Key Takeaways: Survey of over 7,700 sales professionals from 38 countries highlights how sales teams are using technology to meet rising customer demands and boost productivity. However, less than 30% of their time is spent on actual selling.

Current Challenges:

• Only 30% of sales teams expect to meet their quotas this year.
• Reps are bogged down with administrative tasks, reducing their selling time.

Insights from Salesforce's State of Sales Report:

1. Tech Stack Consolidation: Sales teams use an average of 10 tools, but 94% plan to streamline these tools to enhance productivity.
2. Cross-Team Collaboration: 81% of reps believe team selling helps close deals faster.
3. Risk Management: 55% of sales leaders prioritize low-risk, steady-growth initiatives.
4. Improving Seller Experience: High turnover rates and budget constraints are major issues, with 25% of sales teams experiencing turnover and 85% of leaders struggling to secure headcount budgets.

“We are adapting to tight budgets and high operating margins. Our role is to help customers find efficiency and productivity gains.”

- Adam Gilberd, EVP Sales at Salesforce

Additional Findings:

• Tougher Environment: 69% of sales professionals find selling harder now due to competition and resource constraints.
• Customer Expectations: 73% of customers expect personalized advice, and over 80% of reps say buyers do extensive research before reaching out.

Sales Operations Role:

• Reps spend only 28% of their time selling.
• Sales ops are now seen as strategic partners, focusing on efficiency and cost-saving measures.
• 65% of sales leaders view sales ops as crucial to strategy, up from 54% in 2020.

Adapting to the New Landscape:

• Consolidating tech stacks and increasing coaching can help meet targets.
• 75% of sales professionals are confident in retraining for the new sales environment.

Conclusion: Sales teams must streamline tools, improve cross-team collaboration, and enhance the seller experience to navigate the current challenging landscape.

Source: https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/sales-research-2023/