Insight, agility, talent, and technology continue to be the four most important dimensions in next-generation sales growth. But excellence in each of these areas looks far different today than it did five years ago. A McKinsey global survey of 2,500 B2B companies across industry found that those willing to shake up their sales models and embrace next-generation capabilities are growing revenue at twice the rate of GDP.
In each dimension, top performers nail the basics, then move quickly to levers that drive exponential gains. For insights, that’s predictive data and analytics. For agility, that’s speed in customer responsiveness and cross-functional teaming. Collectively, it’s a capability and mindset shift that leads to always-on innovation—and above-average growth.
Outperforming B2Bs zero in on specific dimensions, then go all in generating outsized advantage.
In insights, leaders gain a 2 to 5 percent bump in sales as a result of data-driven decision making. In agility, cross-functional coordination and teaming drive a 5 to 10 percent increase in sales. In talent, behavioral science and analytics shape training and development, leading to a 10 to 20 percent improvement in productivity. And in technology, the right digital enablers and processes set the foundation for continued growth and innovation.
