In 2015, a new data-driven, scientific-based approach to sales will give executives what they need to become a strategic C-suite partner and, as a result, we will see the rise of the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Also, we will see the merging of mobile productivity and predictive analytics tools as well as analytics moving from simple to actionable. This is all according to Andy Byrne, CEO and founder of Clari, a provider of a mobile-first sales productivity platform that combines mobile, design and data science.

Byrne’s predictions about emerging technologies are all part of our second annual Technology Predictions series in which industry experts share their predictions with us about the hot tech trends that they think will take center stage in 2015. We’ll be sharing all of their predictions with you over the next several days. Read on for more from Byrne.

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Prediction No. 1: Sales will hit the c-suite​

2015 will be the year that the head of sales will get a “C” added to their title. We saw this happen over the last decade in marketing as automation tools introduced quantifiable and actionable insights to marketers that propelled VPs from supporters of growth to enablers of growth. Enter the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). But now is the time for this shift in sales. In 2015, a new category of technology will enable the shift from an artful sales practice to one driven by analytical rigor. This data-driven, scientific-based approach to sales will give executives what they need to become a strategic C-suite partner. Enter the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).

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Prediction No. 2: ​Sales productivity tools will die without predictive abilities​ (and vice versa)

In 2014, we saw a burst of sales enablement tools enter the market. Most fall into one of two categories: mobile productivity or predictive analytics. In the next 12 months, these two categories will merge. Sales mobile productivity tools will up their game to offer more analytics. And the analytics tools will add on features to make them more usable and actionable at every level. Those that don’t offer both pieces of the puzzle won’t make it to 2016.

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Prediction No. 3: 2015 will be the year of “proof before purchase” in sales technology

More and more customers we talked to throughout 2014 have grown tired of the old school way of adopting sales technology [e.g., get a great sales pitch, do a long six to eight-week trial, produce no concrete return on investment (ROI), and convince the boss it’s worth it]. In 2015, customers will demand that solutions work out of the box the same day (in most cases, within minutes)—and that the vendor they are dealing with must do more than show more than a cool user experience (UX) and fancy charts.

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Prediction No. 4: Analytics will move from simple to actionable in 2015

Current, modern-day analytics companies are going through similar challenges that old school business intelligence (BI) vendors went through in the previous decade: the analytics and reports produced don’t meaningfully connect to actions that sales teams can take to effect change in the quarter in which they’re currently operating. The underlying data beneath the pretty charts must lead an executive or manager to a tangible action that they can measure. This is the expected result customers will demand in 2015.

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2015 Technology Predictions graphic courtesy of SiliconANGLE