Selling has become harder
Macroeconomic uncertainty is impacting business confidence, making buyers more cautious, while deglobalisation is prompting them to seek local solutions.
In the software sector, some customers are moving away from third party providers in favour of internal solutions powered by AI. For example, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski recently announced the shutdown of 2,000 SaaS services, replacing them with an internally developed AI platform.
As a result of these trends, sales cycles are lengthening, budgets are tightening, and pipeline conversion is becoming more challenging.
Pipeline management is a science
In response, many CROs are adopting a more analytical approach to lead generation and pipeline management. With the use of modern diagnostic tools and performance data, they are able to identify bottlenecks and reallocate resources faster.
According to Dave Kirby, CEO of Coppett Hill Growth Advisory, the starting point is an honest assessment of whether your ideal customer profile (ICP) is truly driving your sales efforts. Many firms claim to know their ICP, but do not reflect this in their go-to-market strategy and customer engagement.
CROs also need to adapt their pipeline management to changing buying behaviours, for example by maintaining ‘two-funnel’ forecasts for new logo and expansion sales – recognising that while enterprise new business cycles have slowed, mid-market and expansion revenue opportunities continue to close quickly.
A focused pipeline diagnostic can be distilled into a 60-minute review. What matters is generating a few high-value actions, which can be rapidly tested and refined in the field.
AI’s growing role in sales
AI is helping companies generate leads more efficiently. Gareth Evans from Bowmark-backed Lendscape shared how his team is using tools like Clay, Salesloft and Synthesia for automated, AI-targeted outreach and campaigns.
These tools have radically reduced the cost of outbound marketing. However, with customers now being bombarded with content across multiple channels, personalisation is key. The best firms are using AI in a focused way to identify the high-potential ICPs and hyper-personalise their message to cut through the noise.
Still, adoption of AI across the sales process remains uneven, with concerns about RoI and organisational readiness slowing some down. The most successful CROs are taking a step-by-step approach, with incremental investment and a focus on measurable results.
Conclusion
In today’s uncertain environment, the most effective CROs are combining data-driven decisions with fast, practical tests. They build solid systems to support sustainable growth, interrogate pipeline data daily, and deploy AI selectively where it adds clear value.
Success does not require wholesale transformation. Big wins often come from small, focused pilots, like lead scoring or sales automation. Those who can adapt quickly and harness the opportunities offered by the latest technology will come out ahead.
Words by Steve Moore
Jul 08, 2025