The Changing Landscape of B2B Sales: From Digital Dominance to Human Connection
Five to ten years ago, sales lead generation was all about internet notoriety. If you didn’t have a strong online presence—books, podcasts, social media—you were essentially invisible and lacked the authority to represent your sales team.
Then came the COVID era, and everything shifted online. Webinars became the daily grind. Team meetups on platforms like Zoom and Teams became the new norm. Social media turned into the primary channel for outreach.
But now, social media feels like a dumping ground. It’s increasingly difficult to distinguish what’s real from what’s AI-generated. Facts seem to have left the station, and the ROI on large social media budgets is becoming harder to justify.
Meanwhile, human nature hasn’t changed. In the business world, face-to-face meetings, lunches, and dinners are making a comeback. Relationship-building is being renewed. That means our 2026 budget will shift again—this time to increase expenses for, conferences in-person engagements like lunches, dinners, and even golf outings.
Our team noticed this trend emerging last year. We began attending more conferences and prioritizing in-person interactions—drinks, dinners, coffee, or breakfast meetings. Rebuilding that human connection is back in style, and honestly, we’re enjoying it. Talking through our customers’ challenges and mentoring them toward solutions is deeply rewarding. Every conversation is a learning opportunity—for both the individual and the company.
We’ve also found that having top-level managers regularly meet with customers improves retention. It opens doors for upselling, allows for quicker issue resolution, and builds trust through accountability and transparency.
I wonder—will this trend toward human connection evolve into deeper personal relationship-building in the future? I hope so. Because the more we talk, the more we look each other in the eye and share experiences, the more we grow—together—to solve problems.
