Forget the crystal ball. Our State of Sales data reveals something better — a clear picture of where sales is headed, and it's wilder than you might think.
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AI is (unsurprisingly) already becoming a mainstay in a salesperson’s toolbelt. It’s now the highest-ROI tool in the stack and a daily part of how reps research prospects, write outreach, and analyze data. The speed and scale it enables are undeniable.
And yet, at the same time sales has never been more human. Buyers no longer need reps for information. They show up armed with research, reviews, and sky-high expectations. What they actually need is someone they can trust to help them make sense of it all.
HubSpot's 2025 Sales Trends Report
This in-depth report includes sections, covering:
- How buyers are becoming more self-informed
- How sales teams are using AI and automation
- Adapting to tighter budgets
- And more!
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5 Trends Reshaping Sales As We Know It
- AI has become a foundational aspect of modern selling.
- Social media has permeated the entire sales journey.
- Sales and marketing alignment is more important than ever.
- The future is self-service, and salespeople must adapt.
- More buyers will want to try before they buy.
1. AI has become a foundational aspect of modern selling.
Let's start with a number that should grab your attention: Only 8% of salespeople don't use AI.
We've reached near-universal adoption faster than any sales technology ever — faster than CRM, faster than email, faster than video calls. Not because someone mandated it from the top down, but because it actually works.
When we asked reps which tools deliver the best ROI, AI topped the list at 31%, beating out traditional sales engagement platforms and even CRM systems.
And it gets more interesting when you look at how salespeople are using AI in their day-to-day processes:
- Content creation is the leading use case: 43% use it for lead outreach, 39% for prospect outreach, 33% for sales materials.
- 40% leverage AI for data analysis and forecasting.
- 32% automate note-taking, scheduling, and CRM updates.
- 24% use simulated sales calls for coaching.
Across the sales cycle, salespeople report a range of benefits:
- 84% say AI helps optimize the sales process.
- 83% say it personalizes interactions.
- 80% say it improves communication with prospects.
- 82% say it surfaces valuable insights from data.
- 84% say it saves time.
The Limits of AI
The enthusiasm around AI is clear, but there are also some nuances to pay attention to. I spoke to Chelsea Curtis, Director of Institutional Partnerships at Terra Dotta, who has noticed a divisive reaction to using AI in her day-to-day outreach.
“The folks I sell to are starved for authenticity, so if it smells like AI, it‘s a turn-off. We’ve steered clear of generating pro forma emails and moved to personalization for this reason, and I, personally, have seen a huge shift in engagement,” she explained.
2. Social media has permeated the entire sales journey.
Ready for this? Social media delivers a 42% response rate for cold outreach. Email gets 26%. Phone calls? Just 23%.
But that's just the appetizer. Social is dominating every stage:
- It drives the highest cold outreach response rates. 42% percent of sales teams say social media outreach delivers the best response rate, far ahead of email (26%) and phone calls (23%).
- It delivers the highest-quality leads. 35% percent of sales professionals say social media is their top source of high-quality leads, beating cold email (29%), email marketing (28%), and even paid ads.
- It converts to sales. 45% percent rate social media as “very effective” at driving sales - the highest of any channel, including in-person meetings (44%), video calls (35%), phone calls (34%), and email (32%).
B2B buyers — especially younger ones — live on social media. They research vendors in Facebook groups, ask for recommendations on LinkedIn, and yes, even evaluate enterprise software based on TikTok content.
So what does this mean for salespeople?
It means treating social media as seriously as you treat pipeline management or quota. Buyers today are more informed than ever: 91% of reps say prospects are already knowledgeable about their product before the first call.
With that level of awareness, prospects have a higher bar for trust and credibility.
That’s why the content sellers that testimonials (36%), reviews (30%), and social content (24%) are most effective in helping them close deals. Buyers are looking to see how others like them are using a product, and they want to interact with sellers who provide useful, authentic content in the places they already spend time.
The best way to do this, Curtis explained, is by prioritizing thought leadership content.
“When and where possible, contributing back to the community or industry makes you visible, credible, and generates goodwill. People want to know the people they are buying from are trustworthy and invested in the same values right now,” she said.
3. Sales and marketing alignment is more important than ever.
Here‘s a stat that would’ve been fantasy five years ago: 73% of reps rate their marketing leads as high quality.
What changed? Teams finally figured out that buyers don't see “sales” and “marketing” — they see one experience. And 91% of sellers say their teams are now aligned, with 41% calling it strong alignment.
Andrew Romanyuk, Co‑Founder and SVP of Growth at Pynest, cracked the code with radical simplicity:
“We use a shared SLA and set mutual goals. Except, I went even further and gave it my personal spin: We pay both teams a bonus, but only when our client reaches a clear, measurable outcome. And we track this with its own metric, which is ‘time to economic signal’ (T2ES).”
By tying compensation to client outcomes instead of raw lead numbers, Romanyuk’s marketing team stopped chasing surface‑level campaigns, and sales shifted focus to more qualified opportunities. The alignment extended into messaging as well: content became more pragmatic and milestone‑driven, walking clients step by step through how value would be delivered.
The New Playbook
Sales teams' top asks from marketing reveal the new dynamic:
- Better enablement content (33%)
- Higher-quality leads (33%)
- Transparency into what works (31%)
Notice what's missing? “More leads.” Quality has officially beaten quantity.
Sure, friction remains — communication gaps (41%), tool differences (39%), content misalignment (35%) — but sales and marketing teams are much more likely to work in lockstep together than they were just a few years ago.
4. The future is self-service, and salespeople must adapt.
The biggest reported change in sales over the past year? 40% of sales pros say self-service tools have become crucial. Free trials, transparent pricing, interactive demos — buyers want to experience value before they talk to anyone.
Makes sense when you realize 90% of prospects are already informed before the first call. They've done the research. They know the features. They probably know your pricing better than your newest rep.
The New Value Equation
So what's left for salespeople? Everything that matters.
John Tyre explains: “Salespeople need to truly understand the problem their prospects want to solve and provide insight from similar companies that have solved similar problems.”
In other words, stop selling products. Start selling outcomes. Be the guide who's been down this path before.
The data proves it. Prospects bail when:
- They don't see the fit (37%)
- They don't see the value (35%)
Both scream the same message: Show (the value), don't just talk about it.
5. More buyers will want to try before they buy.
Think about the last time you bought something expensive without trying it first. Can't remember? Neither can your buyers.
51% of companies now offer free trials, and that number grows every year. Why? Because it works:
- Grows user base: 41%
- Lowers barriers: 39%
- Drives word-of-mouth: 30%
- Cuts acquisition costs: 26%
“Everyone likes free in B2C and B2B,” says Tyre. “Offering a free tool or widget, product trial, consultation, or services checklist can increase your visibility, awareness, and opportunities for people who are early in the sales process.”
The data backs this up. Free trials are the most effective freemium option, used by 51% of respondents. Free consultations came next (44%), followed by free tools (37%) and free templates (27%). The use of free trials increases each year, signaling that more buyers now expect a hands-on experience before committing.
That said, not every business will work with a freemium model, but for those it does, it can be a powerful acquisition play with little to no cost.
What’s next for sales?
This year’s State of Sales shows a profession in transition. AI is scaling output and taking admin work off the table. Social is now the highest-performing sales channel. Marketing and sales are finally starting to operate as one team. Buyers are demanding proof before they buy, and they’re comfortable guiding themselves most of the way there.
All of this demands new skills and a new strategy for salespeople and a fresh direction from sales leaders.
Want to learn more? See the full report — and what this means for sales professionals — here.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in November 2023 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
HubSpot's 2025 Sales Trends Report
This in-depth report includes sections, covering:
- How buyers are becoming more self-informed
- How sales teams are using AI and automation
- Adapting to tighter budgets
- And more!
Download Free
All fields are required.
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