A new survey uncovers the most significant tech challenges facing sales leaders.
Today, sales teams are using more tech than ever. From CRM systems and email automation tools to revenue intelligence platforms and data analytics solutions, there is no shortage of tech that sales teams use to improve their efficiency and sell more. But is it all working?
To find out, we surveyed 500 sales leaders—including C-level executives, VPs, and Directors—across businesses ranging from mid-sized to enterprise-level.
Our goal was to answer three critical questions:
- Is technology improving their sales team’s efficiency?
- How do they feel about their CRMs?
- What role is AI playing in sales today?
We discovered that despite the many promises of tech, much remains to be desired. Check out the key findings below, and download the State of Sales Tech report.
Sales tech’s frustrations
If you think sales teams spend their time selling, think again. According to our survey, sales leaders believe that tech-related inefficiencies consume an astonishing average of 42.3% of their team’s total work time.
The biggest offenders? Data analytics platforms, CRMs, and contract management systems. Likewise, we found that:
- 43% of sales leaders don’t believe multiple sales tools benefit their sales team’s efficiency.
- C-level executives are most frustrated by time wasted due to inefficient reporting and analytics.
- Directors are most frustrated by the time lost on manual data entry.
- Mid-market companies feel the weight of disjointed tools the most.
The CRM paradox
Given that CRMs are one of the most significant time-draining tools, it’s surprising that 61% of respondents say they are at least somewhat satisfied with their CRM.
But when we broke down the numbers, things got more dicey. Our survey also reveals:
- 81% of sales leaders are considering replacing their CRMs within the year.
- Nearly half of C-level respondents are dissatisfied with their CRM.
- Just 21% of respondents believe their CRM’s benefits outweigh its costs.
This contradiction indicates that while sales teams view CRMs as essential, they also feel these systems should perform better. Many leaders accept their CRM’s inefficiencies as an unavoidable reality rather than something that should (or could) be improved.
The dissatisfaction trend follows a clear pattern: the higher the seniority, the lower the satisfaction. Directors report the highest satisfaction at 66%, while only 52% of C-level executives feel the same. This suggests that CRMs may function adequately for daily use but fail to provide the strategic insights and efficiency required at the leadership level.
The hope for AI
While legacy CRMs struggle to meet expectations, AI is making a significant impact. Over 80% of sales leaders say AI boosts productivity and enhances efficiency.
The most popular AI applications in sales include:
- Sales forecasting (favored by C-level executives).
- Personalized outreach (a priority for smaller companies).
- Sales analytics (widely adopted across all levels).
AI’s ability to streamline processes and deliver actionable insights has become crucial in modern sales strategies. As AI continues to integrate with CRM systems, it has the potential to bridge long-standing gaps in reporting, automation, and usability.
What about your old CRM?
Our survey found that sales leaders are primarily disappointed with the current state of their sales tech. And this is especially true when it comes to their CRM.
But with the rise of AI and technology that can help sales teams work faster, we imagine that many CRMs are starting to feel left behind, unwanted, and, frankly, a bit outdated.
That’s why we are excited to launch CRMcare.org, a site dedicated to shining light on the pain felt by CRMs. It’s a place salespeople can go to share some love with their ailing CRMs, buy them Vitamin C[RM]+, or share a joyful CRM-related tune.
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