AI-Enabled Strategies Drive Sales Growth, According to Gartner Survey

The survey, which gathered insights from 227 chief sales officers (CSOs) between August and September 2025, revealed that companies prioritizing the upskilling of sellers on AI are 2.4 times more likely to achieve robust revenue growth. However, the results also draw attention to a widening gap between the rapid advancement of AI technologies and the ability of sales professionals to effectively integrate these tools into their daily operations.

Greg Hessong, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, emphasized the necessity for sales organizations to rethink their workflows. “The most effective sales organizations are not simply layering AI onto existing ways of working,” he stated. “They are redesigning seller workflows so AI can support execution, recommendations, and orchestration, allowing sellers to focus on moments where human judgment and customer value matter most.”

Gartner's findings indicate that the successful integration of AI into sales strategies entails more than just adopting new technologies. Sales leaders are encouraged to redesign roles within their organizations to align with AI-augmented workflows. This shift is becoming increasingly pressing, with Gartner predicting that by 2027, approximately 95% of sellers’ research workflows will commence with AI, a dramatic increase from less than 20% in 2024.

In addition to insights on organizational strategies, Gartner also conducted a survey with 645 B2B buyers. The results illustrate that human sellers outperform AI in several key areas:

The data further indicates that buyers who engage more with sales representatives report lower levels of dysfunction during the buying process. Notably, buying groups with reduced dysfunction are 13 times more likely to achieve high-quality deals.

AI technology is well-suited for tasks such as account research, personalized messaging, and signal monitoring. However, the human elements of empathy, judgment, contextual understanding, and value framing remain crucial in the sales process.

Hessong advised sales leaders that success with AI will not come from simply accelerating existing processes. Instead, organizations should focus on building AI-augmented roles that allow sellers to dedicate more time to adding customer value, facilitating decision-making, and achieving superior outcomes.

Gartner clients can delve deeper into these findings in the report titled “Redesign Roles To Elevate AI-Augmented Seller Productivity.” The conference itself provided a platform for sales leaders to explore the latest research on AI-driven strategies and transformative leadership.

Gartner continues to position itself as a pivotal partner for C-Level executives and technology providers, offering indispensable insights into AI strategies that align with mission-critical priorities. With a robust arsenal of resources, including over 2,500 experts and numerous case studies, Gartner remains at the forefront of AI research and application.

As the sales landscape evolves with the integration of AI, organizations that adapt their strategies and emphasize the human aspects of selling are poised to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment.