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Is B2B Sales a Vocation? Understanding the pre-requisites to growth in the best profession ever.

Besides the question ‘Is B2B Sales a Vocation?’, we explore another ‘Is B2B Sales a profession?’. I admire those individuals who apply their knowledge, experience, qualifications and above all their dedication to deliver outstanding service to their clients or patients.

Typically, these folk are the professionals, who have been schooled, mentored and graduated from a lengthy qualification process. I am referring to the lawyers, dentists, medical practitioners, engineers, actuaries, musicians, archeologists, accountants and architects, amongst others. I am also referring to the the craftsmen and -women who through the rigours of their trade, deliver sterling work.

These individuals tend to, in my experience, adhere to a set of inviolate self-imposed rules, which is the subject of this Blog. Above all, they add value to society – often with little acknowledgement, recognition and limited personal gain.

But they get things done by applying a high degree of scientific acumen!

Of course there are also the unscrupulous individuals who employ these qualities and attributes for short term gain.

Is B2B Sales a Profession?

On the face of it and judging by the results and behaviour of those that I have observed for 50 years, it seems that B2B Sales is not what we nor most would recognise as a profession.

In many instances, if not most, these folk seem to be drawn to this role due to:

• Lack of direction
• Failed undergraduates
• Promise of an easy income
• Over-confidence in their persuasive abilities
• Short of a specific skill-set, but long on expectations

In short, a diverse set of individuals hoping to eke out a living  and develop a career path on the back of their chosen employer and personal traits. This may sound harsh, but seemingly applies to the bulk of the B2B sales fraternity. There are of course exceptions and we’ll delve into their traits.

Is B2B Sales a Vocation? – The Anomaly

Despite all the sales training courses and their limited success, the vital component of sales revenue in any organisation seems to be the only function, when represented at the senior level, that does not have a related professional qualification or discipline. The typical C-level meetings are comprised of qualified financial, management and tax accountants, lawyers, compliance, engineers, HC accredited people, etc, but the Sales Manager occupies the role by virtue of past performance and experience and not a qualification or discipline in sight. The typical Sales Manager’s tenure is 2 – 5 years, before being edged out by virtue of astute Baloney Detectors..

This is a sad and dire situation. The professions can rely on doctrine, discipline, science, physics, compliance boards and the rigours of logic. The Sales Manager, by contrast, only has credibility based on past performance as a stake in the game of the art persuasion and support. 

Profitable revenue is the most important component of an organisation’s well being. Yet, it is left in the hands of those under qualified to fulfill the role, with a few exceptions. We maintain that the Sales function should be a profession and is the life blood of almost any organisation.

Anatomy of a Profession

I have met a handful of individuals who comply to ‘Is B2B Sales a Vocation?’ Their balance of success however is dependent on the compliance to ‘Is B2B Sales a profession?’.

Professionals apply methods, process and experience to their given tasks. The medical professional may analyse data and results from tests and questioning, formulate a diagnosis and a potential prognosis, prescribe a course of treatment and eliminate variables as the treatment progresses. All governed by the Hippocratic Oath (we hope).

The criminal detective analyses the evidence and follows a strict code to eliminate the innocents and identify the perpetrator by applying the parameters of motive, means and opportunity.

Accountants, scientists, engineers, musicians and architects, depending on their speciality, all have their own pat recipes that govern their results.

The common thread amongst these practitioners is:

• A code of Ethics and Conduct
• In most cases a passion for their vocation
• The application of proven and structured methods and principles
• Gratification for achievement of a tangible result
• The belief and reliance on the governing structures of their profession

In short, a set of highly motivated and disciplined individuals all trying to make their mark on the world and leave it a better place than they found it. They follow a strategy, apply the methods and always test their thinking and validate the results.

Contrast this with the average B2B sales person and you will agree that many of the essential components are missing. And yet, organisations leave the vital component of profitable revenue and their future in the hands of these folk! 

It seems that what is missing from the equation is a school focussed on training such a profession. There could be some around, but these tend to be a rare breed and are in the infancy of their development. 

In order to address the deficiency in the current situation we offer an alternative that solves most of the shortfall.

Identifying the Gaps

In business speak what the professions innately understand is what they are trying to achieve (The Goal), how to achieve it (The Strategy), what practices to apply (The Tactics) and finally how to validate and measure the results (The Methodology).

These aspects seem to be largely deficient from the traditional Sales Team modus operandi. We provide an insight into these vital components in our eBook ‘B2B or Not to B…’ in which we expound on the Science of Selling vs the Art of Selling.

The first aspect is to gain total agreement and clarity on is ‘What is to be Achieved?’. If achievable, step 2 is to determine how this is to be achieved and with what resources. What are the prerequisites? What systems are required? Which personnel are needed? What training should be provided? How is should this be coordinated with Marketing and with Production?

Step 3 relates to the detailed actions required to support the strategy. What measurement system will be put in place to gauge the short and long term results of progress against the strategy? Who owns which bits of the strategy fulfillment? Are those tasked with the ownership for an aspect of the strategy equipped to the task? Do the combined tactics satisfy the strategy?

Step 4 is the fundamental underpinning of the Strategy – the adherence to a strict and commonly understood methodology that governs all engagements, measurements and reporting. Without this, the ship will be sailing without a compass.

Hope is not a Strategy

We have often witnessed the application of wishful thinking and amateur techniques being applied as the base metrics that measure the expectations of the sales team’s effort. An example is the unscientific allocation of arbitrary percentages to the components of the Sales Pipeline. Guesswork is the harbinger of inaccurate information and the foundation for the erosion of credibility. A 10% arbitrary guess against a $2m opportunity is not $200k – it is $0. A 60% guess against a $1m opportunity is not $600k – it is still $0, for the purposes of a Sales Forecast which the organisation depends on. The submission of a proposal is also no guarantee of any future business and is of no consequence.

These are some of the unprofessional of the gaps endemic in 95% of sales teams which lead to their lack of credulity.

Addressing the Gaps

The Pipeline example described above is only the tip of the iceberg of the unprofessional application of techniques.

A macro view of the sales vocation also reveals the traps that most B2B folk and their organisations fall into. These self-imposed traps typically fall into 5 categories:

• Lack of a personal or a corporate sales strategy.
• Promoting what is on the price list and not addressing the client’s requirement.
• Failure to abide by a trusted sales methodology.
• Lack of resolve to quit early, take command of the sales cycle and control the buying cycle. The inability to say ‘NO’ in the face of client demands.
• Insufficient effort in identifying who influences and who controls the purse strings.

These are in sharp contrast to the behaviour of other professions. Each of these 5 aspects deserve a major blog on their own.

Is B2B Sales a Vocation?

We return to the opening question: ‘Is B2B Sales a Vocation?’ For many the answer is clear. However, the question that remains is whether it has graduated to a credible profession? The answer is self-evident, despite the existence of small pockets of true professional individuals and dedicated teams scattered across the globe.

Most often we see sales teams achieving 35% – 60% of the team target. Sometimes, we observe an achiever or over-achiever in an otherwise struggling team. When we investigate it becomes clear that the achiever never varies in his/her resolve to achieve the target by strictly following the discipline of his/her chosen sales methodology, based on a sound sales strategy.

The same principle applies to a sales team and merely requires the fortitude and resolve of a dedicated sales leader.

There are many variables and influences in the statements made in this section. We trust that previous and subsequent blogs as well as the eBook and the aQuityOM app (to be released soon) will clarify these and aid you in discovering the difference between the Science vs the Art of B2B Sales.

Walking the Talk…

‘I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I’d rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.’ -Edgar Guest, poet (20 Aug 1881-1959)

Of course, telling or being prescriptive is not the same as aiding the reader or helping him or her to instill the base disciplines and a practicable methodology.

Towards this end, we are in the process of providing you with a tool set in the form of an app from the App Store, entitled ‘aQuityOM’ for a single user and ‘aQuityOM+’ for enterprise-wide application. Phase 2 of the development will include a web-based version.

This Opportunity Management app obviously encompasses the features provided by most CRM systems, but differs with enhanced functionality to aid in the Sales Engagement Process.

🎯 Feature Highlights:

4-Stage Qualification Framework

Aligns sales process with buyer psychology: Should they buy? Can they buy? Will they buy? Will they buy from me?

30 Guided Qualifying Questions

Ensure consistency, uncover risk, and drive coaching conversations based on structured responses.

Automated Status Engine

Move from guesswork to precision: each Opportunity is algorithmically ranked from Lead to Client.

Deal Confidence Score

Built-in scoring logic to forecast more accurately and coach reps in real time.

B2B-Specific Design

Built from the ground up to reflect the complexity of B2B buying decisions.

User Role Flexibility: Administrators can see the big picture; users focus on their own opportunities with guided clarity.

aQuityOMPlus is the first CRM platform purpose-built to align B2B sales activity with buyer intent — using a proven 4-stage qualification framework, 30 smart diagnostic questions, and algorithmic opportunity scoring to drive consistent forecasting, accountability, and revenue confidence.

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