The sales role has changed dramatically in the last decade. The internet, e-commerce, the cloud and IoT, combined with fast-paced technological developments, have placed entirely new demands on today's salespeople. Like modern dating apps, the buyer has the ability to pick and choose between different suppliers and offers.
At a time when the customer is almost never a first-time buyer of a product or service, it is increasingly important to understand the customer's business in order to understand their needs. Working as a salesperson in such a market often requires more than "picking up the phone" (nobody answers anyway) to be successful.