The rate of change that we are now witnessing in B2B sales is unprecedented, so it's time to understand how you need to adapt. The vast majority of B2B sales people today are generalists, because vendors with large product portfolios coupled with the old ‘spray and prey’ approach to sales and marketing has forced most of us to build up a wide array of 'general knowledge'. However, times have changed. Today, generalists (order-takers) add no perceived customer value, which means that those generalists will no longer be valued into the future.

Instead, the future is for 'specialists'. The future is for those sales professionals who have a very clear focus, who have deep domain knowledge and specialist expertise, and who are able to use that knowledge to develop commercial insights for their customers.

The future is for those sales professionals who can differentiate themselves with a personal brand that sets them apart from all of the other sales people out there, and who are able to convey a unique promise of value.