United Kingdom · Sales · Principal/Manager (12-16 years)

Sales Analytics Manager

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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Free to start: a plan built for this role, and a Future Fluency module to try first. No card.

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Where should we send it?

One email: what AI is changing in this job, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

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Experience bandPrincipal/Manager (12-16 years)
Direct reports3-5 reports
Reports toDirector of Sales Operations & Analytics
UK framework levelUsually a manager, or the deepest specialist in a team

Also advertised as Principal Sales Strategist · Head of Sales Insights · Senior Manager, Sales Operations & Analytics

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Computing for England Pearson Education Ltd · Level 5 · covers 4 of 10 standards

Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Digital Technologies Pearson Education Ltd · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards

NOCN Level 4 certificate for Data Analysts NOCN · Level 4 · covers 5 of 10 standards

OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science OTHM Qualifications · Level 7 · covers 4 of 10 standards

Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Computing for England Pearson Education Ltd · Level 4 · covers 3 of 10 standards

Highfield Level 3 Diploma for Team Leaders and Supervisors (RQF) Highfield Qualifications · Level 3 · covers 2 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Data Analytics Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Computing for England

Data Analytics Primer NOCN Level 4 certificate for Data Analysts

Data Analysis and Visualisation OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science

Data Analysis Highfield Level 3 Diploma for Team Leaders and Supervisors (RQF)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner

Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision

AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly

Foresight Fluency seeing round the corner

Trust Fluency keeping the digital world safe

Start my Sales Analytics Manager plan, free

Your Plan Illustration

Built for Sales Analytics Manager

4 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

Data Analytics Pearson Education Ltd · covers 4 of 10 standards Level 5
Data Analytics Primer NOCN · covers 5 of 10 standards Level 4
Data Analysis and Visualisation OTHM Qualifications · covers 4 of 10 standards Level 7
Data Analysis Highfield Qualifications · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 3

These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Sales Analytics Manager?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skill this role is being asked for

AI Governance & Ethical AI in Sales

Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluencyworking with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluencyturning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluencyusing AI responsibly
Foresight Fluencyseeing round the corner
Trust Fluencykeeping the digital world safe

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Sales Analytics Manager plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

Start my Sales Analytics Manager plan, free Ready to pay? Subscribe for £70 a month

3What this role really is

A sales analytics manager leads a team that turns sales data into strategies the sales organisation can act on. This work involves shaping how a sales team understands its performance, spots opportunities, and plans ahead. It means providing the leadership team with the analysis they need to hit targets. The person in this role owns the analytical roadmap, making sure the team builds the right tools and delivers insight at the right time. It combines analytical work, strategic thinking, and people leadership.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Salesforce (or Dynamics 365) Strategic

Governing the CRM data architecture, making decisions on new integrations and fields, and understanding the system's impact on enterprise-wide reporting. You'll set standards for how your team uses and extracts data.

Microsoft Excel (Power Query, Power Pivot, DAX) Strategic

Designing scalable and auditable Excel-based models for complex scenarios (e.g., commission plan impact, multi-year forecasts). You'll set the standards for your team's Excel usage and model documentation.

Tableau (or Power BI) Architect

Managing the Tableau/Power BI environment (e.g., Tableau Server/Service), defining data governance, row-level security, and certifying data sources for the entire sales organisation. You'll ensure dashboards are performant and reliable.

SQL (PostgreSQL / T-SQL) Strategic

Collaborating with data engineering on data warehouse architecture to ensure sales data needs are met. Defining key tables and views for analytics, and guiding your team on complex query optimisation.

Anaplan (or similar EPM tool) Expert

Designing, building, and maintaining complex Anaplan models from scratch for territory planning, quota setting, and forecasting. You'll lead the annual planning process within the tool and train business users.

Gong (or SalesLoft / Chorus) Strategic

Integrating insights from the platform into executive-level QBRs and coaching programmes to drive behavioural change across the sales floor. You'll use it to understand market trends and sales effectiveness at scale.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choice	Coming in	Where you are now	The step above
Project Prioritisation	Follows manager's priorities for individual tasks.	Prioritises own tasks within project scope, escalates conflicts.	Prioritises workstreams within a project, consults lead on major shifts.
Budget Allocation (Tools/Training)	No authority; requests resources from manager.	Recommends specific tools/training for own development to manager.	Recommends tools/training for project needs (up to £5K) to lead.
Hiring & Performance Management	No authority; provides peer feedback.	No authority; provides peer feedback.	No authority; provides peer feedback and mentors juniors.
Strategic Recommendations	Provides data for others' recommendations.	Proposes solutions for routine problems.	Makes technical recommendations within project scope to leadership.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Sales Productivity Uplift

The measurable increase in sales rep efficiency or output directly attributable to insights or tools provided by your team.

Target · Contribute to a 5-10% year-over-year increase in 'active selling time' or 'revenue per rep'.

Your team's analysis identifies that reps spend 15% of their time on manual data entry. You recommend a CRM automation, which, once implemented, frees up 8% of their time, leading to a measurable increase in calls made and deals closed.

Strategic Recommendation Adoption Rate

The percentage of your team's data-driven strategic recommendations (e.g., on territory design, comp plan changes, market focus) that are formally adopted by sales leadership.

Target · Achieve 75%+ adoption rate for key strategic recommendations.

Your team proposes a new territory structure based on market potential and historical performance. If 8 out of 10 proposed changes are approved and implemented by the VP of Sales, that's an 80% adoption rate.

Forecast Accuracy (Team Level)

The accuracy of the overall sales forecast produced by your team, measured against actual bookings.

Target · Maintain a quarterly forecast accuracy of +/- 3% variance against actual bookings.

Your team's Q3 forecast was £2.5M, and actual bookings came in at £2.55M. That's a 2% variance, well within target. This shows your team's models and validation processes are working.

Team Project Delivery & Impact

The on-time delivery of strategic analytical projects and the measurable impact they have on business outcomes.

Target · Deliver 90% of assigned strategic projects on or before deadline, with clear, documented business impact.

Your team delivers a comprehensive commission plan impact analysis two weeks ahead of the annual planning cycle, allowing leadership to make informed decisions that save £50K in potential overpayments and improve rep motivation.

Stakeholder Trust & Influence

How much sales leadership and other departments rely on your team's insights for critical decisions, and how often they proactively seek your input.

Sales VPs regularly include you and your team in strategic planning meetings. They'll ask for your opinion before making major decisions, not just for a report after the fact. Other department heads (Marketing, Finance) will reach out for collaborative projects, recognising your team as a reliable source of truth. You'll hear 'What does [Your Name]'s team say about this?' in meetings.

Team Development & Mentorship

Your ability to grow and develop your direct reports, fostering a strong, capable, and engaged analytics team.

Your team members are visibly growing in their roles, taking on more complex work, and getting promoted. They feel supported and challenged. You'll see positive feedback in 1-to-1s and annual reviews about your coaching and guidance. Retention within your team will be high, and you'll be seen as a desirable manager to work for.

Analytical Roadmap & Innovation

Your ability to define a clear, impactful analytical roadmap for the sales organisation and introduce new, valuable analytical techniques or tools.

You'll have a clear, documented 6-12 month plan for your team's analytical projects, tied directly to business objectives. You'll successfully pilot and integrate new technologies (like advanced AI tools) that genuinely improve your team's output or efficiency. Your ideas for new types of analysis will be regularly adopted by leadership.

Data Governance & Quality Advocacy

Your proactive efforts to improve the quality and reliability of sales data across all systems, acting as a champion for data integrity.

You'll regularly present data quality issues and their business impact to relevant stakeholders (e.g., Sales Operations, IT). You'll lead initiatives to clean up CRM data or standardise reporting definitions. The overall 'cleanliness' of our sales data will measurably improve under your watch, reducing the time your team spends on data janitorial work.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy

Driving Strategic Impact

You'll get a real buzz from seeing your team's analysis directly influence major decisions, like a new market entry strategy or a revised compensation plan. Knowing your work is shaping the direction of the business is a huge driver.

Your team's deep dive into churn reasons leads to a new customer success programme, and you see retention rates improve by 10% in the following quarter.

Building & Developing a High-Performing Team

You'll love coaching your direct reports, helping them grow their skills, and watching them succeed. Seeing an analyst you've mentored deliver a brilliant presentation to senior leadership will be incredibly rewarding.

One of your junior analysts, after your coaching, successfully leads a complex territory planning project from start to finish, earning recognition from the VP of Sales.

Solving Complex Business Puzzles

The sales world is full of messy, ambiguous problems. You'll thrive on taking a vague question like 'Why aren't we closing enough enterprise deals?' and breaking it down into a structured analytical project for your team to tackle.

You're tasked with figuring out why a new product launch isn't hitting its sales targets. You design an analytical framework, guide your team through the data, and uncover that the pricing model is misaligned with the target market.

What frustrates people

Sales leaders asking for 'just one more tweak' to the forecast until it hits their desired number, even if the data doesn't support it.
Dealing with legacy systems and poor data quality that force your team to spend too much time on data cleansing rather than analysis.
The constant tension between delivering quick, actionable insights and building robust, long-term analytical solutions.
Managing the political fallout when your team's analysis reveals uncomfortable truths about sales performance or strategy.
Recruiting and retaining top analytical talent in a competitive market, especially when your team is constantly in demand.

What this role does not give you

A purely technical, heads-down analytical role without people management or strategic influence.
A predictable, routine work schedule with minimal interruptions or urgent requests.
An environment where every single analytical project you start makes it to full implementation and delivers immediate, obvious results.
A role where you're always the 'good cop' – sometimes you'll have to deliver tough news backed by data.

8Who you work with

This role directly impacts the commercial success of the entire sales organisation. Your team's work underpins all major sales decisions: where to invest, how to compensate, and how to improve rep productivity. You'll be instrumental in driving revenue growth, optimising sales efficiency, and ensuring we have a data-driven culture across the sales floor. Get this right, and you'll see a tangible impact on our top and bottom lines.

Inside the business

VP of Sales & Regional Sales Directors
Marketing Leadership (for lead generation and campaign effectiveness)
Finance (for budgeting, forecasting accuracy, and commission payouts)
Product Management (for understanding product performance and market fit)
Data Engineering (for data pipeline and warehouse development)

Outside the business

Key vendors for sales analytics tools (e.g., Salesforce, Tableau)
Industry peers and professional networks (for best practices)
Recruitment agencies (for hiring top analytical talent)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

Proven experience (at least 5-8 years) as a Senior Sales Analyst or Lead Sales Analyst, demonstrating the ability to lead complex analytical projects independently.
Demonstrated experience managing or formally mentoring junior analysts, with a track record of developing talent.
Expert-level proficiency in at least two major sales analytics tools (e.g., Salesforce, Tableau, Excel with Power Query/DAX, SQL).
A strong portfolio of past analytical projects that clearly show strategic impact on sales performance or operations.
Experience presenting complex data and recommendations to senior-level business stakeholders (e.g., Directors, VPs).

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Data Product Management

As sales analytics becomes more sophisticated, your team will essentially be building 'data products' (dashboards, models, automated reports) for the sales organisation. You'll need to treat these like any other product, understanding user needs, managing a backlog, and ensuring adoption.

User-Centred Design for Analytics · Analytics Product Roadmap · Feedback Loops & Iteration · Data Storytelling at Scale

This quarter: Start thinking about your team's outputs as 'products'. Who are the users? What are their pain points? Hold informal 'user interviews' with sales leaders.
Next 3 months: Draft a simple 'product roadmap' for your team's key dashboards or reports, outlining planned enhancements and new features.
Next 6 months: Implement a structured feedback loop for your team's analytical outputs, perhaps a quarterly survey or dedicated user group.
Next 12 months: Explore tools or methodologies for managing an 'analytics backlog' and prioritising new requests like a product team would.

Quick win: For your next major dashboard, create a simple 'user guide' or 'how-to' video. You'll be surprised how much this helps adoption and reduces 'how do I use this?' questions.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up

Actively participate in industry forums and conferences focused on sales operations, revenue operations, or advanced analytics. We expect you to bring back new ideas and best practices.
Take on leadership roles in internal company initiatives that require data-driven decision-making, even if they're outside your direct remit. This builds influence and cross-functional experience.
Regularly engage with thought leaders in the sales analytics space, either through LinkedIn, webinars, or industry publications. Stay curious and informed.
Mentor junior colleagues, even outside your direct team. Sharing your knowledge and experience is a great way to solidify your own understanding and build your leadership skills.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI Governance & Ethical AI in Sales

As we use more AI for forecasting, lead scoring, and even sales coaching, understanding the ethical implications and ensuring fair, unbiased use becomes critical. Regulators and customers will demand transparency. You'll need to manage the 'black box' problem.

Bias Detection & Mitigation
Explainable AI (XAI)
Data Privacy & Security in AI
Model Monitoring & Drift Detection

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

Sales Forecasting & Modelling
Territory Planning & Quota Allocation
Pipeline Velocity & Health Analysis
Commission & Incentive Modelling
Data Architecture & Governance

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

1
From Senior Sales Analyst / Lead Sales Analyst
3-5 years in a senior individual contributor role.
Skills to master
- Moving from individual project ownership to leading multiple workstreams, mentoring junior team members, and presenting strategic insights to senior leadership. You'll need to develop your people management and strategic communication skills.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully led 2-3 major, cross-functional analytical projects end-to-end.
- Consistently sought out for advice and mentorship by junior analysts.
- Proactively identified and proposed solutions to significant business problems, beyond just fulfilling requests.
- Received positive feedback from senior stakeholders on your ability to communicate complex insights clearly and persuasively.
2
From Sales Operations Manager (with strong analytical background)
4-6 years in a Sales Operations leadership role.
Skills to master
- Deepening your analytical expertise and shifting focus from process execution to strategic data interpretation and team leadership within analytics. You'll need to strengthen your advanced modelling and data architecture skills.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully managed significant sales operations processes (e.g., forecasting cadence, territory management).
- Demonstrated a strong aptitude for data analysis, even if not your primary role.
- Has a track record of driving operational efficiency through data-driven insights.
- Comfortable presenting to and influencing senior sales leadership.
3
From Principal Analyst (in a different domain, e.g., Marketing, Finance)
5-7 years as a Principal Analyst, with some exposure to sales data.
Skills to master
- Translating your deep analytical skills to the specific context of sales, understanding sales methodologies, and building relationships with sales leadership. You'll need to quickly learn the nuances of sales data and commercial drivers.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven ability to lead complex analytical projects and influence stakeholders in your current domain.
- Strong desire to specialise in sales analytics and a demonstrated understanding of sales principles.
- Excellent transferable skills in data modelling, visualisation, and executive communication.
- Has actively sought out projects or learning opportunities related to sales or revenue data.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to larger leadership positions, specialist analytics roles, or senior commercial roles such as VP of Revenue Operations or Chief Revenue Officer.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Sales Analytics Manager is actually changing.

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Data Analytics, worked against Sales Analytics Manager.

Data Analytics Level 5

Applied to your work in Sales Analytics Manager

The objective of this unit is to enable learners to understand and apply data analytics techniques for decision-making. Learners will be able to apply descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytic methods, utilising statistical methods, to convert raw data into actionable insights and determine the best course of action.

How the thinking builds

1 Remember
2 Understand
3 Apply
4 Analyse
5 Evaluate
6 Create

An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

Start my Sales Analytics Manager plan, free

See Your Progress Grow Illustration

Sales Analytics Manager

Sales Forecasting & Modelling
Territory Planning & Quota Allocation
Pipeline Velocity & Health Analysis
Commission & Incentive Modelling
Data Architecture & Governance

This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Sales Analytics Manager is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

Director of Sales Operations & Analytics
3-5 years as Sales Analytics Manager.

From managing a team of analysts to overseeing the entire operational and analytical engine for the sales business unit. This includes forecasting, planning, tech stack, and process. You'll become a key strategic partner to the VP of Sales.
- Sales Tech Stack Strategy & Vendor Management
- Enterprise-level Process Optimisation
- Strategic Planning & Execution (multi-year horizon)
- M&A Due Diligence & Integration (operational aspects)
Principal Sales Strategist (Individual Contributor)
3-5 years as Sales Analytics Manager.

This path allows you to remain an individual contributor but at a much higher, strategic level. You'd be the 'go-to' expert for the most complex, ambiguous sales challenges, often working directly with the C-suite on special projects. You'd lead projects, not people.
- Advanced Econometric Modelling for Sales
- Market Entry & Expansion Strategy (data-driven)
- Competitive Intelligence & Scenario Planning
- Data Product Innovation & Design (hands-on)

Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

As a Sales Analytics Manager, your time is precious, and so is your team's. Imagine if your analysts could spend less time on tedious data prep and more time on high-value strategic thinking. Good news: AI isn't just a buzzword; it's a practical toolkit that can transform your team's productivity and the quality of their insights. We're actively integrating AI into our workflows, and you'll be at the forefront of driving this adoption.

We believe that AI isn't here to replace analysts, but to empower them. For a Sales Analytics Manager, this means using AI to automate the mundane, validate complex models, and even help craft compelling narratives. You'll guide your team on how to use these tools effectively, making sure they're not just faster, but smarter. It's about getting to the 'aha!' moments quicker and with more confidence.

Automated Data Validation & Cleaning

Use AI-powered tools to automatically scan large datasets from Salesforce or other sources, identifying anomalies, duplicates, and inconsistencies. Your team will spend significantly less time on data janitorial work, allowing them to focus on actual analysis. You can also use AI to suggest corrections or flag high-risk data points for manual review, ensuring data quality at scale.

Enhanced Predictive Modelling & Scenario Planning

Leverage AI/ML models to build more robust and unbiased sales forecasts, identifying subtle patterns that traditional methods might miss. Your team can use these models for advanced scenario planning, like predicting the impact of different commission structures or territory realignments, giving leadership a clearer picture of potential outcomes. You'll be validating and interpreting these outputs, not just building them.

Insight Generation & Narrative Drafting

Feed your team's analytical findings (dashboards, key metrics) into an AI to generate initial drafts of executive summaries, QBR narratives, or even internal communications. This helps overcome writer's block and ensures consistent messaging. You'll then refine and add your strategic layer, turning raw text into compelling, actionable stories for senior stakeholders.

Meeting & Call Analysis for Strategic Insights

Use AI platforms like Gong to automatically summarise sales calls, identify key trends in customer objections, competitor mentions, or effective sales pitches. This isn't just for individual reps; as a manager, you can use these aggregated insights to spot strategic coaching opportunities for the entire sales force or identify market shifts much faster. It's like having a super-listener for every sales conversation.

Common questions

How do you become a Sales Analytics Manager?

Common routes in include From Senior Sales Analyst / Lead Sales Analyst (3-5 years in a senior individual contributor role.), From Sales Operations Manager (with strong analytical background) (4-6 years in a Sales Operations leadership role.) and From Principal Analyst (in a different domain, e.g., Marketing, Finance) (5-7 years as a Principal Analyst, with some exposure to sales data.). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Sales Analytics Manager progress to?

This role can lead on to Director of Sales Operations & Analytics (3-5 years as Sales Analytics Manager.) and Principal Sales Strategist (Individual Contributor) (3-5 years as Sales Analytics Manager.), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Sales Analytics Manager?

Increasingly, AI Governance & Ethical AI in Sales. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Sales Analytics Manager plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.

Sales Analytics Manager

Where should we send it?

Two short quizzes about you

Will AI change your work as a Sales Analytics Manager?

What's rising in its place

AI Governance & Ethical AI in Sales

Skills this role draws on

Technical

How you actually get there, here

From Senior Sales Analyst / Lead Sales Analyst

From Sales Operations Manager (with strong analytical background)

From Principal Analyst (in a different domain, e.g., Marketing, Finance)

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

Roles this leads to

One to one, on the work you already do

Everything else the record holds

The career path, and where it branches

Director of Sales Operations & Analytics

Principal Sales Strategist (Individual Contributor)

Where AI is starting to help

Automated Data Validation & Cleaning

Enhanced Predictive Modelling & Scenario Planning

Insight Generation & Narrative Drafting

Meeting & Call Analysis for Strategic Insights

Common questions

Want a read on where you stand?