Nvidia, Google Cloud, AWS, and others have hired salespeople aggressively in the last five years to bring their growing array of complex offerings to enterprises. Even analytics company Palantir Technologies, whose CEO Alex Karp once said he would only hire a sales team if forced by investors or “hit by a bus,” began adding salespeople in 2019 and now has over 170 sales staff with plans to keep growing this number.
The key driver for sales force increases? It is the type of ambiguity that buyers and sellers face, and the distinct roles that digital tools and salespeople play in resolving it.
Not every buying and selling journey is complex, but when it is, ambiguity arises. Connections between buyers and sellers typically unfold in three phases: explore and define, evaluate and commit, and realize value and grow.
At each stage, buyers may be uncertain about their needs, options, or outcomes, while sellers must determine how to engage, design solutions, and deliver value. The approach to resolving these ambiguities depends on the situation.
Digital tools often suffice in simpler cases, but more complex ones require human expertise, supported by digital capabilities.
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