Sales 2.0 consists of tools and technology that transform selling from an art into a science that is repeatable, predictable, teachable, and measurable, according to Ken Rudin, CMO of LucidEra, an on-demand sales analytics application.

Rudin contrasts Sales 2.0 with the traditional world of Sales 1.0, where scientific rigor and analysis were almost entirely lacking. "Sales 1.0 consisted of meeting with your sales reps on a weekly basis and asking them, ‘So, how’s the deal going?’ and ‘How does the pipeline look?’" Rudin complains. "Then, based on your gut instinct about how much you trust this guy and your recollection of how he’s performed in the past, you make your best judgment about what’s really going to happen."

The problem, of course, was that the data was entirely unreliable. Sales managers were forced to filter and assess (based upon guesswork and gut feeling) inputs coming from "happy ears" (who think every deal is going to close), "sandbaggers" (who won’t speak of an opportunity until it’s about to close), and everything in between.

By contrast, Sales 2.0 injects some scientific discipline into the system. Because sales managers can look at historical data and figure out what’s likely to happen in the future, the pipeline is transformed from a guesstimate of unlikely fantasy into a prediction of likely fact. And that’s good for everybody, according to Rudin. "Studies have shown that more sales reps hit quota more often," he explains. "That, in turn, results in higher revenue and lower turnover."

Bio: Ken Rudin is Chief Marketing Officer at LucidEra, an on-demand sales analytics application. The software allows sales managers to analyze historical pipeline snapshots and combine CRM information with data locked in spreadsheets, such as quotas and commissions. The resulting insights help drive revenue growth while increasing the predictability of sales forecasts. It also provides a single source of analysis across applications used by Sales, Marketing, and Finance.