The State of Sales 2017
A LinkedIn survey on sales technology,
adoption and success
CENSUSWIDE
THE SURVEY CONSULTANTS
The ‘Sales Tech Revolution’
is in full swing
At a time when new
technologies are transforming
virtually every aspect of our
professional lives – from the way
we do our jobs to the very nature
of the work – a significant shift in
sales tech is happening right in
the heart of sales.
1
Investment in sales technology is increasing,
particularly in emerging technologies like
social tech. B2B sales tools are expensive.
When companies commit to purchasing sales
technology to integrate into their businesses,
they are spending millions, not thousands,
of dollars.
In our second annual State of Sales report, we saw strong ■■ Technology builds trust, the crucial ingredient.
evidence that companies will increase this spending. Our Good relationships are the cornerstone of a
key findings include: successful sales process. Compared to economic
considerations, such as price or the return on
■■ Use of in sales tech is accelerating. From investment, trust comes out as the most important
professional social networking sites, to CRM and factor when closing the deal.
productivity apps - sales teams are increasing their
spend year over year on new technology. To examine these trends and take stock of the state of
sales technology today, we commissioned CensusWide,
■■ Social tech is rising dramatically. Over the years, a global research fieldwork and consultancy company, to
the leveraging of social networks has grown from a conduct this year’s State of Sales 2017 report. Two online
little known tactic, to an approach embraced by a surveys were conducted between April 13th - 28th.
majority of sales professionals. While it is being used
regularly today, and is proven to be instrumental The first was to a sample of 1086 professionals from
in helping top salespeople exceed their targets, the United States who primarily work in B2B sales.
indications point that it will be used more frequently The second was a sample of 1015 business decision
in the future. makers from the United States who have influence over
purchasing decisions. Both samples were aged over 21
■■ Millennials are early adopters, but seasoned years old and employed at companies of different sizes
professionals are catching on. Younger and functions.
salespeople are pioneering new technology, and
younger decision makers are turning to social media
more readily. But Generation X and Baby Boomer
sales professionals aren’t too far behind.
2
PART 1
Investment in sales
tech is increasing
Sales technology is
already deeply embedded
in organizations.
3
Today, more than 91% of sales professionals say Additional findings include:
that they are using such technologies to shorten
lengthy sales cycles, close bigger deals and grow ■■ Sales tools are used by nearly all top sales
their revenue, with only 9% reporting that they are not professionals In fact, 98% of top salespeople
using any sales technology at all. Now, more than ever, report using sales technology on the job
the digital sales stack has become just as essential to and only a small minority — 2% — use no sales
sales as the time-honored handshake. tools whatsoever.
And this revolution shows no sign of slowing down. ■■ The type of sales role influences which tools
More than half of all sales professionals (55%) are used. Inside sales account executives are
surveyed expect their company will increase particularly tech savvy. Almost half (46%) use
technology investments in 2017, an increase from CRM tools, and 40% use productivity apps.
36% in last year’s State of Sales study. What’s more,
■■ Lead-generating sales professionals are
for top salespeople, those who exceeded their
biggest tech users. 60% of sales professionals
projected target revenue by more than 25%,
whose job is generating new accounts report using
this figure jumps to 73%.
collaboration tools.
According to this year’s survey, 90% of sales
■■ 50% of those focused on managing and
professionals report that sales technology is
growing accounts are using collaboration
either “important” or “very important” for closing
tools to maintain and nurture relationships.
deals. Respondents say it is the insights that technology
can provide on their prospects that make the biggest
difference. By leveraging professional and social
networks, salespeople can gain a clearer understanding
of customers and their needs.
The survey also found that top performing
salespeople are more likely to use a multi-layered,
technology-first approach that leverages sales
intelligence tools for deep research, CRM to manage
relationships, and enterprise communication tools to
work across their team.
Technology used by sales people
Collaboration tools
Networking platforms
Enterprise communications
CRM tools
Sales intelligence tools
Productivity apps
Email tracking tools
No technology used
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Total Top Salespeople
4
PART 2
Social tech leads the way
Over the years, the leveraging
of social networks has grown
from a little known tactic, to
an approach embraced by a
majority of sales professionals.
5
While it’s being used regularly today, and is proven Moreover, 9 out of 10 sales professionals surveyed who
to be instrumental in helping top salespeople exceed actively use social tech techniques today agree that it
their targets, indications point that it will be used more helps them (1) connect with the right prospects at the
frequently in the future. right time, (2) build stronger relationships with customers,
and (3) establish a stronger professional brand.
And there’s also evidence that cold-calling is no longer
having an impact. When today’s buyer wants information This year’s findings clearly show that incorporating social
about a product or service, they are looking for material networks into a sales strategy is connected with sales
that is useful, relevant and, most of all, not overly “salesy”. success. More than half (62%) of top salespeople
strongly attribute closing more deals to this effort,
Reaching out to prospects through cold calling is not as compared to 42% of all professionals.
effective. A third (32%) of business decision makers would
respond to a cold call less than ten percent of the time. What’s more, nearly all (94%) agree it provides them
However, they are more likely to respond to someone that with valuable insights into trigger points like job
was introduced through their professional network. changes, promotions and news mentions which
create an organic way to connect with customers
Strategically leveraging social networks continues to be a and prospects. This is now an expectation with 77%
powerful tactic that is resulting in meaningful impact and of buyers saying that they wouldn’t engage with
bridging buyer-seller gaps. Being in tune with a buyer’s a salesperson if they didn’t do the necessary
social media activities makes it easier to connect the dots homework that would give them insights or
and deliver a more tailored, customized experience from knowledge into their business.
a place of real context. In fact, this experience is so
important that 64% of B2B decision makers said Social networks are an important tool for B2B decision
they wouldn’t engage with a salesperson if makers, too. A strong majority of respondents (62%) say
the communication was not personalized. they look for an informative LinkedIn profile when deciding
whether to work with salespeople. Additionally, 85% of
As a result 70% of sales professionals expect to those surveyed consider it important for salespeople to
invest more time leveraging social tech techniques be connected to other people at their company.
in the next twelve months. This is a striking increase
from the 48% who felt this way in last year’s study.
Percentage of time decision makers respond to salesperson
I never respond
Less than 30% of the time
Between 30% and 70% of the time
More than 70% of the time
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
When introduced through professional network When cold called
6
'Strongly agree' with the benefits of using social technologies
Helps me close more
deals at my company
Helps connect with
the right prospects
Enables me to build a
stronger professional brand
Provides insight into key
moments for connecting with
customers and prospects
Enables me to build
stronger relationships with
customers and prospects
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Top salespeople All salespeople
I am more likely to consider a brand's products services if their sales rep(s)...
Demonstrate a clear understanding
of our business needs
Share content applicable to my role
in the decision-making process
Provide personalized communication
Have a clear understanding of my role in
the decision-making process
Target appropriate people at my
company for initial discussions
Are connected to others at my company
Reach out through other social channels
Have an informative LinkedIn profile
0 20 40 60 80 100
Agree Strongly agree
7
PART 3
Millennials are early adopters,
but seasoned professionals
are catching on
8
Our study finds that while millennials are
leveraging a variety of sales technology tools
as part of their daily sales strategy, their more
seasoned counterparts are also adopting
these tools, albeit to a lesser degree.
In particular, collaboration tools such as Box, From the client-side perspective, millennial decision-
Google Docs, Microsoft Office and Dropbox are makers are turning to social media more readily.
now used by 59% of millennials, compared to According to the survey, 62% of millennials
40% of Baby Boomers. regularly look up sales professionals on social
media, compared to 54% of Generation X and 31% of
However, younger sales professionals are Baby Boomers.
championing productivity apps at much higher
rates. Tools like Asana, Smartsheet and Trello Additionally, 69% are more likely to speak with a
are more frequently used by millennials with 40% sales professional that has a professional social
using them, compared to 24% of Generation X, and media presence, compared to 58% of Generation X
17% of Baby Boomers. and 33% of Baby Boomers.
What’s more 39% of millennials are using enterprise
communication tools such as Salesforce Chatter
and Slack. In contrast, only 15% of Baby Boomers are
using these tools to talk internally with colleagues.
9
PART 4
Technology builds trust,
the crucial ingredient
Good relationships are
the cornerstone of a
successful sales process.
10
Compared to economic considerations, such as price Salespeople who reach this status are no longer seen by
or the return on investment, trust comes out as the decision-makers as being solely driven by the prospect of
most important factor when closing the deal. a sale; rather they’re expected to be – and need to be –
well-informed about the prospect’s business and focused
Relationships have always been at the heart of sales, on building the relationship.
and trust is at the core of it. In today’s increasingly
complex sales environment, building rapport and When asked what would make decision makers more
establishing trust with buyers is just as important, and likely to engage with a sales professional with whom
seemingly easier if sales professionals leverage their they were introduced through a colleague in their
sales stack the right way. professional network, 45% stated that the most
important factor was that they mention specific
Salespeople no longer aim for the steak dinner and the information relevant to their current job. Sales
hard sell; these days they opt for a softer, more strategic technology helps establish trust because it enhances
approach by mixing both online and offline experiences the seller’s ability to demonstrate knowledge and
and establishing themselves as trusted advisors. Social understanding of a prospect.
platforms make it possible for sales professionals to build
a professional brand which shows the full scope of who In fact, more than three-quarters of decision makers
they are and their industry knowledge. It’s through social (79%) agree that the negative portrayals of sales
that buyers can get a good sense of who the seller is, don’t do the profession justice. They are more likely
not view them strictly through the lens of the deal that’s to describe sales professionals as “trustworthy” and
on the table. “fair” — a far cry from how the media has historically
depicted salespeople.
Comparison of perceptions of the sales profession
Ruthless
Trustworthy
Aggressive
Genuine
Fair
Honest
Sneaky
Male dominated
High integrity
Devious
Honorable
Inclusive
Equal opportunities
0 10 20 30 40 50
How represented in the How experienced
media to decision makers by decision makers
11
And for sales professionals themselves, trust is According to 39% of
paramount as well. According to 39% of respondents,
trust in their relationship with a client is the single most respondents, trust in their
important aspect of closing a deal. relationship with a client is the
By comparison, 33% of respondents cited “return on single most important aspect
investment” as most important, and only 13% reported
“price” as the key factor.
of closing a deal.
What factor is most important in helping you close a deal?
Other Price
7% 13%
Strategic
counsel
8%
Return on
investment 33%
Trust in our
39% relationship
12
CONCLUSION
Sales technology FOOTNOTE
The technology sales stack has three
is changing the
primary layers:
■■ Professional and social networking platforms
game for sellers. which cull crucial insight and build engagement
(e.g. LinkedIn and Facebook).
■■ Customer relationship management (CRM)
tools which build stronger and more productive
relationships (e.g. Salesforce and Microsoft
It is making them smarter about their prospects and Dynamics).
customers, enabling them to surface the hard to find
information that the offline world doesn’t offer. It’s also ■■ Communication and collaboration tools which
making them more efficient and productive, while helping facilitate work between large teams (e.g. email,
them transform their position with buyers, and evolve Dropbox and Google Drive).
their role from vendors to advisors.
The greater resource investment from companies in this
sales tech revolution is making a difference in how buyers
and sellers connect, and creating a path forward which
shows no signs of slowing down.
13
CENSUSWIDE
THE SURVEY CONSULTANTS
