Your competitors are already planning their 2026 sales strategies. If your team isn’t evolving at the same pace, you’re heading into the new year at a disadvantage. Markets are shifting faster. Buyer expectations keep rising. Sales cycles are stretched. You cannot enter 2026 with the same level of capability you had in 2025.
The gap between average performers and high performers is widening. You either close that gap – or you get overtaken by teams who do.
Ask yourself one thing:
Do you have the team capable of winning in the 2026 market?
Here’s what you need to focus on now.
1. Your buyers are changing – are your salespeople keeping up?
Your prospects behave differently today.
- Longer research cycles
- More stakeholders
- More scrutiny on spend
If your team cannot navigate complex deals, map influence and run structured sales processes, you lose deals before they even start.
Where are your reps struggling the most?
2. You can’t rely on 2025 pipelines to fuel 2026 revenue
Pipeline health looks weaker across industries.
Deals are slower.
Budgets are tighter.
Competition is tougher.
You need salespeople who generate demand, not wait for it. Hiring people who rely on inbound enquiries is a luxury you can’t afford.
Who on your team consistently builds their own pipeline?
3. Top performers are moving – and companies are paying for them
High performers are being headhunted aggressively.
Strong AEs, BDMs and sales leaders are switching jobs for better growth, culture and comp. If you’re not strengthening your bench now, your competition will.
The companies winning are doing three things:
- Upgrading talent early
- Offering clarity and structure
- Moving fast when they find the right people
How quickly do you move when you meet a strong candidate?
4. Mediocre hires quietly cost you the most
A weak salesperson doesn’t just miss the target. They drain the pipeline, slow momentum and damage brand credibility. By the time you notice, you’ve already lost ground.
Sales quality matters more than sales volume.
One top performer will outproduce three mid-range hires.
Who on your team is simply taking up space?
5. New product launches need sharper sales execution
If you’re entering new markets or expanding your offering, average-level reps won’t cut it. You need people who can:
- Build new routes to market
- Educate buyers
- Create urgency
- Handle technical conversations
This is where senior sales hires matter. They reduce the risk of new initiatives failing.
Do you have people who can open doors at the right level?
6. 2026 is a reset year – use it
Most companies talk about change. Few act early enough.
2026 gives you a window to upgrade your commercial capability before competitors do.
If you want to win faster, close larger, and grow consistently, you need a stronger team — not just a bigger team.
What’s the one sales position you know you should upgrade?
If you want help finding the right sales talent – people who deliver, stay, and actually improve your commercial results, we can support you with a proven headhunting approach that finds high-performers quickly and filters out the rest.
Ready when you are.