In a world where referrals are stalling, buying cycles are getting longer, and even warm relationships aren’t converting like they used to, one type of professional consistently rises above the noise: the Activator.

This insight comes from The Activator Advantage: What Today’s Rainmakers Do Differently, a research-backed guide from the authors of The Challenger Sale. Based on data from over 2,800 professionals in Executive Search, Staffing, Financial Services, and Consulting, the report reveals that only one behavioral profile consistently drives new demand: the Activator.

When you hear Poetics, you think of ancient Greek drama—not go-to-market (GTM) success. But the moment I read it, the connection was clear: Poetics is more than a guide for playwrights. It’s a blueprint for how to move people—and that’s exactly what today’s sales and customer success teams must do.

When buyers lead with value, providers must follow—or better yet, lead them there.

Hank Barnes, Chief of Research at Gartner, recently shared pivotal research in “Value-Based Buying – From Start to Finish.” His findings underscore a profound shift: the highest-performing buying teams aren’t just buying software—they’re investing in business outcomes.

According to a new Gartner survey announced to kick-off their Gartner CSO & Sales Leader Conference, 73% of Chief Sales Officers (CSOs) are making growth from existing customers their top priority for 2025.

This marks a major shift from the past decade, where net-new acquisition dominated GTM strategies.

The enterprise software renewal landscape is under siege. According to Gartner, not only are 52% of over 3,000 high-impact departmental software purchases replacement driven, but 65% of organizations are planning at least one replacement purchase in 2025.

Why is this happening and what should you do about it?

In B2B sales, your message isn’t just a script—it’s your strategy. It shapes how buyers perceive your value, how sales teams differentiate in crowded markets, and how revenue teams justify solutions to skeptical CFOs.

That’s why your value message needs to be more than a one-time workshop. It must evolve with your business, adapt to your market, and activate real performance across your go-to-market (GTM) teams—from first conversation to customer renewal.

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping B2B sales, offering tools that enhance efficiency, improve forecasting, and personalize customer interactions at scale. Yet, AI’s potential is often misunderstood, leading to missteps in implementation and adoption.

For sales leaders, the challenge isn’t just about leveraging AI—it’s about making sure it drives real, measurable value.

Software buyers in 2025 are more informed, more cautious, and more willing to reconsider their buying decisions mid-flight than ever before.

Gartner’s latest research, based on insights from 3,500 buyers, paints a fascinating picture of how organizations approach software investments. While the landscape is filled with opportunities, it also presents significant challenges that software vendors must navigate strategically.

The promise of AI is everywhere. From predictive analytics to autonomous decision-making, AI solutions are transforming industries, accelerating innovation, and reshaping competitive landscapes. Yet, despite the excitement and beyond a few implementations, overall B2B AI adoption remains a challenge.

The reason? AI isn’t just another software solution—it demands clear, quantifiable value to break through. Without a compelling value narrative, AI risks becoming another expensive experiment rather than a must-have business enabler.

B2B technology purchasing has never been more intricate. As organizations face increasing technological complexity and budgetary scrutiny, the number of stakeholders involved in making software and IT investments has steadily climbed.

The era when a single executive could make a purchasing decision is long gone. Instead, today’s software buying process is shaped by a web of decision-makers, influencers, and evaluators, each playing a critical role in shaping the outcome.

Early and growth stage B2B forms have been primarily driven by product-led growth (PLG), leading with product demos, downloads, proof of concepts and a feature function approach. This works well initially, getting tech and user buyers to commit, but surprises many GTM teams when it hits a wall. In this article we discuss the need for adding a Value-Led Growth approach.

How to build a holistic, programmatic approach to transforming your organization into a value-first powerhouse. This strategy starts at the very top with CEO sponsorship and ripples through every department.
Read for four key steps to guide you on this journey.