Nobody ever said enterprise sales was easy. Enterprise tech sales is one of the toughest types of sales jobs, no matter whether you are engaging in enterprise software sales, hardware sales, or cloud services. Another industry term for enterprise sales is complex selling because there are so many variables.

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One universal truth of enterprise sales is that deals take time to close. Enterprise applications tend to be business-critical, with a lot riding on the success of the deployment. As a result, there are lots of stakeholders, each with unique criteria and success factors. There also tend to be extensive discussions about compatibility, integration, customization, and value, making sure the solution will more than pay for itself.

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We live in an age of specialization, and that applies to technology sales as well. There was a time not long ago when an enterprise sales rep was responsible for the end-to-end sales process. They would have to develop leads through cold calling, handle lead qualification, and nurture leads until they could close the deal. Those days are gone.

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There is a lot about enterprise sales that has changed, especially since the pandemic. Buyers have come to prefer the digital sales process, and more B2B sales are being handled remotely. According to McKinsey, between 70 percent¹ and 80 percent of B2B decision makers prefer self-service or remote sales transactions. 

When validating sales prospects, you want to make sure that pursuing a potential prospect will yield profits. To determine the potential returns from any new lead, you must start by calculating the customer acquisition cost (CAC). 

Every customer journey starts with your sales team. Stop. Please ask yourself if you are liking the results. Are you accurately defining success for this team? How does your definition translate to the larger enterprise clients’ sales experience?

No sales rep succeeds on their own. Successful sales performance is the result of many factors. You need the right leads, the right sales pitch, the right conversion tools, the right customer service, and more. Sales success is the result of solid sales enablement, which is why successful companies are more focused on developing a frictionless, integrated sales process.

Reps who specialize in SMB sales are a special breed. They need to understand the unique needs and restrictions of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). They also need to serve as more than SMB sales reps—they need to be sales consultants, helping SMB business owners make strategic buying decisions and get the most from their enterprise investment.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the way we work has changed forever, including for sales reps. Where once we would gather in team meetings to set strategy and review objectives, we now gather online using Zoom, Google Meet, or other collaboration tools. Where sales reps used to spend time visiting customers, they now work with customers remotely. Even trade shows and conferences are now virtual (or will frequently have a virtual option for guests). For sales reps, this presents a new challenge: maintaining sales productivity while working from home.