Why CEOs Overlook the Fastest Path to Revenue Growth: Investing in Their Sales Teams
CEOs chase AI and mergers to boost revenue but overlook the fastest way: investing in salespeople. Coaching reps can increase revenue by up to 42%.
CEOs and sales leaders in 2025 are chasing the next big thing to hit their revenue targets. From AI-driven sales strategies to mergers and acquisitions, they’re focused on bold ideas that promise transformation. But here’s the catch: they’re overlooking the fastest, most direct way to grow revenue—investing in their salespeople.
What CEOs Are Searching For (And Why It’s Not Enough)
Research shows CEOs are targeting eight main areas online to boost revenue:
- AI-Powered Growth Strategies – Using AI to predict customer behavior and improve forecasting, with 61% of CEOs seeing it as a competitive edge.
- Demand Generation and Forecasting – Improving pipelines and analytics to handle shifting demand.
- Sales and Marketing Alignment – Seeking better collaboration between sales and marketing teams.
- Account-Based Selling (ABS) – Focusing on high-value accounts with personalized campaigns to speed up sales cycles.
- Automation and Efficiency Tools – Cutting admin time and boosting rep productivity, despite many reps feeling overwhelmed by too much tech.
- Customer Retention and Expansion – Growing existing accounts through retention and upselling.
- M&A and Strategic Partnerships – Using mergers and partnerships to scale value.
- Thought Leadership and Brand Trust – Building authentic outreach to warm up prospects.
These areas are smart for long-term growth, but they don’t directly improve the salespeople who close deals. Even the best AI and systems won’t generate revenue if reps aren’t skilled at moving opportunities forward.
The Missing Piece: Supercharged Salespeople
Developing your sales team is the quickest way to boost revenue. Data from assessments of millions of sales professionals proves that managers who consistently coach their teams see a 28% revenue increase. When coaching is both consistent and effective, revenue jumps by 42%. Yet, searches for “sales training” or “improve win rates” barely register compared to AI and demand generation trends.
Why the disconnect?
- Tech Bias: CEOs assume AI and automation will fix everything, forgetting that CRM tools don’t close deals—people do.
- Assuming Competence: Leaders often think reps already know how to sell. But only 20% of salespeople consistently execute effective selling techniques.
- Focus on Scale Over Individuals: Strategies like M&A and ABS focus on the big picture, ignoring the reps who actually execute deals.
Salespeople are the economic engine of any company. If they’re not equipped to outperform competitors, no amount of AI will save your revenue.
Why Developing Salespeople Wins
- Immediate Impact: Unlike mergers or brand building, effective sales training improves performance within months. A rep trained on a proven methodology can start closing more deals now.
- Boosts Tech ROI: AI and automation tools work best when salespeople know how to use them to convert leads.
- Cost-Effective: Training costs less than acquiring customers through M&A or building new systems. Ongoing coaching can increase deal size by 20% or more.
- Builds Resilience: Trained reps adapt to market changes, overcome objections, and keep deals moving even when demand fluctuates.
How to Develop Your Sales Team for Revenue Growth
Ready to make your salespeople your biggest revenue drivers? Start here:
- Evaluate Your Team: Use comprehensive sales assessments to understand each rep’s fit, pipeline health, and skill gaps. This insight directs effective coaching and training.
- Invest in Training: Choose proven sales systems like Baseline Selling that focus on practical skills and measurable results.
- Use Tools for Coaching: Leverage platforms like Gong or Chorus.ai to review calls and provide real-time feedback. Teach managers how to coach through role-play to sharpen skills.
- Align Compensation and Incentives: Motivate reps with clear goals, leaderboards, and bonuses tied to performance.
The Bottom Line
AI, alignment, and partnerships matter. But don’t overlook your salespeople—they’re the ones who turn strategies into revenue. Investing in their skills through training and coaching delivers faster, more reliable growth. When your reps win, your revenue wins.
If you’re interested in boosting your sales team’s skills with proven training programs, check out Complete AI Training’s sales courses to get started.
