In 2025, the tech sales landscape is set to experience groundbreaking transformations. Based on insights from our annual survey of tech startup founders and sales leaders across Europe, North America and other regions, we’ve compiled 2025 predictions that provide you with a roadmap for navigating the challenges and opportunities ahead. Let’s explore what’s on the horizon for the new year.
The adoption of AI in sales processes is no longer a question of "if" but "how much." A majority of respondents ranked their likelihood of integrating more AI into their sales cycle at a 4 out of 5, reflecting high enthusiasm for automation and intelligence-driven efficiencies.
On the other hand, there were some who were less enthusiastic about this topic.
“If you look at what AI has kicked off in other fields — HR/hiring, for example — you see an arms race where the participants trust each other less and less. A lack of trust is the death of sales, and I don't want any part of it,” responded Matt Krause, founder at Recipient Labs.
“That's why I give the lowest rating to the first question. If there was a zero, or even if there were negative numbers, I would use them.”
The real question now becomes “how” and “when” to use it — and not. AI applications in sales will expand significantly, with diverse AI use cases leading to measurable outcomes.
Respondents identified specific AI functionalities they plan to implement:
Our position at Sales Force Europe is that AI is a tool, so it’s all about how you use it.
Indeed, AI is already very good at lead scoring and prioritization. It’s indeed very good for brainstorming the ICP and different job titles in different countries, as well as summarizing European regulatory challenges in lay terms. Then, after sale, when trained on the right knowledgebase, AI can make for a good first-round chatbot to help with customer support. And throughout your sales expansion, it can help with first-round marketing and website localization, but you still need native translators to tweak the local messaging.
AI is also really helpful in automating some of the mundane. For example, Dost AI automates and streamlines documentation management.
But, while AI is becoming an important aid to the sales process, we do not believe AI will replace the human sales rep. Especially when trying to reach European enterprises, tech companies need someone on the ground, building the relationships, understanding prospect needs, and closing deals.
Geographic expansion remains a priority for growth in 2025. Europe continues to dominate as a target market, but companies are also exploring untapped opportunities in other regions.
Sustained growth remains a central theme for 2025, with most respondents expressing confidence in scaling their operations.
Key trends:
“Tech continues to grow and expand, but the rewards are not geographically evenly distributed,” said Steve Stewart, VP of global partner sales at Smartsheet. Companies must maintain as much flexibility as possible to respond to markets quickly with less risk because, he continued, “Regional adjustments are a must.”
After 2023 being frankly a rough one, stable growth in 2024 has led to optimism defining the outlook for 2025. The tech leaders we interviewed expressed confidence in the tech sector’s resilience and potential for innovation.
Generative AI technologies are widely seen as key drivers of transformation and part of this overall optimistic sentiment.
AI stands out as the dominant theme for 2025, with one respondent saying "Of course AI. But customers also need to figure out how to find the resources to advance their digitization initiatives including AI. The main difficulty is in finding qualified personnel."
Another responded with "how to use generative AI to embellish our existing company business software.”
While optimism abounds, challenges persist. Respondents identified several concerns as top of mind.
As we look ahead to 2025, the tech sales landscape promises to be shaped by AI innovations, geographic expansions and an unwavering focus on growth. However, leaders must remain vigilant about challenges such as talent acquisition and regulatory compliance. And strive for as much flexibility as markets could change at any time.
By embracing these insights, companies like yours can stay ahead of the curve and thrive in the evolving tech ecosystem.
We are witnessing a strong uptick in activities across most tech verticals in Europe and predict a promising 2025. Thank you to all those who took part in our survey!
I hope you have some relaxing time off with family and see you next year! – Rick
