Sellers who effectively partner with AI tools are 3,7-times more likely to meet quota than those who do not, according to a new survey form Gartner, which surveyed 1 026 B2B sellers in January through March to understand what skills are needed to excel in a changing B2B environment.
In addition to AI partnership, other top competencies include tactical flexibility and mentalising – which increase the likelihood of quota attainment by 3,4-times and 2,9-times respectively. Tactical flexibility is the ability to adjust, adapt and innovate on sales approaches. Mentalising is the seller’s ability to infer unspoken beliefs, feelings, and intentions to predict and influence buyer behaviour.
“Chief sales officers (CSOs) must prepare their sellers for the shifting landscape in B2B buying,” says Antra Sharma, principal: research in the Gartner Sales practice. “By prioritising the competencies and skills that drive commercial results in the current buying environment, CSOs can refine their talent strategy to augment these skills and drive long-term skill adoption through targeted training, compensation, and career pathing.”
The survey also revealed 72% of sellers feel overwhelmed by the number of skills required for their job – and 50% are overwhelmed by the amount of technology needed. Overwhelmed sellers are 45% less likely to attain quota leading to worsened commercial outcomes for their organisations.
“Sellers are overwhelmed by the number of skills they perceive as necessary for success,” says Michael Katz, senior director: research, in the Gartner Sales practice. “Sales leaders must support their sellers in developing key competencies, or risk undermining productivity and potentially leading to burnout and disengagement.”
To foster the competencies of high-performing sellers within their sales teams, CSOs must:
- Prioritise upskilling on the seller competencies that align with the shifts in the B2B buying environment and have the most significant impact on commercial results.
- Drive long-term skill adoption by embedding it into key aspects of the seller’s job such as compensation and career pathing.
- Build or modify a competency model that highlights the behaviours associated with each prioritised skill and how they relate to technology.