like poor data hygiene, misaligned coverage models, stalled deals or underperforming reps.

Real-Time Clarity = Sustainable Growth

Instead of waiting for quarterly results to uncover what went wrong, Cien’s GTM Suite empowers leaders to see — and fix —sales friction and execution gaps as they occur.

The result?

• Faster revenue and growth realization
• More predictable outcomes and accurate forecasts
• Alignment between strategic intent and daily execution

As Cien’s mantra says: “Measure what matters.”
Because when you can immediately find the clarity and cause when your GTM strategy breaks down, you can finally take immediate action and make it work now, not 3 months from now.

Want to See Your GTM Execution Clearly?

Discover how Cien’s GTM Suite helps leaders pinpoint friction and accelerate growth. 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.