Sales Readiness for 2025 – Key Insights & Next Steps
As 2024 wrapped up, we conducted our annual Sales Future Readiness Assessment, drawing on key sales effectiveness insights for 2025 from leading research firms such as RAIN, Gartner, Bain, and others. Benchmarking teams against industry best practices and emerging trends, we evaluated over 10 key focus areas across strategy, customer engagement, talent development, and sales enablement—revealing clear patterns and opportunities for growth.
Managing Longer Sales Cycles in Tougher Times
These days, sales are taking longer than usual. With inflation, higher interest rates, and shrinking budgets, buyers are more careful, focusing only on must-haves. Sales professionals are noticing the effects — more delays, more objections, and fewer big-ticket purchases. The challenge isn’t just the extra time it takes to close a deal but also the fact that deal sizes are shrinking as companies cut spending wherever they can.
I am in Sales, but I’m not on LinkedIn! Should I be worried about Networking?
In the competitive world of sales, networking is not just an ancillary activity; it is a fundamental aspect of success. The power of networking lies in its ability to create meaningful connections, foster professional growth, and open doors to new opportunities – as well as obtain introductions to target prospects.
90% of Sales Professionals Do Not Know How To Ask Good Questions…
Is your team part of the other ten percent – or do you need help with that?
Studies have shown that 90 percent of seasoned “sales professionals” do not know how to ask good questions or are afraid to ask them. That’s a staggering number: 9 out of 10….!