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A Mid-Year Reflection on What’s Hurdles Are Holding Salespeople Back and How to Fix It
As we pass the halfway mark of 2025, one trend has become increasingly clear across the lubricant industry and wider B2B sales landscape:
The biggest challenge for salespeople is aligning with how modern buyers want to buy.
Working closely with sales teams across the lubricant supply chain this year, I’ve observed a growing disconnect between how sellers are selling and how buyers are making decisions. In this article, I share the five most common challenges B2B sales professionals are facing right now and how the top performers are successfully overcoming them.
1. Breaking Through to Decision-Makers
Challenge: Sales reps are struggling to get meetings, responses, or engagement from busy decision-makers.
What works: The most effective sellers are using insight-led messaging. They focus on relevance over volume, crafting personalised outreach that speaks to real business problems rather than pushing product features.
2. Standing Out in a Crowded Marketplace
Challenge: Many lubricant providers and industrial suppliers look and sound the same, creating a blur of undifferentiated options.
What works: High-performing reps stop pitching and start problem-solving. They help the buyer understand what’s at stake if they don’t act, reframing urgency in terms of lost opportunity or risk.
3. Managing Complex Buying Committees
Challenge: Purchasing decisions are rarely made by one person. There are often 6–10 stakeholders involved, with varying levels of influence and priority.
What works: Top salespeople map the buying group early. They personalise value for each role, build cross-functional alignment, and don’t rely solely on a single contact or internal sponsor.
4. Adapting to Digital-First Buying Behaviour
Challenge: Buyers prefer to self-educate before engaging with sales, which limits early influence and traditional relationship-building.
What works: Sales teams that embrace social selling, video outreach, and digital content see more traction. They’re visible online, create helpful touchpoints, and make it easier for buyers to engage when ready.
5. Keeping Momentum in Long Sales Cycles
Challenge: Many deals stallnot because the buyer says no, but because the seller hasn’t provided a compelling reason to say yes now.
What works: The best sales reps use purposeful follow-ups. They clearly outline the next step, explain when it will happen, and articulate the value for the buyer in taking that step.
What This Means for the Rest of 2025
The most successful salespeople in 2025 aren’t just better at closing — they’re better at aligning.
They understand that today’s B2B buyer wants a smoother, more consultative experience. Buyers are no longer looking for a salesperson to educate them on products, they want a trusted guide who helps them make faster, safer, more confident decisions.
Final Thought: What Have You Done That’s Working?
These are the five challenges we’ve observed across dozens of teams this year. Below are more resources to assist you in having a great second half of the year.
