Sellers who effectively partner with AI tools are 3.7X more likely to meet quota than those who do not, a new survey revealed. “Portrait of the New High-Performing Seller” — fielded by Gartner — queried more than 1,000 B2B sellers from January through March 2024 to understand what skills are needed to excel in the changing B2B environment.
In addition to AI’s role in quota attainment, other top competencies that increased the likelihood of quota attainment included:
- Tactical flexibility — the ability to adjust, adapt and innovate on sales approaches — produced a 3.4X increase; while
- Mentalizing, which includes inferring unspoken beliefs, feelings and intentions to predict and influence buying behavior, generated a 2.9X increase.
“Chief sales officers (CSOs) must prepare their sellers for the shifting landscape in B2B buying,” said Antra Sharma, Principal, Research in the Gartner Sales Practice, in a statement. “By prioritizing 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 that 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 organizations.
“Sellers are overwhelmed by the number of skills they perceive as necessary for success,” said Michael Katz, Senior Director, Research, in the Gartner Sales Practice, in a statement. “Sales leaders must support their sellers in developing key competencies, or risk undermining productivity and potentially leading to burnout and disengagement.”
