200+ Key Sales Statistics That’ll Help You Sell Big in 2023

In this blog post, we will explore key sales statistics and trends that you, as a sales rep, should consider.

We will take a closer look at the most important sales statistics and provide you with keen insights from those data to improve the performance of your sales team. 

You will be able to identify areas for improvement, set realistic targets, improve sales training, boost sales, and track progress over time. So, let’s get started. 

General sales statistics

Here are the most important general sales stats you can learn from for informed decision-making. 

With 77% of sales professionals conducting more video meetings, digital selling has become a trend. (Statista)

The biggest majority of sales today happen online, and video is one of the technologies and marketing channels pioneering it. 

It indicates that the use of video technology has become a trend in the sales industry, as more and more sales reps are leveraging it to communicate with prospects and customers.

This can be an effective strategy, given that video provides a more engaging and interactive experience for prospects and customers. 

Prospecting accounts for only a third of sales agents’ productive hours. Their remaining hours are spent writing emails (21%), entering data (17%), researching leads (17%), attending team meetings (12%), scheduling calls (12%), training (11%), and reading industry reports (11%). (HubSpot)

If you are struggling to instruct how your sales reps must spend their time, this is the stat you need. Or if you are a sales rep trying to keep up with the most rewarding activities of your position, this stat tells you most of the things you need to be doing. 

A company’s top sales priorities are improving its ability to communicate value (70%), improving the productivity of its entire sales team (65%), increasing business with existing accounts (64%), improving retention, repeat business, and renewals (62%), encouraging sales reps to come up with new ideas (57%), winning against competitors (56%), improving the effectiveness of sales managers (54%), and optimizing sales processes (53%). (Rain Group)

This statistic highlights the importance of understanding the key drivers of sales performance and focusing on the areas that are most critical to your success. 

For example, by improving the ability to communicate value, you can increase your chances of closing deals and driving revenue growth. 

Compared with five years ago, 70% of US-based sales managers believe managers’ ability to adapt to change is more important today. (LinkedIn)

The sales industry is constantly evolving, and managers need to be able to adapt to new trends, technologies, and market conditions to stay competitive and dominate. And these stats highlight how more and more salespeople are growing to realize this. 

Some of the top challenges in sales enablement are: a disconnect between sales managers and sales professionals, relationship management and quota attainment, and the usefulness of CRM tools. (Richardson)

Sales challenges can hinder your team’s performance and decrease your company’s ability to drive revenue growth. 

For example, the disconnect between sales managers and sales professionals alone can cause a lack of alignment and communication between the two groups in your company. 

The result of this can be the lack of (a unanimous) understanding of the sales process, goals, and objectives, which will negatively impact the performance of the sales team.

Or the usefulness of your CRM tool can also reflect on the overall performance and the results your business gets.

CRM tools, in a nutshell, allow sales teams to track and manage customer interactions, leads, and opportunities and forecast future sales. 

Using the wrong CRM will simply hinder your ability to access accurate, real-time, and valuable customer data that would otherwise allow you to make the right decisions and take action accordingly. Because of this, all your sales activities could flop.

Part of the top-selling challenges includes “building a case for change” (22%), customers comparing their options (21%), and securing appointments (14%). (Blue Circle Marketing)

Sales teams face many challenges. On top of what we learned with data from Richardson, Blue Circle Marketing has also found more challenges, as they mentioned above. 

We can argue that most of those challenges are linked. 

Think about it, if you have trouble communicating the value of your service or product, you’ll definitely have a hard time building a compelling case for it. 

Or, if you are challenged with the usefulness of your CRM, how can you effectively prospect and qualify leads and then schedule appointments?

Whatever the challenges are, at the end of the day, they hinder your team’s ability to close more deals and drive more revenue. 

1 in 5 sales teams doesn’t have the necessary resources to reinforce their workflow. (Data Dwell)

Having the necessary resources to effectively manage and optimize your sales workflows is a must. Because without the necessary resources, your team will struggle to effectively manage leads, track customer interactions, forecast future sales, and more struggles. 

Sales prospecting statistics

Here are a few examples of sales prospecting statistics to help you make better decisions about it.

Most customers (71%), prefer to hear from sales reps early in the buying process. (Rain Group)

This makes sense for a couple of reasons. 

First, it allows you, as sales reps, to establish a relationship with the customer and provide information about your product or service before the customer fully commits to a purchase. 

They will be more informed and have a more positive impression of your company (and you, its sales representatives), and it significantly increases the likelihood that they will choose to do business with you.

That aside, the early stage of the buying process is where customers have the most burning questions, doubts, and most of the friction that comes with the purchase decision. 

Reaching out to them early in the process allows you to address any concerns or objections they may have before they become deal breakers. 

You should expect at least half your initial prospects to have no interest in the products and services you are selling. (Sales Insights Lab)

This is more of a statement. And it makes sense to have it here because it is a reality of the sales process. Not every potential customer will have a need or desire for the products or services you are offering. 

This can be due to many reasons, such as budget constraints, lack of genuine need, already having a solution in place or any other reasons. So, you and your teams must be prepared for and be able to handle rejection as part of your job. 

66.7% of sales agents reach out to less than 250 prospects in a year. (Sales Insights Lab)

According to Sales Insights Lab, sales agents only reach out to a relatively small number of potential customers in a year, and that number is estimated to be 250. 

This may indicate that sales agents, in general, are not using a wide enough pipeline of potential customers. 

Having a large pipeline of prospects to draw from is an important aspect of a successful sales process. It allows you to have a consistent flow of potential customers to contact and gives you more chances at closing more deals. 

It is harder for sales agents now to get a response from prospects than it was three years ago, according to 40% of them. (Hubspot)

The first reasons we think of for this are increased competition, changes in the way prospects consume information, or changes in the way businesses operate. 

It could also mean that prospects have become more selective in the sales process. They’ve become more educated and aware of the products and services they want to buy. 

Thus they are less likely to engage with a sales representative unless they are very interested in the product or service being offered. 

Whatever the factors influencing this, the bottom line is that you and your team should be aware of this and adjust your sales strategies accordingly.

You can try personalizing your approach, providing more value through your interactions, leveraging social proof, etc.

Social media is used by 56% of respondents to select prospects. (HubSpot)

Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can be valuable tools for identifying potential customers and learning more about their interests, needs, and pain points. 

You can use social media to research prospects, connect with them, and build relationships. This can be an efficient way to generate leads and identify potential customers. 

It can also be an effective way to build trust with them and establish a relationship before reaching out to them directly. 

There are five most common challenges in prospecting: setting up appointments, establishing a regular contact schedule across channels, reaching the correct stakeholder, creating targeted strategies, and qualifying leads. (Richardson)

According to the Richardson survey, there are five main challenges that sales agents face when prospecting for new customers. These challenges include:

1. Setting up appointments with potential customers (14%)
2. Establishing a regular contact schedule across different channels (13%)
3. Reaching the correct decision-maker or stakeholder within an organization (12%)
4. Creating targeted sales strategies for different groups of prospects (12%)
5. Qualifying leads to ensure they are a good fit for the product or service being offered (10%).

The bottom line here is that salespeople or teams truly struggle with prospecting. Almost every aspect of sales prospecting is complex for them, and these challenges can make it difficult for sales representatives to effectively engage with potential customers and ultimately close deals. 

The main resolution here is that you and your team need more effective cold outreach and prospecting strategies. 

Among many things, you can use tactics such as personalization in your approach, conducting research on your prospects, using multiple channels to reach out, and many more. 

You can also try a consultative selling approach, where you first seek to understand your prospects’ pain points, then propose a solution that aligns with their business objectives.

And if you are not already, you should consider leveraging technology such as CRM and marketing automation to help manage your pipeline and communication. 

Asking at least 11 questions during the initial call increases the chances of sales success by 74%. (Gong)

According to Gong, when a sales rep asks at least 11 questions during the initial call with a potential customer, it significantly increases the chances of a successful sales outcome. 

Asking questions is a key aspect of the sales process. It allows you to understand the customer’s needs, pain points, and goals. If you do it well, you can gain more insight into the customer’s situation and tailor your sales pitch accordingly. 

Even better, asking questions helps establish trust and rapport with the customer, which can make the lead more receptive to your message and increase your likelihood of success. 

Focusing on the value, you will deliver makes prospecting calls most successful (96%), followed by collaborating with your customers (93%), providing market insights to give them perspective (92%), and helping them understand their needs (92%). (HubSpot)

So, according to HubSpot, prospecting calls can be made more successful by focusing on how the sales professional can deliver value to the potential customer, collaborating with them, providing market insights, and helping them understand their needs.

Here is why. 

By focusing on the value you can deliver to the customer, you easily demonstrate how your product or service can help them achieve their goals and overcome their challenges. 

Collaborating with the customer means working together with them to understand their needs and find the best solution. It means that you are not simply trying to score a sale. Rather, you are empathetic to their unique situation and invested in helping them. 

Providing market insights can give your prospect perspective on their industry and how they can improve their business. And helping them understand their needs can help them identify areas where they can improve and how your product or service fits into achieving that.

The latter two are literally like nurturing your prospects. And even if they are not ready to buy, they will be interested in hearing more about you. Oh, also, when they are ready to buy, you will come first in their mind over any other business. 

These strategies align with the idea of being customer-centric, and it makes sense for sales as it allows for a more personalized approach and helps build trust with the potential customer.

Sales lead generation stats

Here are a few examples of sales lead generation statistics.

Companies with a strong social selling strategy see a 45% increase in sales opportunities. (LinkedIn)

This statistic highlights the potential benefits of incorporating social selling into the sales strategy. 

Social media offers businesses unique opportunities, such as identifying key decision makers and influencers, tracking people’s activity to understand their pain points and interests, and sharing valuable content to establish thought leadership and build trust. 

Also, they offer tools and features to help you with social listening and monitoring to track the conversations and trends in your market.

Companies using marketing automation software see a 451% increase in qualified leads. (HubSpot)

A HubSpot research showed that companies using marketing automation software could see a significant increase in qualified leads (451%). 

This makes sense because marketing automation allows you to automate repetitive marketing tasks, such as email campaigns, social media posts, and lead nurturing. It allows you to systemize and streamline your marketing efforts.

For example, automation can help you score leads based on their engagement and behavior. You can also segment audiences based on their characteristics and behaviors.

This allows your team to focus on the most promising leads and increases the chances of converting them into paying customers.

You can also use automation to personalize your sales approaches. For instance, you can track customer behavior and preferences and deliver tailored messages and content based on that information — which can help increase the number of qualified leads. 

Companies using sales chatbots see a 30% increase in lead generation. (Botco)

Sales chatbots are AI-powered virtual assistants that can interact with customers and help them navigate the sales process. Basically, they help you automate routine tasks on your website, social media platforms, and messaging apps and engage with customers in real time.

They provide a convenient and efficient way for your prospects to learn more about your products and services. They can also improve customer engagement by providing personalized and immediate responses, 24/7 availability, and natural language-based interactions.

9 in 10 companies use 2+ lead enrichment tools to learn more about prospects (TopoHq)

Lead enrichment tools include a variety of technologies and platforms, such as data providers, web scraping tools, and artificial intelligence. 

In a nutshell, these tools let you gather and analyze additional information about your potential customers to better understand their needs, interests, and buying behavior. 

For instance, you can use the information you gather to personalize your marketing and sales efforts and increase the chances of converting leads into paying customers.

By using multiple lead enrichment tools, you can gather a more comprehensive and accurate picture of your prospects. Also, using multiple tools will help in finding leads that may have been missed by using a single tool.

Sales follow-up statistics

Effective follow-up is an essential part of the sales process. Here are a few examples of sales follow-up statistics that you need to consider. 

80% of sales require 5 follow-up calls after the meeting (The Brevet Group)

The Brevet Group found that a salesperson typically needs to make 5 follow-up calls after an initial meeting with a potential customer in order to close the deal with them. 

This simply indicates how making follow-up calls is an important part of the sales process and how persistence is often necessary to close a sale.

Most of your potential customers won’t be ready to make a purchase decision immediately following the initial meeting.

That’s just how it is, and it can owe too many factors. And follow-up calls help you keep the potential sale “alive” and move the customer closer to making a decision.

44% of sales reps follow up with a prospect only once before giving up. After four follow-ups, 94% of salespeople have given up. (HubSpot)

Being persistent in your follow-ups with prospects can be difficult. Since, in most cases, it’ll be hard for you to tell the factors blocking them from following through with your offer. But that’s all part of the typical sales process. 

Stopping after one or four follow-ups is not ideal. As the saying goes, fortune is in the follow-up. You could be one follow-up away from scoring that sale. Also, stopping after four follow-ups could result in you educating the prospects and your competition poaching them. 

Ideal, try to understand why they may not be taking your desired action and try handling potential objections and nurturing them accordingly. Even if they just don’t want to buy, at least you will be able to maintain a relationship with them that might someday lead to sales. 

50% of buyers choose the vendor that responds first (The Brevet Group)

When buyers are ready to buy, they become low-hanging fruits, and the sales rep who jumps first to catch them scores the sale. This highlights the importance of being responsive and timely in sales, as it can be a deciding factor for many potential customers. 

Having a good lead response management system and team in place is crucial. Doing so will allow your company or salespeople to quickly respond to potential customers and increase the chances of closing the sale.

Sales pipeline statistics

Tracking the progress of leads through your sales pipeline is a key aspect of sales management and forecasting. Here are a few examples of sales pipeline statistics:

75% of B2B companies take an average of at least 4 months to win a new customer. (Klipfolio)

Most B2B companies take a significant amount of time to acquire new customers, and for 75% of them, that time is four months. This highlights how not-easy it is to acquire customers or to sell to B2B professionals and the importance of patience and persistence in B2B sales. 

The reason for this likely varies depending on the company and industry, but it could be due to a number of factors, such as a longer sales cycle, more complex products or services, or more decision makers involved in the buying process. 

Also, B2B sales involve building relationships and establishing trust with potential customers, which can take time. It’s also possible that some companies may be using longer sales cycles as a way to qualify leads, which helps improve the quality of the leads they generate but takes time. 

The typical buying group for a complex B2B solution involves six to 10 decision makers (Gartner)

Complex B2B solutions often involve multiple departments or functional areas within a company, and each of these areas will have its own decision makers who need to be involved in the process.

For example, a complex B2B solution such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) software would likely involve decision makers from the finance, operations, and IT departments, as well as other functional areas like human resources and sales. 

Each of these decision makers would likely have different priorities and concerns related to the software and would need to be involved in the purchasing process in order to ensure that the solution meets the needs of their department.

Also, a complex B2B solution generally comes with a high price tag, and a large decision making group makes sense to avoid any costly mistakes. So you need to be aware of these to inform your sales strategy.

Over 50% of successful sales teams have a 12-month view of their plans, while 10% map out the next three years. (TaskDrive)

Having a 12-month view of your sales plans can be beneficial for you because it allows you to focus on short-term goals and objectives — that are immediately actionable and measurable.

You can adjust your plans as market conditions, customer needs, and your team’s own performance change.

Mapping out plans for the next three years is also beneficial as it allows your team to have a well-spread picture of the future and identify long-term trends and opportunities. 

This type of long-term planning can help you identify key markets, customer segments, and sales channels that will be important for growth in the future and develop strategies for addressing those opportunities.

In general, having a clear plan and understanding of what is expected of them can help keep your sales team focused, motivated, and organized, leading to better results and better performance.

Sales performance statistics by communication channels and strategy

Here are a few examples of sales performance statistics by communication channel and strategy to help you identify which channels and strategies are most effective in driving sales and make informed decisions about where to allocate resources.

Sales strategy statistics

Buyers (46%) rank “active listening” as the number one skill they expect from a sales professional, while managers rank it as the seventh. (LinkedIn)

Buyers place high importance on active listening as a skill they expect from a sales professional, while managers may not place as much emphasis on it. 

Active listening is a crucial skill for sales professionals as it allows you to fully understand the customer’s needs and concerns, which in turn can help you better tailor your sales pitch and win the deal. 

It makes sense that buyers place a higher value on active listening as they are the ones on the receiving end of the sales pitch and want to feel heard and understood. 

On the other hand, managers may place more emphasis on other skills such as sales numbers, closing deals, and business strategy.

Sales prospects are open to communication with sellers at industry events (34%), via LinkedIn (21%), via text (21%), via voicemail (21%), and through social media (18%). (HubSpot)

This stat by HubSpot tells you how you can potentially reach out to your target audience based on their preferences and get effective results.

Always keep in mind that this will mainly depend on what you’re selling, where the prospect is on the sales journey, your relationship with them, and more factors. 

It is estimated that sales conversion rates across industries average between 2.46% and 3.26%. (Statista)

On average, only 2.46% to 3.26% of leads or prospects that your sales team contacts will convert into paying customers, according to Statista. 

With such a low conversion rate, it highlights the importance of having a targeted and effective sales process in place. 

Your sales teams should identify and focus on the most promising leads and prospects rather than wasting time and resources on low-quality leads. 

Also, there are many reasons your prospects or leads might not funnel through your sales pipeline, but having a well-defined sales process (that includes effective communication and follow-up strategies) is a good start.

Virtual meeting statistics

77% of sales professionals conduct virtual meetings (LinkedIn)

Virtual meetings allow easy and convenient communication with your potential or existing customers regardless of their location. You can conduct multiple meetings in a day without actually meeting the prospects or writing emails. 

Still, you see them in real-time, see their facial expressions, they can ask questions you can answer in real-time and can perform a live demo of your product or service. This makes it one of the best ways to discuss with your customers. 

Sales call statistics

57% of sales reps use their phones for communication with customers (LinkedIn)

Studies show that a significant percentage (57%) of sales professionals are using their phones more to communicate with customers.

This also makes sense as it allows sales reps to have quick and easy communication on the go with their prospects.

Also, phone calls can be an effective alternative or follow-up channel to hit them up when they don’t react on your other channels. Since most people hold and move around with their phones, you have a better chance of getting their attention. 

Only 2% of the total cold calls fetch an appointment (Leap Job)

Cold calling can be a challenging and time-consuming task for sales reps. This low appointment rate is indicative of how difficult it is to connect with potential customers through cold calls — and how other sales and marketing strategies will be needed to generate leads and appointments.

You should always try to improve your cold calling results by providing sales reps with better training, focusing on the right leads, and providing them with better tools and scripts that help them engage with potential customers more effectively. 

Also, you can use other lead generation strategies such as email campaigns, social media, content marketing, and networking events to generate leads and appointments, and also use a multi-channel approach to increase your chances of reaching and converting leads.

In 2007 it took an average of 3.68 cold call attempts to reach a prospect. Today it takes 8 attempts (ZoomInfo).

It has become increasingly difficult to reach potential customers through cold calling. This could be due to a number of factors, such as increased competition, changes in consumer behavior, and advancements in technology that make it easier for people to screen and block unwanted calls.

You need to adapt your sales strategies and tactics to be more effective in reaching potential customers.

For example, instead of relying solely on cold calling, you can explore other lead generation and outreach strategies such as email marketing, social media marketing, networking events, and content marketing. 

Sales reps spend about 15% of their time leaving voicemails (Groove)

Since most people are picking up calls, most sales reps prefer to send voicemails. 

Leaving voicemails offers them a nice opportunity to leave a message that can be heard at a later time while also allowing them to leave a contact number for the prospect to get back to them. 

However, the fact that it takes up 15% of the sales rep’s time suggests that it might not be the most efficient or effective way to reach potential customers.

In most cases, you are better off with emails, plus you can automate the latters.

Mornings before lunch and toward the end of the workday are the best time of day to cold call. That’s 10 am – 11 am and 3 pm – 5 pm. (Cognism)

Mornings before lunch and the end of the workday are the best times to make cold calls because these are times when people are most likely to be available and focused on work-related tasks. 

Calling in those times allows you to reach your potential customers at a time when they are most likely to be receptive to a sales pitch or conversation. 

Plus, mornings before lunch tend to be a less busy time of day. Meaning that the customer may have more time to talk, while at the end of the workday, they will be more willing to schedule a follow-up call or meeting.

Email marketing sales statistics

78% of sales reps prefer email as their preferred communication channel (Salesmate)

According to Salesmate, 78% of sales representatives prefer to communicate through email as their primary method of communication. 

This is true for most sales reps because email allows for written documentation of communication, which can be important for tracking leads and following up with clients. 

It also allows for communication at a time that is convenient for both parties, rather than requiring a phone call or in-person meeting. Sales reps can offer their services without actually bothering the leads. 

On top of that, it allows for easy scheduling as well as the ability to easily share information and materials with clients. 

Only 23.9% of the emails sent for sales purposes are opened by consumers. (Gartner)

Only about a quarter of the emails sent for sales purposes are opened by consumers. If there is anything we know at Nerdy Joe, it’s that well-crafted sales emails always work. 

So, this could potentially mean that most sales reps have a poor approach to writing emails.

It could also mean that their subject lines or sender names are not effectively capturing the recipients or that the emails are being sent to unqualified leads. 

In most cases, consumers receive a high volume of sales emails and become more selective about which ones they open, so your email needs to truly stick out to get their attention. 

So, always focus on creating compelling subject lines and segmenting your email lists to ensure you are targeting the right audience. Personalizing the emails and making sure they are sent at the right time can also help increase open rates.

A majority of sales professionals (95%) believe that bulk emailing is ineffective. (RainGroup)

Think only 23% of the sales email gets opened. That means there is already a terrible job being done by most sales reps. Sending bulk emails won’t get you anywhere. Just like we say at our company, if you can’t personalize, don’t send it. 

Sending bulk emails is impersonal, as it is not targeted to any specific individual or group. It will lead to low open rates and poor engagement, which can ultimately decrease the chances of making a sale. 

More importantly, sending bulk emails can also be seen as spam. It can harm your reputation or that of your company. 

Personalizing emails can increase open rates by 26% (Campaign Monitor)

Instead of failing by sending bulk, random and non-targeted emails, you are more likely to have more success by focusing on personalization, segmenting your email lists, and tailoring your messaging to specific individuals or groups.

8 in 10 prospects prefer talking to reps over email. (Spotio)

That is to say that most prospects prefer to communicate with you through spoken conversation rather than through email. 

It could be because speaking allows prospects to ask questions and receive immediate responses. This can be more effective in building trust and understanding the product or service being offered. 

Also, speaking directly with sales allows for the use of tone and body language, which can help to build a stronger emotional connection with the prospect. It also offers more flexibility in addressing the prospect’s needs and the opportunity to clear any doubts or concerns in real time. 

But we all know this may not always be ideal since most of the sales today happen online, and customers and businesses live across different borders. 

So, you should consider offering multiple communication channels, such as email, phone, video call, etc., and be prepared to adjust their communication style to meet the prospect’s preference.

But if you can meet the prospects in a fun yet professional atmosphere (without it being costly for your company or costing you your relationship with the prospect), always shoot for it. 

57% of customers prefer to receive sales communication via email.

Email is professional; it is low-friction, it doesn’t compel your prospects to answer right on the spot, and more.

It allows customers to read and respond to communications at their own convenience rather than having to be available for phone calls or in-person meetings. 

Email also allows them to easily refer back to previous communications and to keep a written record of the interactions. It simply makes everything easier for them, and it comes as no surprise they prefer it.

Video sales statistics

70% of prospects use videos to help them make purchase decisions (Think With Google)

Videos help people learn about products and services in ways that text can’t. It makes it easier to break down complex products, and you can create demos. 

Also, video fosters trust and credibility that helps eliminate doubt and fear, so your prospect trusts you more.  

It’s the closest thing to offering your customers a real-life experience with your product or brand and does a better job of convincing them. 

Sales reps using video as part of their sales process close deals 48% faster than reps who don’t use video. 

On top of the fact that it literally outperforms all types of content in sales, the video also allows you to compress a lot of information and data into bite-size videos for your target audience.

It helps people learn better, and you can quickly move them along the sales funnel. 

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) sales statistics

60% of companies that use ABM saw a revenue increase of at least 10% within 12 months, while 1 in 5 companies experienced a revenue increase of 30% or more. (Demand Gen & LeadData)

ABM is a strategic approach that focuses on targeted marketing and sales efforts on specific high-value accounts (usually a small list of prospects).

It allows you to create personalized campaigns and messaging that speak to the specific needs and pain points of your accounts. 

By focusing on a small number of high-value accounts, you are able to create more effective campaigns and close more deals.

The ABM approach also helps you build stronger relationships with key accounts, which can lead to increased revenue and customer loyalty in the long term.

ABM programs are now accounting for 79% of all sales opportunities (vs. inbound/outbound, etc.) (Terminus)

The main reason here is the simplest. When it comes to selling to high-value customers, ABM is more effective at creating opportunities and landing you sales.

As we’ve mentioned above, it lets you create tailored campaigns and messaging that address the specific needs and pain points of your target accounts. 

This results in more qualified leads and a higher close rate. And considering the longer relationships associated with it, it comes as no surprise that more sales teams are focusing on it.

Adopting an ABM approach for sales can help companies achieve an ROI increase of 6x in revenue (RollWorks)

ABM is a more specific approach to targeting customers. It helps you create experiences that are unique to each prospect and help you instill long-term commitment and relationships with them. It only makes sense that it brings in a ton of ROI. 

Social media sales statistics

78% of sellers who use social media outsell other sellers who do not. (LinkedIn)

So, sellers who use social media are more successful in terms of sales compared to sellers who do not use it. A lot of studies prove this. For example, a study by Reply, proved that sales teams who embrace social experiences report an 18% pipeline growth, 28% faster.

This is right because social media platforms offer a reach to a large and diverse audience with minimal cost. Not using social media means missing out on the best part of your potential audience.

Also, you can use social selling tools to promote your products, build relationships with customers, and get feedback on your products.

Plus, it allows you to engage with customers in real time, which can help you to better understand their needs and tailor your sales strategy accordingly.

Social selling helps B2B sales professionals nurture deeper relationships with clients, according to 31% of them. (Optinmonster)

By simply building relationships on social platforms, your sales team can gain insights into the needs and preferences of your clients — which can help inform your sales outreach and marketing strategies. 

On top of that, being on social media and catering to customers’ needs can help establish you as a thought leader in your industry.

This will immediately increase your trust and credibility with potential clients. As a result, it allows you to build deeper and more meaningful relationships with them.

84% of C-level executives turn to social media to make their purchases. (Optinmonster)

In most cases, before buying, people like to learn about the experience of the general public before making the commitment. And social media platforms offer the best “platforms” for this. 

You can see from other people sharing their stories, people reviewing products, and much more. Simply searching what people are saying about the product you are searching for will help you evaluate it for yourself. 

Customer retention and loyalty statistics

Understanding how well a business is retaining its customers and how loyal they are can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your sales service efforts.

Here are a few statistics you can use to measure customer retention and loyalty

According to buyers, trustworthiness (47%) and responsiveness (44%) are the most important characteristics of a sales professional. (LinkedIn)

Another way to look at this is that a sales professional should demonstrate trustworthiness and responsiveness.

Trustworthiness and responsiveness are important characteristics of a sales professional because they help to build and maintain trust and credibility with potential customers. 

Trustworthiness refers to your ability, to be honest, transparent, and reliable, which helps lower the guard of your prospects and build trust with them.

Responsiveness refers to your ability to quickly and effectively respond to their inquiries and needs (in real-time).

It shows that you are dedicated to meeting the needs of the customer and that you know what you are talking about. 

These two characteristics are important because they create a sense of reliability and security for customers, which in turn can lead to increased sales and customer loyalty.

Up to 95% of profits can be increased by a 5% increase in customer retention. (Retention Science)

This statistic tells us that a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to a significant increase in profits, up to 95%. 

This is simply because retaining existing customers is typically less expensive than acquiring new ones. 

That aside, repeat customers are more likely to spend more and refer others. Also, improving customer retention can help sales teams increase their revenue, as well as their customer lifetime value.

Therefore, a company that focuses on retaining its customers can see a significant boost in its profits as a result. 

91% of customers are more likely to shop with a company that offers a personalized experience. (Accenture)

Personalization is downright the best strategy you can employ to hit prospects today. 

When you offer a personalized experience, it shows your customers that they are valued and understood. 

It tells them that you are not targeting them randomly and that you did your homework before reaching out to them. 

This helps increase customer loyalty, trust, and satisfaction — and they will be more likely to continue to do business with you over time.

Companies with an effective VoC program can experience a 55% increase in customer retention. (Aberdeen)

According to Aberdeen, companies with an effective Voice of the Customer (VoC) program can experience a 55% increase in customer retention. 

Having a VoC program refers to gathering and analyzing customer feedback to understand their needs and preferences. 

This feedback can come from various sources, such as surveys, interviews, social media, and customer service interactions. 

It allows you to identify areas where you are falling short and make improvements to better meet the needs and expectations of your customers. 

The results are increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and trust — which can, in turn, result in increased customer retention. 

New customer acquisition can cost at least five times more than simply focusing on your existing customers. (Invesp)

We all know it. It’s a lot cheaper to keep a customer than it is to acquire a new one. Both the investment in time and resources will cost you more. 

Think about it; you’ll have to educate them, nurture them, handle their objections, and create demos and product experiences before converting them to customers. 

So, your company or sales team needs to have systems and tools in place that allows you to effectively maintain your relationships with your prospects. You can do this by creating marketing materials that are beneficial to and educate them.

Sales productivity statistics

Here are the main sales team performance and productivity as well as sales career statistics that you need to consider. 

The average salesperson makes 2.5 sales calls, sends 36 emails, spends 1 hour and 39 minutes on administrative tasks per day. (Sales Management Association, SalesforLife, Salesforce)

So, according to this stat, a salesperson typically spends a significant portion of their day on activities related to reaching out to potential customers, following up with existing ones, and performing tasks that support these activities. 

In fact, this schedule is quite common in sales. This is because reaching out to potential customers and following up with existing ones is a fundamental part of any sales process. 

Administrative tasks, such as data entry, scheduling, and report-generating, are also necessary. 

For example, you’ll need to keep track of your prospect and customer data, the status of deals, and your own performance metrics.

Keep in mind that the time spent on different activities can vary depending on the size of your team, the industry, and your specific role in the sales department.

The average salesperson makes 5 customer visits per month. (LinkedIn)

These statistics might be questionable, given that with the recent situation of the pandemic and remote working, the number of visits may have decreased.

Either way, keep in mind that customer visits are an important part of the sales process. They provide you with a unique opportunity to meet your customers in person and build relationships with them. 

You can also demonstrate your products or services and gather valuable feedback and insights.

The average salesperson’s win rate is 47%. (RainSalesTraining)

Having a win rate of 47% indicates that the average salesperson is closing almost half of the deals they pursue. 

But it also indicates that there are opportunities to improve the win rate. Also, keep in mind that depending on your unique skills and role, this may not be true, as you may have way better results. 

Companies with a strong sales culture outperform their peers by nearly 13%. (LinkedIn)

This makes sense because a strong sales culture emphasizes the importance of actively seeking out and closing deals, which can lead to increased revenue for the company. 

Also, a strong sales culture often includes a focus on setting and achieving sales goals, as well as ongoing training and development for sales staff, which can help improve the overall performance of the sales team. 

Companies with dynamic sales coaching programs achieve 28% higher win rates. (BrainShark)

Training is basically how most teams grow. It leads to a more skilled and effective team. So, it only makes sense that companies that have dynamic sales coaching programs are more successful in closing deals compared to companies that do not have such programs. 

A dynamic sales coaching program fosters regular training and development for sales staff, as well as ongoing support and feedback. This can help you, as salespeople, improve your skills and close more deals. 

The average sales rep spends just 35% of their time actually selling. (LinkedIn)

Being a sales rep doesn’t mean you will always be selling. The majority of your time will be spent on other tasks, such as administrative work, research, or meetings. 

Of course, this might reflect on your productivity and ability to achieve sales goals. Anyway, while it may be an indication that your company does not have an efficient sales process, keep in mind that it is part of your job to do those. 

But while you’re at it, always look for ways to optimize your sales process and free up your time.

You can try implementing automation or outsourcing administrative tasks or simply getting trained on time management and prioritization.

An average company closes only 20% of its sales qualified leads (SQLs), while high-performing sales organizations close 30%. (Spotio)

While 20% is the average, high-performing companies are able to close a higher percentage, 30%. This gap of 10% can have a significant impact on the revenue of a company. 

High-performing organizations tend to have a more effective sales process, which includes efficient lead qualification, targeted messaging, and effective follow-up. 

They also tend to have more skilled and experienced sales representatives, better sales management, and more effective sales coaching programs — which is why it makes sense that they do better. 

Only 7% of sales reps respond within the first five minutes, and over 50% didn’t respond within five business days (Drift)

As we mentioned above, responsiveness in sales is key. But unfortunately, these findings could mean that most sales reps do not have a system in place for quickly responding to potential customers or that they may not have the resources or support to do so. 

Marketing and sales alignment statistics

Companies with strong sales and marketing alignment just achieve and do better. Let’s see how the sales industry does here.

Only 8% of companies have strong alignment between their sales and marketing departments (ZoomInfo)

This means that in most companies, the sales and marketing teams are not working together effectively.

That lack of alignment can lead to a number of problems, such as poor lead quality, inefficient lead nurturing, and a lack of consistency in messaging. 

So, be sure to establish clear communication and collaboration between the two departments in your company, establish shared goals and metrics, and provide training and development opportunities for both teams. 

Companies with aligned sales and marketing teams experience better results across the board

• 20% annual revenue growth rate. (Aberdeen)
• shorter sales cycles. (SuperOffice)
• 208% increase in marketing-generated revenue. (LinkedIn)
• 36% increase in customer retention (LinkedIn)
• increase in cross-selling and upselling opportunities (Forrester)

This statistic highlights the potential benefits of aligning sales and marketing teams to drive revenue growth.

By working together, teams can create more effective campaigns and strategies that drive leads, conversions, and revenue.

Sales technology and tool statistics

There are a variety of statistics that demonstrate the impact that sales technology and tools can have on your business’s bottom line. Here are the most important ones.

General sales enablement tool and technology stats

Here are some interesting statistics about the general tools salespeople mostly use in their activities.

Companies using artificial intelligence (AI) in sales see a 41% increase in sales productivity. (Forbes)

AI-powered tools can automate repetitive tasks, provide insights into customer behavior and buying patterns, and assist with forecasting, allowing sales teams to focus on high-value activities such as building relationships and closing deals.

By using AI to analyze large amounts of data and identify patterns, you can make more informed decisions and find new opportunities more quickly. 

Also, the impact of AI on sales productivity will be more significant if it is integrated with other sales strategies, such as CRM and sales enablement tools.

Companies that use automation in their sales process see an average of 14.5% higher win rates. (HubSpot)

Automation allows you to eliminate routine and repetitive tasks and focus on the most important sales activities, reaching out to customers and pitching your product. 

With automation, you can forget about most of the administrative tasks. Also, you can integrate automation into your sales process, and you can, for example, easily segment your prospects and personalize your messages at scale. 

Doing so allows you to be more effective and efficient in your sales role, and you get to win more. 

Companies that use gamification in their sales process see an average of 14% higher engagement. (LXA HUB)

Gamification is using game design elements in non-game contexts, such as sales, to engage and motivate people to achieve their goals. 

When used in the sales process, gamification can help to increase engagement by making the process more interactive and fun. This can lead to increased productivity and motivation among salespeople, which can ultimately result in higher sales.

Over 75% of companies using sales enablement tools indicated that sales increased over the past 12 months, with nearly 40% reporting growth of more than 25%. (Manobyte)

Sales enablement tools can be anything, such as training and education materials, content management systems, and customer relationship management (CRM) software. 

And they are designed to help sales teams improve their performance by providing them with the necessary resources and information to sell more effectively.

The fact that over 75% of companies using sales enablement tools reported increased sales over the past 12 months, and nearly 40% reported growth of more than 25% is a strong indication of the effectiveness of these tools — you should adopt them.

71% of sales reps feel that they are not reaching their full potential due to a lack of technology tools and automation. (SugarCRM)

This statistic highlights the importance of investing in technology and automation tools for sales teams. With the right tools, sales reps can improve their efficiency, productivity, and performance. 

Without them, your team will be left to traditional, sluggish strategies and methods, and the competition will dominate you. 

Chatbots increased business sales by 67% (Intercom)

Chatbots allow you to be there even when you are not there. They can answer customers’ questions and provide them with resources to make compelling cases for your business. 

They can quickly qualify leads by offering help and learning their sales funnel position. You can program them to behave and provide data and answers just like your sales rep would, and the latter can take it over when the bot qualifies the leads. 

This, for example, allows your sales team to focus on the most promising prospects, and you get more business. 

CRM statistics

Here are the main statistics related to CRM usefulness in sales. 

50% of sales teams that utilize CRM have improved their productivity. (Forrester)

In most cases, CRMs are the one-shop tool for sales teams to manage everything they do in their day-to-day. 

CRMs help sales teams by streamlining and automating certain tasks, such as tracking leads and managing contacts.

By having all of this information in one place, salespeople can easily access the information they need to move a sale forward, rather than having to search through multiple systems or sources. 

Also, using a CRM can help sales teams to better understand their customers. CRM solutions give you real-time analytics and insights on each and every deal.

You can easily track which deals might yield results and which deals might close — which can lead to more effective sales strategies and ultimately increase in productivity.

CRM adoption enhances the quality of communication among sales reps and executives by 56.9%. (TriveMyWay)

CRM adoption can enhance the quality of communication among sales reps and executives in multiple ways:

• By having all customer and sales data in one place, CRM allows for easy access and sharing of information, leading to better communication and coordination among the sales team.
• It allows for easy tracking of customer interactions, which can help to identify potential issues or opportunities that may require the attention of executives.
• It also enables real-time collaboration and communication tools, such as instant messaging and video conferencing, which can facilitate effective teamwork among sales reps and executives.
• Automated reporting and analytics can help executives to better understand the performance of the sales team and make more informed decisions.

A properly implemented CRM system can give you an ROI of 245%. (IBM)

From everything we discussed, CRM tools help increase your productivity and efficiency.

Also, by providing a centralized location for customer information, they help your team better understand customers and make more informed sales decisions. This can lead to increased sales and revenue.

Key takeaways

• Sales statistics are an essential reference for tracking, comparing, and analyzing your performance and improving your sales efforts. You can gain valuable insights into your sales performance and make data-driven decisions to improve your results.
• From the use of CRM systems to gamification and sales enablement tools, there are a variety of ways that companies can improve their sales performance and drive growth.
• Keep in mind that alignment between your sales and marketing is crucial to the success of any effort you undertake. Without proper alignment, you will always leave deals on the table.