The Commercial Insight Strategist
Unlock new possibilities in every customer conversation
The most successful key account teams today have one thing in common: they don’t lead with products, they lead with insight.
The Commercial Insight Strategist (CIS) sharpens that edge-helping teams cut through noise, uncover what matters most to the customer, and move faster toward outcomes that matter.
From selling products to selling what's possible
The account management landscape is changing. Traditional approaches that focus on pushing products often fall short, failing to meet customers’ evolving needs and expectations. Today’s buyers are looking for partners who understand their unique goals and can lead them toward impactful outcomes.
The Commercial Insight Strategist (CIS) redefines the role of account management by focusing on what’s possible for the customer—not just the product. A CIS uses deep customer insights, outcome-oriented strategies, and advanced frameworks to guide customers toward solutions that align with their specific goals. This shift isn’t just a sales tactic; it’s a new way of thinking about customer success.
Built for the team. Tuned for the customer.
Enterprise customers haven’t just changed what they buy—they’ve changed how they buy. More stakeholders, more scrutiny, more moving parts. And most account teams are still relying on roles built for a different era.
That’s why we created the Commercial Insight Strategist (CIS). Not to manage deals. Not to push products. But to help the account team see what’s changing inside the customer—and act on it before the moment passes.
CISs don’t replace the Strategic Account Manager. They sharpen them. They connect dots across signals, trends, and shifting priorities to help the team stay one step ahead—equipped with the insight advantage it needs to drive real progress for the customer.
AI-enabled insights
Equip your team with cutting edge research tools for deeper customer understanding
Outcome-led strategy
CISs align customer pain to business priorities—helping teams shape the pursuit around outcomes, not offers.
Insight-driven engagement
Help SAMs lead with relevance. CISs give account teams the insight edge to drive sharper, more confident conversations.
Turning insight into action: The CIS advantage
In the evolving landscape of enterprise sales, identifying opportunities is just the beginning. The Commercial Insight Strategist (CIS) ensures that these insights are translated into actionable strategies that drive measurable outcomes.
By fostering collaboration within account teams, CISs streamline communication, ensuring that every member is aligned with the client’s evolving priorities. Their expertise in navigating complex organizational structures allows for the identification of key stakeholders and the tailoring of approaches that resonate deeply.
Real-world Impact
How one CIS turned a risk into a growth play
The insight
A CIS spotted an emerging regulatory shift around product traceability – something the client hadn’t yet prioritized or planned for. By monitoring industry news, competitor behavior, and internal account chatter, they surfaced a signal others hadn’t caught.
The move
Instead of waiting for the issue to escalate, the CIS guided the team to reposition their message- highlighting how the customer could stay ahead of compliance risk and lead on traceability outcomes. The team came to the table early- with relevance, not reaction.
The outcome
A standard renewal turned into a growth play. The client shifted from passive response to proactive leadership, and the account team expanded their footprint by tying value to a top-priority outcome- before competitors even knew it was in play.
Master the skills that make insights work
The Polaris I/O CIS Certification Program develops the real capabilities that modern account teams need to win. This isn’t checkbox training. It’s a hands-on path to mastering insight application, pattern recognition, and outcome-led strategy.
Participants work through real-world challenges, practice how to uncover customer priorities early, reframe opportunities with confidence, and guide their team’s next move with clarity.
Every lesson is grounded in what CISs actually do- because this role was built to move with the pace and pressure of enterprise sales.
Learn by doing. Deliver with confidence.
The CIS Certification Program is immersive from the start. Participants work through realistic scenarios, apply proven frameworks, and sharpen their decision-making in contexts that reflect real key account challenges.
Each course builds the way we listen, think, and engage – developing the instincts and insight skills that elevate team strategy and accelerate customer momentum.
GTC Programs participants will experience:
Apply tools like Model–Map–Match to identify real customer outcomes, align internal efforts, and drive forward pursuit strategy.
Every lesson includes situations pulled from actual enterprise sales challenges – so participants gain confidence in what they’ll face on the job.
Participants develop the ability to think beyond solutions – to ask sharper questions, surface risks, and stay focused on what the customer is really trying to solve.
CISs learn how to sift through AI-curated information to surface patterns, shifts, and signals that change the conversation before competitors even catch on.
As featured in SAMA Velocity
The Commercial Insight Strategist: A new role built for what’s next
Polaris I/O’s feature in SAMA's Spring 2025 Velocity issue explores why Go to Customer is taking root—and how new roles, tools, and team motions are helping enterprises adapt.