Where do you see the future of sales heading?

I see 2 different places that sales is headed:

1. Do more with less. Brute force (hiring more) used to be the answer to growing sales. Now the strategy is to load up the top reps, keep them busy, and get the best from them before we even think of hiring someone else. Sales efficiency is key from a profitability standard which is where the market is right now.

2. AI. Not saying the robots are coming for our jobs just yet, but with technology now that automates so many manual processes, is it so far fetched that in the next 5 years technology can tell us who to sell to, how to contact them, and write the email itself? What about AI images that talk and you don't realize that they are not actual people? Does it feel so futuristic to believe AI can dial or Zoom someone, respond based on what is said, overcome objections, negotiate pricing, and automatically send out order forms?

There will always be a place for sales in some industries, especially emerging technologies where everything is new.

I think there’s a lot to be said about optimizing sales processes with AI. As software continues to improve this will allow AEs to be more productive, manage larger books of business, and deliver highly customized outbound messaging.

That said, given the sheer volume of outreach prospects receive today, it’s more important than ever to differentiate yourself, build your network, and establish yourself as a thought leader in your space. If I were an AE starting today, I’d focus on what I want to specialize in and start building relationships—not just with prospects and customers but also with partners in the ecosystem.

I think context, speed, and quality of sales conversation will be essential.

Prospects have less patience than ever, they expect you to know them, their industry, and have deep knowledge of everything in your business that might solve their problems. People expect lightning fast response rates - if I have to wait on hold for 5 minutes I'm hanging up the phone.

Sales reps who have a unique perspective that educates and helps the prospect, who respond incredibly fast, and prove that they can listen + are equipped with the systems and information to "stack the deck" so they start with as much context about the prospect as possible will win.