Year in Review: 2024 Sales and CS Trends | Flowla

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As we’re nearing the end of 2024, it’s time we look back at what’s been happening in the sales/CS space and prep for what’s ahead. Yet, it’s often hard to see the bigger picture when we’re all dealing with our own challenges and priorities.

To identify the most prominent trends in the industry, we’ve analyzed the recent research findings to give you a quick summary of what 2024 looked like in revenue. Here are some of the most prominent trends as seen by Salesforce, HubSpot, Customer Success Collective, and Openprise.

Revenue growth despite the challenges
79% of sales leaders say revenue increased over the past year. However, challenges persist, as three in four business buyers say their company extracts maximum value from every purchase. Sales cycles are getting longer which often leads to prospects backing out of deals. Moreover, reps only spend 30% of their time selling during an average week. With all of these making sales more difficult, most reps are struggling to hit quota.
Finding new revenue drivers
It comes as no surprise that most businesses see greater revenue by selling to existing customers than to new ones. Namely, upselling drives 21% of company revenue on average. With upsells being typically handled by the CS team (as reported by 49.1% of respondents), CS teams are no longer considered cost centers. They are increasingly measured on upsell revenue, expansion MRR/ARR, and cross-sell revenue, even though 63.6% of them don’t get any commission for that.
The growing role of operations
RevOps function is a norm, present in some form in 67.5% of B2B companies, typically supporting the entire Go-To-Market team. Yet, 55.3% of CS teams have a dedicated CS Ops function. With the growing reliance on tech, the role of sales ops typically leading the change becomes more important. And so is the role of enablement as three in four reps say their company’s enablement programs prepare them to meet quota.
The quest for efficiency continues
To better understand customer needs and relieve their reps from manual tasks, four in five sales teams have been experimenting with or have fully implemented AI. And it works: 83% of sales teams with AI saw revenue growth in the past year — compared to 66% of teams without AI. More sales teams are also doubling down on enablement by offering self-service tools and content to buyers to help guide their purchase decisions and communicate value more clearly.

The evolution of outbound

Just like in 2023, the future of SDRs remains a hot topic, with many questioning if automation and AI will lead to the role’s decline. Despite all the talk, the SDR role isn’t going anywhere — it’s evolving to become more efficient with skilled effort applied across the whole sales cycle.

“From 2019 to 2022, the number of SDRs grew 2.5x. In the last 18 months, it's down 12%. The market has undoubtedly shifted. But I don't see the SDR role totally dying. My prediction is we'll see more experienced people doing the "SDR role".” - Michael Hanson

Engaging today’s buyers

The biggest challenge in sales today is the shift from a “demand-positive” environment to one that is “demand-neutral” or even “demand-negative.” This evolution requires a new skill set to engage effectively with prospects, including the ones listed by Chris Orlob:

A McKinsey-caliber POV — a UNIQUE insight about an industry problem.
Uncovering C-LEVEL pain and outcomes — the need BEHIND the need.
Uncovering WHAT IT WOULD TAKE to capitalize on a priority.
Building consensus — don't just multi-thread, do it in a way that creates consensus.
Confront and convert skeptics into champions. Only people who CARE about solving a problem are skeptical about solutions. If you can win them over, they move mountains.

As a result of sellers relying on outdated tactics, many prospects report frustration with redundancy in their interactions. Sales processes need refinement to meet these changing dynamics, offering a more cohesive approach that minimizes friction.

Tangible value over relationships

In 2024, sales is no longer about traditional relationship-building; buyers aren’t looking for new friendships — they’re seeking solutions that offer real, measurable business value. Yet, it’s more than the famed “value selling.”

“Most customers really want business value that makes their life better/easier. This isn’t the good old days where people want “human connection” and to have a beer. Is this someone who is smart, seems relatively trustworthy, knows my space and I believe can help me....this is what 90% buyers actually want.” - Jake Dunlap

GTM efficiency and the role of enablement

This year, one metric to watch was GTM Efficiency, which reflected the industry's response to ongoing challenges. Companies achieving success prioritized sales enablement technology so people could focus on people and not waste their time on data entry.

The power of process

In an attempt to achieve GTM efficiency, the focus has shifted from simply filling the pipeline to optimizing the entire sales process. So, instead of simply trying to replicate top reps, sales teams prioritize building systems that deliver consistent results.

Customer success equals business success

Customer Success (CS) is facing a real turning point. It’s no longer just about keeping customers happy; CS teams are now expected to deliver real business impact and even contribute directly to revenue (and demonstrate that to the management).

Wrapping up

As we close out 2024, the sales and customer success landscape has seen remarkable shifts, marked by challenges and innovations. From embracing AI for efficiency to rethinking metrics and roles across revenue teams, the industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Businesses are prioritizing tangible value over traditional relationships, refining outbound strategies, and redefining customer success as a growth driver.

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