This HBR article is pretty damning as to the modern salesperson.  Apart from the statistics below, the modern salesperson faces a number of challenges!

1. They are not trusted or respected.

2. They can’t converse effectively with the senior executives.

3. They can’t clearly explain how their solution helps the buyer’s business.

4. They are too self-centered.

5. They use the wrong closing strategy.

6. They don’t alleviate the risk of buying their solution.

7. They can’t establish a personal connection with the buyer.

This has a significant impact to those companies selling high level B2B solutions.  In conclusion, it is no surprise that HBR recommend that salespeople need to be able to communicate with buyers by understanding their industry, job function and business pains.  I'm not sure this is new, but surprised that we are still talking about this in 2017!