Are Sales Professionals Moving Away from Selling as Their Main Activity?

47% of Sales Professionals Don't Cite Selling as Their Main Activity

Sales professionals are a diverse group, working in various industries and fulfilling different roles. However, a recent statistic from Pipedrive, a customer relationship management platform, reveals that only 53% of sales professionals report spending most of their workday on selling. This means that nearly half of sales professionals do not cite selling as their main activity.

What are these sales professionals doing instead? It depends on their individual roles. Some may spend their time on administrative tasks, while others may be focused on building relationships with prospects and leads. Additionally, sales professionals in certain industries may have different responsibilities than those in others.

While not all sales professionals need to spend the majority of their time actively selling, understanding how to optimize their time is crucial for achieving sales goals. Sales managers can work with their team members to ensure that everyone is focused on activities that will have the biggest impact on the company’s bottom line.

By optimizing the sales process, sales organizations can streamline tasks that can be automated or delegated. This can increase productivity and free up time for sales professionals to focus on activities that directly contribute to achieving sales goals.

The diversity of the sales profession means that not all sales professionals spend most of their time actively selling. However, understanding how sales professionals spend their time is crucial for achieving sales goals and optimizing productivity. By working with sales professionals to ensure they are focused on the most impactful activities, sales organizations can increase their chances of success.

More 2022 Stats

82% of top performers say they “always” perform research before reaching out to prospects, and report higher usage of sales technology across the board.

55% of B2B buyers search for information on social media.

73% of B2B executives agree that customers expect more personalization than they did a few years ago.

40% of sales reps still use tools like Outlook or Excel to store customer and lead data

B2B customers use 10 different channels during their decision-making process

Even with a return to in-person lifestyles, only 20% of B2B buyers say they hope to return to in-person sales.

There is a 70% greater likelihood of converting re-targeted visitors vs. those who are not

80% of new leads never translate into sales

55% of sales reps say budget is the most common reason a promising deal falls through

32% of sales reps spend an hour or more on data entry every day

More Sales Trends Stats

48% of salespeople never even make a single follow up attempt.

43% of sales professionals say email is the most effective channel for selling.

66% of sales professionals say leads generated from customer referrals are the highest quality leads they work.

57% of C-level buyers prefer to be contacted via phone.

61% believe that salespeople are underappreciated

LinkedIn is the #1 social media platform for B2B leads.

According to a study by Salesforce, the average B2B deal size has grown by 20% in 2021 compared to 2020. This is likely due to companies increasing their spending as they look for more innovative solutions to solve their challenges.

Salespeople Unhappy Despite Meeting Targets

According to a study by Salesforce, the total close rate for B2B deals increased by 10% in 2021 compared to the year before. This is due to an increase in remote selling and sales teams investing more time on proactive outreach.

64% of sales professionals who cross-sell say email follow-up is the most effective cross-selling strategy.

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