Bain & Company's Survey Reveals Major Integration Issues in B2B Sales Strategies

Challenges in Integrating Sales Plays with Revenue Technologies

A recent survey conducted by Bain & Company reveals that 70% of businesses are having significant difficulties in successfully integrating their sales strategies into revenue-generating technologies such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. This fundamental integration issue is hindering many companies from realizing their anticipated growth targets. The survey, part of Bain's 2025 Commercial Excellence and Revenue Growth Agenda report, includes responses from over 1,200 senior commercial executives across 18 industries worldwide.

The findings indicate a disconnect in expectations versus reality where more than 80% of the surveyed executives claim they implement structured and repeatable sales and marketing processes. However, a staggering 70% lack effective integration of their sales activities with crucial technology, resulting in only about 20% achieving full benefits from their sales initiatives. Executives highlighted several challenges that impede B2B growth, among which include the adoption of go-to-market technologies, price management, and enhancing salesforce productivity.

The Importance of Technology Integration

As Jamie Cleghorn, the global leader of Bain's B2B Commercial Excellence group, pointed out, there exists a significant gap between revenue strategies of these companies and their actual use of available technology. Cleghorn emphasizes that organizations that successfully align their strategic sales approaches with technologies—especially AI and CRM—will find themselves in an optimal position for accelerated revenue growth. In today’s competitive landscape, the companies that harmonize their sales strategies with technology can expect not just to meet but exceed their growth ambitions.

AI Deployment in Go-to-Market Functions

The survey also uncovered that nearly all companies are beginning to utilize AI across their go-to-market functions, albeit the use case applications differ by sector. A sizable portion of respondents (30%) acknowledges scaling up to one or two AI use cases, while 62% report implementation in more than two areas. Impressively, feedback indicates that nearly all companies found AI implementation met their expectations, with 57% claiming it surpassed their anticipations. Nevertheless, over half of the organizations admit they still lack sufficient data foundations to optimize AI technologies. Key challenges cited include inadequate or substandard data sets and improperly configured technologies.

Rob Stein, a leader in Bain's Customer Strategy and Marketing practice, emphasizes that real progress necessitates a well-structured and measurable method for AI deployment. Increasing investments in sales and marketing technology is critical, both in total expenditure and as a percentage of overall budget. Leading companies are recognizing the value in allocating more resources to these sectors, and their financial growth reflects this commitment.

Pricing Strategies Amid Inflation Concerns

Another significant obstacle to B2B growth identified by executives relates to managing pricing pressures. Although many companies believe they can offset rising costs this year with price increases—unlike in 2024—there remains palpable concern about sustaining margin-enhancing pricing strategies. Competitive pressures, resistance from customers, and various market challenges present persistent barriers, as noted by 67% of the respondents. Additionally, respondents cited insufficient data or analytical capabilities as a barrier to informed pricing decisions, along with a general lack of skill or expertise in pricing strategy among teams.

Boosting Salesforce Productivity

Improving salesforce productivity was highlighted as a top priority, with 54% of survey participants anticipating better commercial productivity in the coming year. Certain sectors like Medical Technology, Logistics, and Telecommunications were notably optimistic about productivity improvements. To achieve these goals, the executives listed frontline coaching and training, better customer segmentation, and optimizing market expenditures as their leading priorities.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Bain & Company's survey underscores the critical need for companies to effectively integrate their sales strategies with advanced technologies to foster growth. The implications are clear—the alignment of strategy with technology, particularly AI, could be the deciding factor that influences how well businesses navigate the evolving marketplace in the coming years. As organizations strive for sustained success, understanding and addressing the barriers found in this study will be essential for capitalizing on the growth opportunities that lie ahead.