From visit counter to data strategist - why the Head of Sales needs to rethink
The golden age of the sales force is over – and that’s a good thing
For a long time, the sales force was the spearhead of B2B sales. A visit to the customer was considered more valuable than any digital campaign; personal contact was the measure of all things. But that time is over – not through a radical break, but through gradual change.
Today, travel costs have fallen and face-to-face meetings have become the exception – and not just since the pandemic. At the same time, customer expectations and information levels are rising. Those who buy are prepared, informed and often already have 70 % of the customer journey before a sales contact is even made.
But many companies remain stuck in the old way of thinking: sales force visits are counted, leads are evaluated based on gut feeling, marketing and sales operate in separate silos. Yet the market has long demanded a different kind of interaction – more agile, more data-based, more customer-centric.
The key challenge: changing customer journey, outdated sales models
The customer journey in B2B has become more complex – and faster at the same time. Customers research independently, obtain information via digital channels and expect coherence, quality and relevance across all touchpoints.
According to studies by McKinsey, Gartner and BCG, B2B buyers today use an average of 10 touchpoints in a purchase decision – twice as many as just a few years ago. The preferences are distributed across:
- One third face-to-face meetings
- One third remote interactions (video, telephone)
- One third digital self-service experiences
This so-called “rule of thirds” shows that no channel dominates any more – everyone is decisive. However, many sales organizations are still focused on the sales force – or rely on uncoordinated individual measures in digital marketing.
At the same time, AI is changing the rules of the game: Sales processes can now be analyzed, accelerated and scaled. Lead scoring, quote generation, customer communication – all of this can be automated if the systems are set up correctly.
The problem: many companies lack structured roles, clear workflows and a genuine interlinking of marketing and sales.
New currencies, new skills – what sales managers need to learn now
The transformation not only affects processes and structures – it also requires a new skills profile for sales managers. For heads of sales, sales managers and executives in the go-to-market environment in particular, this means that old formulas for success no longer work.
Today’s sales managers need a new understanding of digital currencies – and new tools to measure impact.
New currencies in sales:
- Impressions instead of visits: visibility in digital channels replaces contact frequency in the sales force.
- Engagement instead of call-backs: Who reacts, clicks, comments, shares – becomes the new target figure.
- Relevance instead of reach: Only those who show up at the right time with the right content will be remembered – and later invited.
- Forecasts instead of gut feeling: Data-based systems provide indications of willingness to buy, no longer just the gut feeling of the sales team.
New skills that heads of sales now need to develop:
- CRM & Funnel excellence
Today, the sales funnel doesn’t start with the inquiry, but with visibility. Sales management must understand how CRM systems work with content, marketing data and purchase intentions in order to recognize early indicators. - Mastering digital communication
Sales messages must be fast, relevant and to the point – in a mix of emotional differentiation and rational benefit argumentation. This also includes: the ability to vary tonalities depending on the channel, target group and phase of the journey. - Introducing and understanding new key figures
Conversion rates, engagement scores, intent signals, pipeline velocity – key figures replace appointments and visit reports. Sales managers must learn to align their strategy with data-based leading indicators – not just “deals won”. - Understanding AI – and using it strategically
Head of Sales who do not test AI themselves remain dependent on gut feeling. Today, modern tools provide behavioral forecasts for buyer groups, analyze purchase paths and automatically suggest next steps. A basic understanding of business intelligence, prompt control, automation and their limits is required.
Leadership in sales today is not just about managing people – it’s about intelligently orchestrating data, processes and systems.
Proven reality: sales is becoming hybrid – with massive effects on costs and impact
The studies are clear:
- In digitally positioned companies, the e-commerce channel is becoming the largest revenue driver, in some cases accounting for over 30 % of sales – ahead of the sales force.
- Inside sales is being expanded: Remote sales via video, telephone or chat is 50 % cheaper per contact than traditional field sales – and often more effective.
- Digital platforms and marketplaces are supplementing or replacing traditional sales channels. In China, for example, even large orders are processed digitally via Alibaba.com.
This means that the division of “marketing generates leads, sales sells” is outdated. Instead, the following applies:
Marketing and sales must take joint responsibility for the entire journey.
Solution approaches: New roles, new processes, new culture
- Common understanding of goals and KPIs
Both areas need a common set of success factors:
– Qualified leads
– Conversion rates across all touchpoints
– Time to close
– Costs per customer acquired - Revenue teams instead of functional silos
More and more companies are establishing so-called “demand squads” or “revenue teams”: interdisciplinary units from sales, marketing and customer success that develop accounts together. - Change in the distribution of tasks
– Marketing is not only responsible for awareness, but also for content for dialog
– Sales becomes a consultant, moderator and decision-maker – with tools instead of PowerPoint
– AI takes over routine processes, e.g. quotation proposals, meeting preparation, follow-ups - Hybrid First: combination of digital scaling and personal contact
Face-to-face meetings are used in a targeted manner – where trust, deals or complex negotiations are involved. The breadth of the market is processed digitally, the depth is cultivated in hybrid form.
Outlook: What will be decisive in the next three years
The next three years will determine whether companies catch up with the new sales reality or disappear into the midfield:
- Sales organizations will restructure themselves – with greater integration of data, marketing and technology.
- The use of technology will determine speed and quality: those who see AI as an add-on today will be left behind tomorrow.
- Communication will be the number one sales factor – not in the form of glossy brochures, but through relevant, dynamic content tailored to target groups.
Conclusion: The new sales force does not start in the field – but in collaboration
Change is not the future It is the present. Those who start to understand marketing and sales as an integrated system today will create customer proximity, relevance and growth tomorrow. And this is exactly what is needed at a time when it is no longer just products that are competing – but stories, touchpoints and answers.
Author
Kai Sievers
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