Sales have become infinitely tougher to win in an increasingly challenging economic and business environment over the last 12 months, and the Channel has been no exception. At the same time, customers are demanding ever-more from the companies that they buy from.
Added to that has been the digital transformation of the traditional sales model, with more salespeople operating remotely and using video conferencing tools than ever before. As we move into 2025, these three key trends show no signs of abating.
Therefore, in order to succeed, sellers need to evolve their skillsets and strategies to stay ahead of the competition, using a proactive omnichannel approach to interact with the customer across all stages of the sales cycle and to ensure a seamless end-to-end experience.
“Sellers in the Channel are navigating a perfect storm of challenges,” said James Barton, chief solutions officer, Mentor Group. “Ongoing economic uncertainty and high borrowing costs – fuelled by geopolitical tensions and major democratic elections in numerous territories – are extending sales cycles and adding complexity to the decision-making process.
“This requires sellers to remain resilient. Meanwhile, the shift to digital and remote engagement is showing no signs of slowing down, fuelling the notion of a ‘no seller’ sales model. This is where seamless self-service options and tailored content play a pivotal role in the buyer journey.”
Alberto Benigno, chief sales officer at Wildix, said that the most significant challenge facing the Channel is the disconnect between what salespeople think customers need and what they actually want. As a result, he said that many sellers still rely on feature dumping or product pitches, rather than digging deep into their customer’s pain points.
“Sellers need to shift from being solution sellers to becoming problem diagnosticians,” said Benigno. “It’s about asking better questions, understanding the business impact of those issues and quantifying the cost of inaction.”
Another key hurdle for salespeople to overcome is balancing personalisation with automation. Increasingly customers are demanding tailored interactions and service, without the inefficiency of manual processes.
Sales strategies
Benigno said that the key differentiator in 2025 won’t be the product itself, but how it’s sold. Consequently, he said that the process, approach and experience of selling will become the unique selling point (USP).
The most successful salespeople, said Benigno, will master business acumen, speaking the language of the C-suite and becoming trusted advisors.
In addition, he said that they will lead with a consultative approach, focusing on uncovering deep business pains, rather than pushing products, while they will also be fluent in digital-first engagement, combining traditional selling with advanced digital strategies.
“In a highly commoditised and competitive market it’s important to stand out from the crowd,” said John McKindland, head of the UK partner channel at Sona Business. “Differentiation is crucial, but if your vendor cannot differentiate, then how can you? Being creative and adding more value helps differentiate to win more business.”
Mentor Group’s Barton said sales success hinges on understanding the customer at a deeper level and delivering solutions that genuinely address their challenges. That requires, he said, taking a step back and listening to what they have to say.
“The first step is simple: stop selling and start listening,” said Barton. “Engage in active listening and strive to create meaningful conversations with buyers, as this will help uncover pain points that a product-driven pitch might miss.”
Greg Easton, head of business development at Tollring, said, “This competitive environment often drives a race to the bottom as resellers feel pressured to compete on price rather than the value they deliver.
“To shift the focus from cost to value, resellers must identify and address the underlying pain points of their customers. It doesn’t matter how slick your sales process is if every action, document or presentation is the same. This will unlock opportunities to demonstrate the true value of their offerings, moving the conversation beyond price comparisons.”
He added, “Salespeople need to be curious and unafraid to ask probing questions. Together, with a greater understanding of their customer’s industry, they can better discover their customer’s key priorities and objectives for the year ahead, as well as any threats and obstacles.
“By pursuing an open dialogue, salespeople can achieve a deeper insight into what truly matters to their customers. The skill is then to find the critical threats and obstacles, and being able to present tailored, impactful solutions that address the customer’s specific needs.”
Jamie Hughes, UK sales director at Evolve IP, said, “When engaging with a customer, it’s important to dig deeper and truly uncover the challenges they face, while sharing relevant examples of how you’ve helped similar organisations overcome those issues.
“No problem is entirely unique, and most challenges are shared by others in the market. It’s not just about selling a single product or service – it’s about offering a comprehensive solution.”
Psychological power
Psychology plays a key role in the sales process too, according to Gary May, managing director of the Channel Sales Academy. Among the most effective selling techniques, he said, are the Zeigarnik Effect and the Endowment Effect.
“The Zeigarnik Effect enables sales teams to keep prospects hooked by leaving just the hint of unfinished potential in their conversations,” said May. “The Endowment Effect leaves them feeling like they already ‘own’ a product – even in their imagination – meaning they’re far more likely to buy.”
He added, “Today’s buyers walk into conversations armed to the teeth with information: reviews, comparisons, forums – you name it. The traditional dynamic of the seller as the ‘knowledge gatekeeper’ is over.
“So, what’s left is people. The question isn’t what you sell, but why they buy. Are they driven by fear of missing out or a desire to solve a pain point? Are you speaking to their logic or their emotions?
“Product knowledge isn’t enough anymore. Mastering human connection is the new sales edge.”
It’s also fundamental to invest in sales teams and to have the right portfolio of products and services to meet the customers’ requirements. Only then can you sell the customer a solution that addresses their particular challenges and will add value.
Evolve IP’s Hughes said, “By asking more insightful questions, salespeople can open up more doors and build opportunities, positioning themselves as trusted advisors. It’s also valuable for resellers to have multiple options from different providers, as the one-size-fits all solution rarely works. Pushing a solution that doesn’t fully align with the customer’s needs can create issues down the road.”
Adrian Sunderland, CEO of Jola, said that after profiling the customer to understand their challenges, salespeople then need to communicate how they can help them to solve these problems. By using their USP, he said that they can firmly establish themselves as the go-to partner of choice.
Sunderland said that Jola helps partners identify customers with mobile data requirements. After helping them to uncover their challenges, it then helps them to pitch the solution.
“The biggest waste of your time is the deal you don’t win, so we help partners qualify and pitch opportunities they can, using the six-step mobile data revenue generator process,” said Sunderland.
He added, “The best test of a new supplier is conversion rate. A channel-only vendor with a growing partner base and financials is a good sign because it means their partners are closing large contracts. Most vendors say they have a channel programme, but there is little substance behind the fluff. So ask for evidence and references, and pull their accounts.
“Make sure your vendor has products that can be easily productised and billed. They should be provisioned, managed and supported through a mature, well-established, API-enabled, real-time self-service portal.
“Ask for evidence that the products are reliable and easy to support. Make sure you don’t lose control of the process and the relationship with your end users. Your salespeople will be reluctant to sell anything that might damage the rapport they have with their customers and/or put core product lines at risk.”
Leveraging AI
A key enabler to improving sales strategies and techniques, and, ultimately, customer service, is technology. That’s why salespeople need to embrace it by using AI-driven insights and predictive analytics to gain greater knowledge and build accurate sales forecasts.
AI and automation have become a non-negotiable, freeing up sales professionals from routine and time-consuming tasks, thus allowing them to focus on meaningful customer engagement and delivering value. Adopting automation enables them to engage customers on digital platforms, personalise interactions, and drive better value and efficiency.
“Improving efficiency by reducing administrative and bureaucratic tasks is essential to allow salespeople to focus on their customer interactions,” said Martin Saunders, COO at Highlight. “With better tools and technologies, salespeople can spend more quality time with customers, leading to a deeper understanding and the ability to provide tailored solutions that address their pain points.”
Call recording and data analytics are other vital tools in the seller’s arsenal. They provide relevant and meaningful insights into customer behaviour that can be applied to a salesperson’s conversations to provide recommendations, and to foster trust and authenticity, as well as to identify key upselling and cross-selling opportunities and gaps in training.
“Salespeople need access to meaningful, transparent and actionable data to transform them from mere sellers into trusted advisors who can add value to customer relationships,” said Saunders. “Data can reveal what is happening within a customer’s environment and enable salespeople to offer tailored solutions.”
Collaboration tools
Additionally, digital collaboration and video conferencing tools such as Microsoft Teams, Webex and Zoom enable remote and co-selling, while developments in augmented reality and virtual reality tools provide enhanced training scenarios for sales professionals to hone and refine their skills.
Yet they still need to maintain their core competencies of building strong personal connections with their customers through showing a keen interest in their customer’s business and being consistently responsive.
“Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing sales technique and delivery,” said Evolve IP’s Hughes. “It’s no longer just about solving problems; it’s about driving business efficiencies and delivering greater ROI, while improving the overall customer experience.
“As customers become more knowledgeable and confident in managing tasks on their own, the ability to offer flexible solutions – whether it’s a managed service or a do-it-yourself option – becomes increasingly important.
“Ten years ago, managing a phone system or contact centre required specialised knowledge, but today, many changes can be made through self-service platforms. This shift towards automation and user empowerment allows sales teams to focus on providing value and fostering stronger customer relationships.”
Adopting an omnichannel approach is also key, thus enabling sellers to reach more customers through their preferred channel. To achieve this, they must deliver a unified journey, using technology to track interactions, maintain continuity and close deals.
“At the heart of this is the ability to craft personalised digital experiences, whilst maintaining a genuine human connection,” said Mentor Group’s Barton. “Generic approaches no longer cut it; buyers today expect tailored solutions that speak directly to their needs, preferences and pain points.”
McKindland, of Sona Business, added, “Clearly picking up the phone and simply cold calling is not enough anymore. We are living in an omnichannel world where you need to make the customer journey as smooth as possible and offer the best buying methods for them.
“Social selling via all media channels, the use of AI and even Internet reviews can all help too. Personal development and growth to adapt and acquire new skills is part of everyone taking more personal responsibility.”
Adam Wilson, director, strategic partnerships EMEA and APAC at Vonage, said, “Social media skills are now a must. Platforms like LinkedIn have set new standards for prospecting, networking and building relationships with buyers.
“Channel sellers have now got to learn how to adapt to new and unfamiliar processes when they’re doing business across social platforms. This means honing their content creation skills and engaging with relevant posts and comments from industry leaders.
“Running events in combination with social media can work really well, giving channel players an opportunity to showcase how they engage with partners and customers, and providing a platform for feedback that’s visible to their whole community.”
Salespeople should also tap into the educational content available to them, such as case studies, whitepapers and how-to-guides in order to position themselves as credible and trusted advisors. As well as helping to win more deals, it will also enable them to cultivate long-term business partnerships.
“Sellers must adopt both an approach that is solution-driven and one that provides rich educational value,” said Barton. “Rather than focusing on what a product can do, a solution-oriented approach shows how a product can align with the buyer’s goals, whilst addressing their pain points.”
Evolve IP is developing a robust new training platform to help sellers adapt to the digitally-enabled sales environment, which is due to launch in the first half of 2025. The platform will equip sales teams with insight into emerging market trends, solution strategies and the art of asking the right questions to uncover business benefits.
Additionally, the sales academy will provide accreditations that will enhance individual expertise, enabling partners to close more deals and build long-term, successful strategic customer relationships.
But it’s not all about the sale. Salespeople also need to focus on providing aftersales support in order to continue to build trust and loyalty, as well as brand awareness, resulting in long-lasting and profitable customer relationships.
“The real differentiator lies in nurturing the ongoing partner experience,” said Barton. “Strategic partnerships go beyond transactional interactions; instead, they work as dynamic collaborations where solutions are co-developed and tailored to the demands of the market.
“In a highly competitive global market, the ability to demonstrate a cohesive, value-added approach through vendor collaboration should not be underestimated if sellers want to secure loyalty and long-term profitability for their organisation.”
Future opportunities
Moving forward, Wildix’s Benigno said that the biggest opportunity lies in redefining the customer experience throughout the sales journey.
Thus, he said that MSPs and resellers who can turn every customer interaction into a value-driven experience, focusing on recurring revenue models and long-term engagements, will be best placed to dominate the market.
Highlight’s Saunders said that sellers should focus on low-hanging fruit such as upselling simple connectivity upgrades to meet immediate customer needs. This enables them to both meet their monthly sales targets, while ensuring customer satisfaction, he said.
“Consistently addressing the foundational needs of customers builds trust and ensures they remain open to discussing more advanced solutions in the future,” said Saunders. “Neglecting the fundamentals can lead to frustration, alienating customers who feel ignored until a salesperson shows interest in a large purchasing opportunity.
“Once the basics are covered, sellers can then pursue larger, more complex deals, such as SD-WAN implementations, security enhancements or AI-enabled contact centres. These deals are often challenging and require extended timelines, but they also represent significant opportunities to exceed sales targets. However, maintaining strong relationships through regular engagement and effective support on simpler services lays the groundwork for securing these larger deals.”
Among the prime technology selling opportunities are the PSTN switch-off and 3G switch-off. Given that traditional lift lines in shopping centres, hotel chains and car parks, as well as 3G SIMs will eventually stop working under the two schemes, there will be the need to replace them.
Today’s sales landscape is ever-changing. By making the sales process a tailored, insightful experience, MSPs and VARs can give themselves a unique competitive advantage and ensure that they continue to win in these challenging times.
This feature was included in our January 2025 print issue. You can read the magazine in full here.