State of Sales in the AI Age

The highest performing sellers call on buyers who are already halfway sold when they walk in the door.

How do you ask? Easy, by leveraging various facets of marketing: branding, market analysis and combining it with high performant outreach.

Welcome to the wild world of sales in the digital age, where sellers armed with tech wizardry are conquering quotas and making traditional cold calls seem as ancient as a fax machine.

Chapter 1: Tech-Tastic Trends

Remember when your sales toolbox consisted of a phone and a Rolodex? Well, those days are long gone. In fact, a whopping 91% of sellers at big companies now use sales tech weekly. Thanks, pandemic, for supercharging the growth of the sales tech stack!

Chapter 2: The Top Guns of Tech

Ever wondered what separates the sales champs from the rest? Here's the scoop: 80% of sellers who crushed their quotas rely on sales tech weekly. These top performers are also the CRM nerds, spending 18% more time than the average Joe updating their CRM systems.

Chapter 3: The Research Renaissance

Prepare to be amazed! A staggering 75% of sellers have become research wizards in the past year. Why? Because knowledge is power, and top performers are using tech to sharpen their targeting and efficiency.

Chapter 4: Pandemic vs. Sales Process

Remote work is all the rage, with 61% of buyers working from their pajamas more than half the time. Cue the remote job postings, which skyrocketed 200% in the US and Canada. Turns out, 55% of buyers find buying easier in their cozy home offices. Who knew?

Chapter 5: Warm Calls: The Hug of Sales

Cold calls? Pff, that's so last century. Almost 90% of sellers now prefer warm calls, where research is king. A whopping 75% are diving headfirst into the data pool to craft tailored pitches. And guess what? 37% more sellers are stalking... uh, viewing buyers' LinkedIn profiles before sliding into those InMail DMs.

Chapter 6: The Tech Continuum

Sales technology isn't just a tool; it's a lifestyle. 80% of quota-smashing sellers embrace it weekly, and 97% of all sellers can't live without CRM and sales intelligence tools. In fact, 69% are planning to tech-up even more this year.

Chapter 7: Data-Driven Dominance

Data is the secret sauce, baby! Whether it's selecting target accounts (69%), sizing up seller performance (67%), or homing in on industries (61%), data is the compass. And LinkedIn Sales Insights? That's the treasure map!

Chapter 8: Data Dilemmas

Ah, data, the necessary evil. Almost half (48%) of sellers are plagued by incomplete data. Meanwhile, 41% are caught in the labyrinth of inaccurate CRM and market data.

Chapter 9: Tech Titans of Sales

Meet the superheroes of sales, the ones who research 'til their eyes bleed. 82% of top performers never make a move without researching. They also spend 10% less time selling (yup, less is more) and 18% more time nurturing their CRM systems. Is it dedication or obsession? You decide.

Chapter 10: LinkedIn - The Holy Grail

LinkedIn isn't just for stalking your ex. It's the secret sauce for top performers who want to expand their network (53%), write articles (53% again), and wield LinkedIn Sales Navigator like Thor's hammer (37% more likely).

Chapter 11: The Buyer Rules

In a world where 70% of quota crushers always put the buyer first, you either adapt or die. Top performers are shaping buyer opinions and influencing decisions. Don't be surprised when they become the Jedi of the sales galaxy.

Chapter 12: Marketing Love

Marketing leads? For 70% of top performers, they're "excellent." Yep, marketing and sales are now besties, sharing insights and secrets. Who knew?

Chapter 13: The AI Invasion

Picture this: a world where AI is your trusty sidekick in the sales game. It's not science fiction anymore; it's the real deal. A quarter (26%) of revenue leaders have already embraced AI in their Go-To-Market (GTM) process, while another 26% are gearing up for the AI revolution in the next 12 months. The driving force behind this AI love affair? Boosting sales productivity, of course!

Chapter 14: The Art of Personalization

Reps, let's talk about personalization. It's not just a buzzword; it's the secret sauce for deal success. These sales champions know it well. They're customizing a whopping 58% of all their outgoing content. How? Well, they're spending up to 12 precious hours each week crafting personalized messages. Some are diving into pre-defined templates, while others are creating outreach from scratch. Why? Because personalization matters, and they're willing to put in the work.

Chapter 15: AI's Role in Sales

Now, let's get down to AI business. Surprisingly, nearly half (49%) of sellers are yet to experience the magic of AI. They're missing out on a game-changer that could revolutionize their sales game.

Chapter 16: The Personalization Marathon

When it comes to personalization, sellers are putting in the miles. On average, they spend 5.9 hours customizing pre-written content and an additional 6.2 hours crafting personalized messages from the ground up every single week. That's dedication! And here's the kicker: a whopping 78% of reps are eagerly awaiting the day AI swoops in to lend a hand in making those personalized sales pitches.

So, there you have it—sales, tech, personalization, and AI. It's a brave new world out there, where technology and personal touch coexist in a delicate dance. Are you ready to join the ranks of the tech-savvy sales champs? Stay tuned for the next chapter in the ever-evolving saga of modern sales!

Sources:

Linkedin State of Sales 2022: https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/the-state-of-sales-2022-report#regions

Gong State of Sales 2023: https://www.gong.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/The-State-of-Sales-Engagement.pdf