SEVENTH EDITION
Sales insights from 4,480 small to mid-size businesses on how well their sales organizations are functioning.
Watch the recording: State of Sales Webinar, hosted by Sales Xceleration President, Maura Kautsky!
Our data reveals that SMBs are lacking in the four sales pillars:
By focusing on these areas, small to mid-size businesses can more effectively position themselves for sales growth in 2025.
In today’s competitive business world, a high-performing sales team is essential. Learn the four pillars that separate thriving teams from the rest.
SMALL TO MID-SIZE BUSINESSES
Ranging from $1M to $300M Revenue
ONE PERSON PER COMPANY
We use the results of one person per company (CEO, President, or COO)
TYPES OF COMPANIES
88% B2B and 12% B2C
NUMBER OF ASSESSMENTS
We analyzed 4,480 Sales Agility Assessments of SMBs
LOCATIONS
United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS
54 questions, all must be answered to include data insights
For many small to mid-sized businesses, 2024 brought challenges to their sales organizations—a pattern we often see during election years. The outcome? A staggering overall 79% poor rating. To better understand these shortcomings, we broke down the four key areas of sales along with insights on changes from last year to this year. Click on the dots below to uncover the four categories.
Sales Playbook, Value Proposition, Ideal Client Profile, Buyer Persona, Competitors, KPIs & Tracking
Sales Process, Artificial Intelligence (AI), CRM Usage, Forecasting, Territories, Coverage
Team & Individual Sales Goals, Quotas, Metrics & Reporting
Roles & Responsibilities, Hiring, Onboarding, Training & Coaching, Compensation & Incentives, Team & Individual Sales Meetings
Customers are researching extensively before making purchasing decisions
Cold calling and mass email campaigns are increasingly ignored
Automated insights and personalized experiences are key to staying ahead
Our data shows CEOs and Sales Leaders are not aligned in how well the sales team is performing, leading to:
Yet, 85% of companies lack a clear sales strategy, which can leave them struggling to drive consistent growth. A well-defined sales strategy:
Without one, businesses struggle to stay ahead of competitors and miss out on valuable sales opportunities.
Sales Playbook, Value Proposition, Ideal Client Profile, Buyer Persona, Competitors, KPIs & Tracking
❌ Companies report lacking a comprehensive guide to unify their team’s sales methodology and go-to-market approach.
This gap creates inconsistency, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities in the sales process.
Without a unified strategy, how can your team perform at its best?
Sales Process, Artificial Intelligence (AI), CRM Usage, Forecasting, Territories, Coverage
AI-driven insights offer a way forward, helping sales teams optimize resources and make smarter, faster decisions.
72% of companies have started to use an AI tool
85% have not found a way to leverage AI to be a Force Multiplier to support sales growth
Allows sales reps to focus on active listening and building relationships and recaps the key points to focus on in the next step of the sales process.
Tools designed to identify high-potential leads, streamline outreach efforts, and effectively build a robust and qualified sales pipeline.
Personalization messages can increase revenue by an average of 25%. This resonates more with prospects as it conveys you understand their needs and how to solve them.
Team & Individual Sales Goals, Quotas, Metrics & Reporting
They do not have sales metrics clearly defined and understood by the entire sales team. 64% of leadership do not have real-time insight into current sales performance.
Without these guidelines, teams risk losing focus and missing key opportunities. Metrics aren’t just numbers; they’re the foundation for accountability and growth.
Roles & Responsibilities, Hiring, Onboarding, Training & Coaching, Compensation & Incentives, Team & Individual Sales Meetings
68% of sales teams do not have weekly one-on-one meetings with their sales leader, meaning only 32% teams do it.
Weekly meetings allow sales teams to:
Our highly experienced Certified Sales Leaders specialize in crafting proven sales growth plan tailored to your company’s unique needs. Discover the proven process they use to assess how to support an organization:
Let us handle your sales challenges, while you focus on running your business. Partner with us to achieve your sales goals with confidence.
We’ve uncovered what’s working – and what’s not.
The topics covered above are just a glimpse into what puts a company on the path to sales success. It is essential to:
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*Data compiled from client results from 4,480+ completed SAA 4.0s pre-engagement from 12/1/2018 – 12/31/24. ©Sales Xceleration.
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We’ve uncovered what’s working – and what’s not. If you are facing sales challenges, download our eBook to learn tangible steps for improvement.