Steve Silver

VP, Research Director

Forrester Bio

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Blog

Shift From Manual To Automated Account Planning To Deliver Results

Steve Silver November 13, 2023
I’ve been involved with account planning programs for over 30 years — first as a sales rep, then as a sales manager, then as a sales operations leader, and, finally, as an analyst and advisor. And in all that time, resistance by sellers to the process of creating and leveraging account plans remains high. Why? […]
Blog

Sales Technology: Saturated To Simplified

Steve Silver March 7, 2023
Maximizing value from sales technology is more important than ever while budgets are lean and the economy continues to waver. Explore findings from our recent Tech Tide and what they mean for sales leaders.
Blog

The Future Of Account-Based Selling Technology

Steve Silver December 19, 2022
When properly selected and implemented, account-based selling solutions deepen teams’ understanding of key accounts. Sellers can then focus on winnable deals, increase average deal value, and maximize customer lifetime value.
Blog

The State Of B2B Sales Intelligence Vendors: What Is It, And Why Should You Care?

Steve Silver December 14, 2022
(Part one of a two-part series) In the recently published Forrester Landscape report, we define B2B sales intelligence as: Solutions that offer data, insights, and data management services to optimize sales efficiency and effectiveness. Companies use sales intelligence vendors to augment and enhance sales data about markets, accounts, prospects, buying groups, and contacts. Insights delivered […]
Blog

Four Key Investment Areas For Sales Operations Leaders In 2023

Steve Silver September 1, 2022
Sales operations planning will have to account for economic turbulence, but will find big opportunities in smart tech deployment.
Blog

Explore The Importance Of Vital Signs In B2B Sales At Forrester’s B2B Summit North America

Anthony McPartlin April 14, 2022
Explore the importance of vital signs in B2B sales at Forrester’s B2B Summit North America. Vitals Signs Are Core To Modern Healthcare Patient vital-sign monitoring is at the heart of modern healthcare. These insights have transformed patient treatment and care by providing a range of real-time measurements of various physiological parameters. These include heart rate, […]
Blog

The New Digital Sales Experience (DSX) Manifesto

Steve Silver March 7, 2022
Sales reps' needs and preferences are too often ignored in technology purchase decisions. Learn how to start changing that.
Blog

Five Perspective Shifts Sales And Revenue Operations Leaders Need To Make In 2022

Steve Silver September 30, 2021
As the B2B buying process becomes more complex, sales operations teams face escalating demands. Learn about the trends that will shape sales operations leaders' priorities in the year ahead.
Blog

B2B Summit APAC Preview: Turn Insight Into Opportunity With The B2B Revenue Waterfall

Steve Silver August 22, 2021
Forrester’s new B2B Revenue Waterfall will help you optimize opportunities and provide better alignment between marketing and sales. Learn more at B2B Summit APAC.
Blog

Three Simple Guidelines For Goal Setting

Steve Silver March 4, 2021
If you want functional and individual goals to be meaningful and actionable, keep them simple, limit their number, and make sure they link clearly to your mission.
Blog

The Future Of Response Management Is Insight Driven

Steve Silver February 4, 2021
Buyers are telling you exactly what they want in their RFIs and RFPs. When it comes to winning, serving, and retaining customers, companies that include the response management team in the drive for better insights will outperform their peers.
Blog

A Look Ahead: What Sales Operations Leaders Must Prepare For In 2021

Steve Silver October 7, 2020
Change will be constant in the year ahead. Learn the steps that sales operations leaders can take to put their organizations on a path to success.
Blog

What’s Your Sales Operations Type?

Steve Silver March 26, 2020
  • Sales operations must evolve to meet changing internal and external demands
  • The right sales operations type depends on size, go-to-market model, offering complexity, and scale
  • Join us at Summit 2020 to learn more about the topic, network with your peers, and discover your sales operations function type
Blog

Seven Tips for Selling in the Age of a Pandemic

Steve Silver March 18, 2020
  • The fundamental goal of solving customer problems remains unchanged — however, sales reps techniques and timing will need to adapt
  • Reps must develop remote communication skills and a plan for every customer interaction
  • Your needs are not top of mind; cultivate sensitivity to the impact on customers’ businesses, initiatives, teams and families
Blog

Insider Tips for TechX: Things to Do in Denver Before and After the Conference

Steve Silver November 14, 2019
  • Denver is hosting the 2019 SiriusDecisions Technology Exchange, which means plenty of fun activities before and after the conference
  • You’ll want to arrive early, stay late or do both to enjoy all that Denver has to offer inside and outside
  • Although skiing is a main attraction, it’s far from the only thing to do in Denver
Blog

What Do Honeybees Have in Common With the Modern B2B Buyer?

Steve Silver November 8, 2019
  • Changes in buyer and customer behavior are causing B2B organizations to rethink buyer-seller interactions
  • Innovative companies use advanced analytics across the revenue engine to understand and deliver a seamless buyer experience
  • However, without a thorough understanding of buyer behavior, selecting and delivering value from technology investments can be challenging
Blog

Trade Sales Dashboards for Data-Driven Stories

Steve Silver October 4, 2019
  • Emerging sales technologies have created a “data tsunami” that makes it very challenging for sales reps, managers and leaders to get to the truth behind the data
  • Sales operations must move beyond reports and dashboards to tell the story behind the data
  • Telling an accurate story requires the ability to present information in persuasive, intuitive and actionable ways that are role-specific, timely and context-sensitive
Blog

Navigating Netflix Is Easy – So, Why Is Navigating Sales Tech So Hard?

Steve Silver July 2, 2019
  • In a recent study from The Workforce Institute at Kronos, more than a third of employees feel their job is harder than it should be due to outdated processes and legacy technology
  • More than half of employees surveyed felt that it is easier to search for movies on Netflix than to access and review employee benefits online – and sales technology can be equally difficult
  • Digital sales transformation is the application of technology and the associated competencies to drive improvements in sales productivity
Blog

Quarterly Sales Planning – Is That Even a Thing?

Steve Silver April 25, 2019

  • Sales operations leaders must keep in mind that sales planning is an ongoing process, not a one-time event
  • Every quarter, sales operations must evaluate performance against plan, identify variances and evaluate corrective actions or adjustments
  • Join us at SiriusDecisions Summit for a deeper dive into best practices for creating and maintaining an agile sales plan

Blog

Six Tips for Addressing Email Overload in Your Sales Organization

Steve Silver September 7, 2018
  • Although email is a critical communication tool, it can often contribute to information overload
  • Using email effectively improves the exchange of ideas and information
  • To improve your email style, prioritize information that’s important and helpful to your audience
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