In 2024, sales leaders continue to grapple with an array of challenges that demands a delicate balance between strategic insight and operational agility. With sales executives facing an average 7.5% increase in quota while average win rates drop from 23% in 2022 to 19% in 2024, the pressure to build a more robust pipeline is mounting. As technology evolves and market dynamics shift, recent statistics and insights support the most significant challenges they face.

Adapting to AI and Automation

Integrating AI and automation into the sales process transforms how sales operations work. A  study by McKinsey reveals that 30% of sales activities can be automated¹, promising increased efficiency and reduced costs. Despite the volume of technology used to drive automation, Sales and Marketing ranked lower than other functions in the implementation of automation and AI. The challenge lies in ensuring that teams are adequately trained to harness these tools effectively with ease of use. Many contemporary solutions touting AI and automation require human intervention to complete manual tasks sooner than necessary to achieve maximum efficiency.

Lack of Resources to Manage the Data Overload

Sales executives have access to more data than ever before. However, rapid growth in data availability poses challenges for many executives and data professionals. Lack of expertise (56%) and lack of adequate technology (43%) top the challenges contributing to overly complex management and burnout.²  Without technology solutions equipped to autonomously manage data, extracting actionable insights becomes burdensome on over taxed sales leaders.  The right AI and automation partner can alleviate the data burden to enable decision-making to inform better sales strategies.

Maintaining Human Touch Among Rising Automation

Maintaining a personalized and human touch is essential for prospecting as automation increases. With the rise of automation and AI technology, a Salesforce report found that 79% of customers expect personalized interactions from sales representatives.³ Balancing technology and personal engagement is a key challenge. The expectation for increased personalization requires unique and authentic solutions for individual sales executives. Many solutions offer a handful of playbooks that lack the ability to adjust and mimic your team’s unique style.

Evolving Customer Expectations for Instant Gratification

The demand for instant responses places pressure on sales teams to be available around the clock leading to burnout. To take a sick day or PTO, account executives are likely to lose potential commissions in a world where instant gratification is expected. Modern buyers expect a seamless, personalized experience. According to a report by HubSpot, 82% of buyers expect an immediate response within 10 minutes from sales teams⁴. Adapting to these expectations requires continuous innovation and customer-centric approaches to provide relief for teams with technology that works for them so they can finally take a guilt-free vacation. 

Complex Sales Cycles

As quotas continue to rise and win rates decline, sales professionals navigate an increasingly complex sales cycle. B2B sales cycles are becoming more intricate, involving multiple decision-makers. According to Forrester, 63% of purchases have more than four decision makers involved⁵, requiring deeper relationships and more touch points for each sale. Account executives spend more time per sale investing in relationship building from middle of funnel to close while still trying to prospect for a healthy long-term pipeline. Sales leaders must focus on how to build efficiencies with automation to allow their sales teams to focus on actionable revenue and less time on chasing prospects with questionable revenue viability. 

Lead Generation and Qualification

Sales and Marketing teams struggle to efficiently deliver high-quality leads with a strong probability of generating revenue. Despite advancements in attribution and lead scoring models, teams spend significant time researching, nurturing, and converting leads – taking valuable resources from closing more advanced revenue opportunities. Generating high-quality leads and accurately qualifying them continues to slow the sales process. According to HubSpot, generating high-quality leads is a top challenge for marketers (61%)⁶, ultimately, limiting pipeline strength. Sales and Marketing leaders who are able to solve this hurdle with the right technology can alleviate the burden and ensure qualified lead generation without taxing their teams. 

Economic Uncertainty

Compounded with growing complexity in the sales process, economic uncertainty has led to the tightening of budgets and places increased pressure on sales teams to build a compelling case for how their solution will deliver measurable ROI. Global economic fluctuations and uncertainties can impact sales targets and budgets. A recent World Bank report predicts global economic growth to slow to 2.7% in 2024, adding pressure on companies to utilize their budgets for maximum results.⁷ 

Conclusion

Sales leaders in 2024 face a multifaceted set of challenges requiring a blend of strategic planning, technological adoption, and a focus on people and processes. Those who can effectively navigate these hurdles will be well-positioned to drive growth and achieve their objectives in an increasingly competitive landscape. As AI and automation continue to evolve, it is important for sales leaders to review their current sales process for areas, like prospecting, that their top talent is engaging in manual tasks and could benefit from autonomous AI solutions. 

At Sailes, we are focused on solving these challenges for sales leaders and their teams to allow for them to achieve their full Human potential. With personalized AI-native Sailebots, sales teams gain 15x their output and are able to focus on more Human-worthy tasks while Sailebot manages end-to-end prospecting hands- free. Schedule a demo to learn how Sailes can help you navigate the complex challenges in your sales process. 

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Resources

¹ Bangia, M., Cruz, G., Huber, I., Landauer, P., & Sunk, V. (2020, May). Sales automation: The key to boosting revenue and reducing costs. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Business%20Functions/Marketing%20and%20Sales/Our%20Insights/Sales%20automation%20The%20key%20to%20boosting%20revenue%20and%20reducing%20costs/sales-automation-the-key-to-boosting-revenue.ashx#:~:text=Cross%2Dfunctional%20research%20by%20the,in%20terms%20of%20automation%20potential.

² Sullivan, T. (2023, May 1). AI and the Global ‘Datasphere’: How Much Information Will Humanity Have By 2025? Retrieved from https://www.datauniverseevent.com/en-us/blog/general/AI-and-the-Global-Datasphere-How-Much-Information-Will-Humanity-Have-By-2025.html. 

³ ​​Salesforce. (2023). What Are Customer Expectations, and How Have They Changed? Retrieved from https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/customer-expectations/

⁴ Dick, J. (2021, January 19). Live Chat Exposes a Fatal Flaw in Your Go-to-Market. Retrieved from https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/live-chat-go-to-market-flaw

⁵ Caplow, B. (2021, March 3). Three Seismic Shifts In Buying Behavior From Forrester’s 2021 B2B Buying Study. Retrieved from https://www.forrester.com/blogs/three-seismic-shifts-in-buying-behavior-from-forresters-2021-b2b-buying-survey/

⁶ Sonder Digital. (2024, February). B2B Lead Generation Challenges and Strategies for Overcoming Them. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/b2b-lead-generation-challenges-strategies-overcoming.

⁷World Bank.(2024, June). Global Economic Prospects. Retrieved from https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/6feb9566-e973-4706-a4e1-b3b82a1a758d/content