6 Reasons Why B2B Sales Will Be the Most Lucrative Career in 5 Years

Of course, not everyone prepares for a sales job from their formative years as they would for a career in tech, research, etc. 

One of the main reasons behind this attitude to sales is people's general misconception about a career in B2B sales. As a result, most of us fail to look at the prospects of B2B sales, especially when it comes to our career trajectory.

Contrary to the population belief, B2B sales can be a gratifying career, both financial security and career-satisfaction-wise. According to a survey, total business-to-business expenditure in India is predicted to rise by 10.3% in 2022, with India’s businesses spending three times faster than comparable peers in other nations in the third quarter of 2021. 

6 Reasons Why You Would Want to Chase B2B Sales Career in 5 Years

Here are six reasons why a career in B2B sales will be the most lucrative option in the next five years:

1. B2B sales will thrive despite automation

Automation is the future, and there is no going around this fact. The World Economic Forum reports that more than 85 million jobs will be lost to automation by 2025. 

However, most of the lost jobs involve mechanical, repetitive tasks. Sales are nothing like that. There is no one formula for efficient sales, and that’s why we need B2B salespeople who can adapt and improvise. 

In the next five years, sales will emerge as one of the most lucrative professions because it will be out of the gambit of automation. So if you are looking for a professional field that will only flourish with time, B2B sales is a great option.

2. B2B sales will be increasingly tech-based

Technology is the primary driver of change in every profession, sales or marketing. Given the increasing importance of sales, it will be imperative for salespeople to be tech-savvy. However, being tech-savvy in sales means more than using spreadsheets and emails. 

With sales analytics, sales lead generation software, chatbots, and so on, skilled salespeople will be in high demand in the coming years. Now is the perfect time to learn more about sales techniques, and it will give you an edge over others when you enter the workforce. Upskilling and training are very important if you are already in the workforce. 

3. The consumer market is expanding

Unlike B2C sales, B2B sales will benefit from expanding consumer markets in different parts of the world. B2C sales often focus on specific consumer markets. If there isn’t growth in that specific area, B2C sales will also slump.

With B2B sales, growing consumer markets in different areas will positively impact your career. The better you capitalise on the opportunity, the more successful you will be. 

In the next few years, consumer markets in developing countries will expand significantly. But then, as more mature markets start saturating, the real growth will come from the emerging markets. 

B2B sales will profit a lot from this transition, and it would be irrespective of where you are based. 

When looking at the next five years and how things will change, a career in sales is one of the most promising fields. The internet will also play an essential role in expanding the market to previously untouched areas. 

4. B2B sales have high earning potential

Let’s come to the main reason we all want a thriving career - money! Until a few years back, people looking to make big bucks would not see B2B sales as their first career choice. However, that scenario is changing rapidly as the market opens up and more players compete for a spot. 

The lower the supply, the higher the price - most of us know this primary demand and supply formula in economics. Since sales are not the number one career choice today, there will be a growing demand for B2B salespeople in the future. We can see some of this today with sales experts getting C-suite positions in large companies. 

Another factor that goes into the high earning potential of B2B sales is the target-based nature of this profession. You will not be stuck with the same salary if you work on your skills and improve continuously. 

The formula is simple—the more you sell, the more you earn. As a result, there is a degree of financial freedom, and the next generation is increasingly moving toward this model. 

5. The importance of soft skills in B2B sales

Soft skills like communication and organisational skills are not a part of traditional curriculums. However, it is increasingly evident that soft skills will play the most important role in B2B sales over the next five years. It is good news for anyone wanting to enter this profession now.

The importance of soft skills is that you cannot mechanise or automate them. It relates directly to the automation point we talked about earlier. The best B2B salespeople also possess excellent soft skills. Going forward, the value of soft skills will only increase in the eyes of recruiters. 

This brings a unique opportunity to work on their soft skills for budding sales representatives. Doing so will prepare them for the changes in B2B sales in the coming years. On top of that, sales reps with outstanding soft skills are historically more successful in their careers. 

6. B2B sales will be increasingly specialised

If sales were easy, everyone would do it. While sales aren’t and never were easy, it wasn’t specialised either. For a long time, good communication skills were seen as the only requirement to be successful in sales. 

As we already mentioned, the role of technology in B2B sales is at an all-time high. As such, the next generation of B2B sales reps would require a combination of interpersonal skills and the aptitude to leverage technology. 

It will require a separate specialisation in sales that focuses on these factors. The better you are at your specialisation, the more successful your career. 

While many people are still not sure about a career in B2B sales, its popularity is rising. In many ways, B2B sales will dictate the momentum of the emerging markets. So now is the perfect time to learn more about B2B sales and what they can offer to young professionals. 

To know more about career options and sales, check out more Juno School blogs.