The world is changing, and so are customers, their expectations, and the ways they interact with them. 2025 promises to be a challenging year for B2B sales and customer service. Economic challenges and fatigue from aggressive sales methods are forcing companies to rethink their approaches. In this article, a B2B marketing agency from Dubai offers its view on these changes through the prism of sensory management - an approach that puts people, their feelings, and unique values at the center.
Trend 1. More complex customers: more emotions, less logic
What's happening? Challenging economic conditions directly affect the psychological state of B2B customers. 2025 will bring a wave of nervousness, unmotivated complaints, and illogical decisions. This means that the usual methods of working with customers may not be enough.
Research shows:
According to a study by Harvard Business Review, 77% of B2B buyers experience high levels of stress at the decision-making stage due to management pressure, complexity of purchasing processes, and fear of making a mistake.
A study by McKinsey & Company says that the emotional factor influences 70% of B2B decisions, especially in crisis situations.
What to do?
Preparing employees for emotional situations. We implement emotional stability programs. For example, training in conflict management through mediation.
Creating space for clients. In customer service, it is important to let the client "talk it out." Even simple active listening reduces emotional stress. And it is also important to teach the skill of active listening.
Trend 2. The Death of Hard Selling: Value and Care
Customers no longer want to be “pushed” into buying products. They are looking for help, care, and solutions. The pushy approach is outdated, replaced by value selling.
Gartner claims that 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for an exceptional customer experience.
A study by Forbes Insights says that companies that demonstrate care for their customers increase their revenue by 10-15% per year.
How to implement value selling?
Focus on the customer’s pain. We sell a solution, not a product. To do this, we conduct in-depth interviews and spend time on detailed briefings so that the client and we can be sure that our offer will accurately answer the pain or real request.
Stop convincing, start listening. According to a study by Salesforce, 89% of customers feel heard when their needs are taken into account.
Trend 3. Shortage of qualified employees: how to grow sales stars?
There are fewer and fewer good salespeople and client managers. The reason is that negotiation skills, empathy, and the ability to convey value require long-term development.
Important for companies and agencies:
LinkedIn Learning claims that 76% of employees are ready to learn new things if training is built into their work process.
Gallup notes that companies with strong mentoring programs are 35% more successful in achieving their goals.
What to do?
Create internal schools. Training should not be a one-time training, but a part of the corporate culture.
Bet on mentoring. Let experienced employees train new ones, creating a connection between generations within the team.
Develop emotional skills. Train empathy, stress resistance, and the ability to find a common language even with the most difficult clients.
Trend 4. Artificial Intelligence: An Ally, Not a Replacement
AI is becoming part of business processes, especially in sales. From automating routine tasks to analyzing customer data, its role is only growing. AI is a tool for enhancing, not replacing, employees.
How do we use AI?
In matters of automation: CRM systems, chatbots, and data analytics - up to 70% of processes are integrated with AI in one way or another.
We teach account managers to work with AI so that it helps them better understand customers. And also for collecting data, analyzing, preparing proposals, and a large number of different tasks.
Sensory management helps to realize the main thing: do not sell a product - create value, do not convince the client - understand his feelings, and then your business will become not just successful, but humanly cool. You will find more interesting materials in the blog of our WGG digital marketing B2B agency.
