Sales Talent Is a Problem. Is it Worth Solving?

In our past several posts, we’ve discussed several insights from the recent 2018 Sales Talent Study, highlighting a series of talent challenges plaguing sales leaders. With most (84.5%) sales leaders not convinced that they have the talent needed to succeed in the future, there are clearly problems to be solved. Yet, it’s worth pondering a philosophical question… Do we still need sales talent at all?
The question may not be as far-fetched as it sounds:
Buyers are getting used to minimal sales involvement. Our Buyer Preferences Study confirmed that B2B buyers don’t see salespeople as problem-solvers. Buyers engage sellers later and later in the sales process, when there is less differentiation to be demonstrated. Not surprisingly, this coincides with a sharp rise in B2B eCommerce. According to some estimates, B2B eCommerce is on track to outpace B2C online retail purchasing in the next several years.
It’s increasingly possible to shrink the span of