The only real power in sales is Listening

A recent Gartner study on the B2B buying journey shows that the sales landscape has changed. Buyers now complete most of their journey without ever talking to a salesperson. In fact, when they do engage suppliers, the time spent with any one provider is just 5–6% of the total decision process.

This leaves us with a simple truth: The most powerful thing a salesperson can do today is listen.

Buyers Don’t Want to Be Sold To

The B2B buying journey is no longer linear, if it ever was. Buyers jump back and forth between identifying problems, exploring solutions, defining requirements, and building internal consensus. It’s rarely a clean progression from “need” to “close.”

This means the classic pitch-first approach is not only outdated, it’s unhelpful. Sales isn’t about convincing. It’s about understanding.

Let Buyers Tell You Where They Are

Most buyers engage with a salesperson only after doing extensive research on their own. Some already know your product. Some may already be using it. You simply don’t know unless you ask.

So instead of following your sales process, let the buyer tell you:

• What they already know

• What they need

• Where they’re blocked

Listening first is how you align with their real journey—not the one you imagined.

From Sales Enablement to Buyer Enablement. Make your buyer your best salesperson.

Key is the concept of buyer enablement: giving buyers the tools and information they need to complete their internal buying jobs and advocate for your solution.  Help them help you.

This means moving beyond product or solution demo. Instead, give them what supports internal alignment:

• ROI tools

• Risk assessments

• Cost calculators

• Requirements checklists

• Benchmark data

You’re not just selling a solution. You’re making it easier for them to justify that solution internally.

Complex Decisions Require Broader Listening

Buying decisions involve 6 to 10 stakeholders across departments like Finance, Operations, and IT. Each has their own priorities, concerns, and influence.

If we’re only listening to one voice, we miss the real dynamics. Listening deeply means:

• Understanding different stakeholders and mapping influence

• Surfacing objections that aren’t spoken

• Helping your contact navigate internal politics

The goal is to support the decision-making.

Listening as a Competitive Advantage

Be the one who understands complexity and responds with clarity. Listening is strategic, it builds trust. It creates relevance. And most probably is the only power that still makes the difference.