A recurring topic of discussion with my clients is whether B2B selling is getting more difficult. The consensus response is that it is getting much harder. Evidence would bear this out as Salesforce.com reported that 57% of sales reps would miss quota in 2019 (I’ve found no data on the final tally). When I ask sales reps and sales managers why, I typically get responses like “There’s more competition… Customers have access to more information… Our offerings are becoming a commodity and lowest price wins… etc.”

But are these really the root causes or symptoms? While we sell for a living, we too often forget that customers don’t buy for a living. Rather, they are in the business of their business. Fortunately, there’s growing interest and research into this phenomenon, which I believe sheds a light on the underlying issues – as well as the opportunities for sellers.