Scrolling LinkedIn, I barely get past five posts before seeing an expert proclaiming "sales is broken" or "what worked before isn't working." While some are sensationalist, most are thoughtful - and correct. For most revenue teams, 2023 has been a year of adaptation. Quota attainment is falling, sales cycles are lengthening, buyer frustration is real (I say this as someone that gets an average of 13 cold calls a day).

Everyone wants to say the sky is suddenly falling, but the reality is this is not a sudden change. It's been a gradual shift, with too many just now realizing how impactful it really is.

Today's buyers are digital natives. Regardless of the polished sales process, the sophisticated email sequence and workflow, the mutual action plan put in place - the buyers are calling the shots and making the choices about how and when they engage. Gartner found the average buyer spends only 5% of their buying journey with any one seller. On top of that, they found buyers are up to 70% through their purchasing research before they contact a seller.