90% of sales teams use AI agents - but half of them have the same data problem

"Caught between high customer expectations and limited capacity to deliver on them, nine in 10 sales teams look to agents. They report benefits to sales planning, customer retention, and prospecting. 94% of sales leaders with agents say they're critical for meeting business demands."

"Sales teams are unifying data and simplifying tech to improve AI and agent outcomes. Sales pros have data concerns, such as manual errors and duplicate data. Others say bloated tech stacks delay their AI initiatives. 84% of teams without an all-in-one platform plan to consolidate tech."

"Sales reps want more personalized coaching and greater transparency in pay. Leaders are bringing in agents and automation that can help. Many reps also say community is the key to their success. High performers are 2.5x more likely to regularly participate in a sales community outside their company."

The 2026 State of Sales Report surveyed 4,050 sales professionals across 22 countries to examine AI agent adoption and sales strategies. Sales teams are increasingly turning to AI agents to bridge gaps between customer expectations and capacity, with 94% of leaders considering them critical. However, successful agent implementation requires unified data and simplified technology stacks, as 84% of teams without all-in-one platforms plan consolidation. Beyond AI, sales growth depends on three key tactics: sales planning emphasis, partner investment, and usage-based pricing adoption, with 76% of leaders noting increased customer importance of pricing models. Sales representatives seek personalized coaching, pay transparency, and community engagement, with high performers being 2.5 times more likely to participate in external sales communities.

Read at ZDNET