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The past year of economic upheaval and uncertainty forced many B2B sales leaders to find ways to build sellers’ virtual selling skills almost overnight. As the global pandemic begins to recede, however, most leaders are left wondering where to place future bets: Further improving reps’ virtual selling capability? Or equipping reps to return to live, face-to-face selling? According to new Gartner research, the best answer might be “neither.” Instead, as B2B buyers migrate away from rep-led buying altogether (both virtual and in-person), the best sales organizations are shifting focus to delivering a differentiated digital-first buying experience supported by sellers, rather than a seller-first buying experience supported by digital. The best companies are exploring how to engage customers through sellers “inside” of digital. At the opening keynote for the virtual Gartner CSO & Sales Leader Conference 2021, Brent Adamson, Distinguished Vice President, Advisory, Gartner, said that an astonishing 43% of B2B customers would prefer not to interact with a sales rep at all, leaving the long-term future of in-person B2B selling in significant doubt for even the most complex of purchases. However, in an ironic twist, the same customers who would prefer a rep-free buying experience simultaneously experience 23% higher regret
