Nearly half of B2B salespeople say their jobs are now more difficult compared with pre-pandemic times, according to recent research from Jiminny.
The report was based on data from a survey conducted in July and August 2022 among 300 B2B sales professionals in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Some 48% of respondents say the role of Sales has become more challenging since March 2020: 30% say it has gotten harder and 18% say it has gotten much harder.
Just over a third (34%) of B2B salespeople say the difficulty of their role has stayed the same since the start of the pandemic, 17% say their role has become easier, and 8% say their role has become much easier.
As part of the study, respondents gave open-ended comments about how B2B sales has changed since March 2020.
Among those who say their roles have gotten harder, common themes include difficulties with communicating internally, staying connected with customers, and building trust via virtual meetings.
Among those who say their roles have gotten easier since the start of the pandemic, common themes include the use of more advanced tools and a stronger focus on customer satisfaction.
B2B salespeople say the top challenges they face in their roles are staying motivated, getting responses from prospects/customers, being happy, and building relationships with their teams.
About the research: The report was based on data from a survey conducted in July and August 2022 among 300 B2B sales professionals in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.