November 1, 2025 | Read online
Why Your Reps Are Still Living in Spreadsheets (and What to Do About It)
by Kevin 'KD' Dorsey
Despite billions of dollars poured into CRM systems, enablement platforms, AI-powered assistants, and digital transformation tools, most enterprise reps are still running their entire book of business out of spreadsheets.
Yes, you read that right. Not Salesforce. Not your robust tech stack with its dashboards and integrations. Just rows and columns - sometimes color-coded if they're feeling fancy.
And if you’re a CRO reading this, chances are you’ve been operating under a very different assumption. You believe your reps are working out of the CRM, using it to manage their deals, update progress, forecast accurately, and follow the playbook to a T.
But here’s the harsh truth: they’re not.
The Disconnect That’s Wrecking Execution
There’s a fundamental disconnect between what sales leadership thinks is happening and what’s actually going on. You believe reps are logging key notes into Salesforce. You expect forecast calls to reflect real-time data. You assume your tools are being used the way they were sold to you.
Meanwhile, your reps are updating a spreadsheet they built three years ago.
They’ve duct-taped together their own system - a Frankenstein blend of Salesforce exports, Gong links, Notion checklists, Google Slides, and sticky notes - because no single platform gives them the visibility they need to actually run their territory. That’s not rebellion. That’s survival.
And then we, as leaders, express frustration about gaps in the CRM, inaccurate forecasts, and the constant feeling of being “in the dark.” But we’re not asking the right question: why are reps choosing spreadsheets over the tools we’ve invested so heavily in?
It’s not because they’re lazy. It’s because spreadsheets work—at least, better than anything else we’ve given them.
Why Spreadsheets Are Still Winning the War
Let’s unpack that. Spreadsheets win not because they’re modern or integrated or elegant. They win because they’re the only place where reps can bring everything together in one view.
Deal stage from Salesforce? That’s in there. Last Gong call notes? Pasted in column J. Next steps? Manually typed in cell L7. LinkedIn Sales Navigator insights? That’s another tab. Seismic content? It’s in there somewhere - maybe.
The irony is, we’re asking reps to operate like GTM strategists and data analysts. Just to prep for a 30-minute call, they’re expected to pull data from five different systems, synthesize insights, tailor messaging, and still somehow drive revenue.
So yes, the spreadsheet is winning. Not because it’s good, but because it’s the only thing that gives them control.
We’re Solving the Wrong Problem
Here’s where it gets even messier: most orgs keep throwing tools at the problem.
They invest in enablement software, hoping it’ll fix adoption. They bring in more RevOps to clean the data. They tweak the CRM layout again. But none of that addresses the root cause - the execution gap.
See, every team has a strategy. Most have a solid process. And the majority have more tools than they can reasonably use.
But strategy isn’t execution. Tools don’t equal traction.
The real problem is the chasm between knowing what to do and actually doing it. That’s where deals fall through the cracks. That’s where reps lose hours they’ll never get back. That’s where pipeline turns into fiction.
ZoomInfo Copilot Workspace: The Execution Layer
While most vendors focused on building yet another system of record, ZoomInfo built something different: Copilot Workspace. It’s not just another tool in the stack. It’s where work actually happens.
Copilot Workspace is a purpose-built execution layer for sellers. One interface where deal data, buyer signals, engagement history, and next steps live together—without tab-hopping, spreadsheet madness, or duct-tape workflows.
Instead of forcing reps to adapt to rigid systems, it adapts to how reps work. And that’s the difference between pipeline hope and pipeline health.
Your reps don’t need another login. They need clarity. They need context. They need a workspace that moves with them.
Let’s Do the Math (Because Your Reps Are)
A typical enterprise rep manages 50+ accounts. For each one, they’re expected to track:
- Org charts
- Recent funding rounds
- Job changes
- Decision-makers
- Deal history
- Buyer intent signals
- Next steps
- Internal notes
That’s over 350 data points, manually stitched together, often in a spreadsheet no one else can access or interpret.
And we expect them to juggle all of that while running meetings, responding to prospects, customizing decks, collaborating with SEs, and, oh yeah, actually closing deals.
We have unintentionally created a system where top performance requires superhuman memory, discipline, and multitasking.
That’s not enablement. That’s a system failure.
TL;DR — Your Move
Here’s the thing: your best reps aren’t working harder than everyone else. They’ve just figured out how to execute smarter.
They’ve built their own systems to close the execution gap. But that’s not scalable. And it’s definitely not sustainable.
So you have a choice: keep relying on duct tape and spreadsheets, or give your team a workspace that’s purpose-built for how they actually work.
✅ One place for everything
✅ Designed around execution, not reporting
✅ Built to unify - not replace - the tools you already use
ZoomInfo Copilot Workspace is the system that turns strategy into pipeline. Not just another dashboard. A command center.
Because hoping for pipeline isn’t a strategy.
Executing toward it is.
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