State of Sales Study

State of Sales Annual Barometer Study

What is the State of Sales Study?

The Sales Excellence Hub (SEH) at Warwick Business School aims to strengthen connections between sales practice and academic research to improve the sales profession in the United Kingdom. One of the key ways we do this is through the State of Sales Study, an annual research initiative designed to act as a barometer of the sales profession and sales organisations in the UK. Launched in 2024, the State of Sales Study surveys practitioners to gain a clearer view of the challenges, trends, and opportunities facing sales professionals. It is built to:

• Provide relevant, research-based insights to sales leaders and practitioners

• Help the profession navigate emerging challenges

• Highlight areas where research can have the most practical impact

Our goal is to equip the UK sales community with data and insight to support stronger decision-making and the advancement of sales excellence across industries.

2025 Study Results

Our second study, completed in 2025, provides an updated view of the UK sales profession and the main challenges facing UK sales organisations. The 2025 edition places particular emphasis on AI, talent and incentives.

Some key findings highlight that:

• Sales is widely seen as critical and recommendable as a career, but still not strongly regarded as a profession.

• Economic uncertainty and talent constraints have become top-tier challenges, outweighing technology concerns.

• AI tools are broadly adopted and viewed as improving productivity, but use is still mainly tactical and very few organisations track clear KPIs for AI impact.

• Skills shortages, limited development opportunities and retention of high performers remain central issues.

• Incentive plans are widespread and focused on revenue and deal size, often seen as aligned and fair but also complex and only moderately motivating.

The results were presented at the UK State of Sales Conference 2025 and are available in our full report:

Download the 2025 State of Sales Report

2024 Study Results

Our first study, completed in November 2024, was a great success. It laid the foundation for this ongoing effort to build an evidence-based understanding of UK sales.

Key findings focused on:

• Limited pathways for structured professional development

• Challenges around incentive models and motivation

• Early-stage but growing adoption of AI in sales processes

The results were presented at the State of Sales Conference 2024 and are available in our full report:

Download the 2024 State of Sales Report

The findings from the 2024 study were presented at the inaugural State of Sales Conference 2024 and helped shape this year’s research agenda.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the study, the conference, or SEH’s work, please get in touch:

📧 Email: salesexcellencehub@wbs.ac.uk

👤 Dr Roland Kassemeier – roland.kassemeier@wbs.ac.uk

👤 Professor Nick Lee – nick.lee@wbs.ac.uk