Rethinking Sales and AI for FY26

As the financial year wraps up, many team, leaders are asking the same question: how do we grow without adding more cost, complexity, or chaos?

It’s a familiar challenge. Sales teams are stretched, marketing budgets are tight, and buyers are taking longer to make decisions. The 2025 Mood of the Sales Leader report by Indicator paints a clear picture: only 39% of companies achieved revenue growth last year, which is the lowest in the survey’s eight-year history. The report also highlights that sales cycles have grown longer, and economic uncertainty remains the biggest barrier to progress. 

In this environment, success in FY26 will come down to efficiency. That means refining how we sell, and leaning into the right tools, like AI, to lift the load, not add to it.

That’s a theme echoed by two of our recent B2B Inspired guests. Mike Stokes, CEO of Indicator, shared findings from the Mood of the Sales Leader report, highlighting a return to sales fundamentals as a key driver of success. In a tough year, the report found that businesses that grew focussed on process, consistency, and capability.

David Howden, CEO of Superhuman AI, brought a complementary perspective: while AI adoption surged in 2024, the real gains came from using it with intent. As David put it, “AI should take the weight off the team, not add another thing to manage.”

So what does this mean for businesses heading into FY26?

Mike Stokes pointed out that companies who succeeded in 2024 didn’t do so by luck, they doubled down on what they could control. Sales capability, process, and consistency were key. In many of the conversations we’ve had, there’s a renewed appreciation for structure, not as red tape, but as a lever for results.

There’s no shortage of AI tools out there, but not every tool is worth your time. If you’re unsure where to begin with AI, David from SupaHuman advocates for starting with admin or simplifying prep work. Once you get up to speed, David says that it's realistic to shorten the time it takes to complete compliance reports or audits from 10 hours down to 15 minutes. 

Both Mike and David noted the importance of cross-functional clarity. While optimism about the sales-marketing relationship is growing, there’s still work to do. When teams share goals, language, and insights, the customer experience improves, and that’s when efficiency really kicks in.

Mike Stokes reminded us that the companies who achieved growth last year weren’t necessarily the ones doing more—they were the ones doing better. Growth doesn’t have to mean hiring more or launching fast. Sometimes, it’s about lifting what you’ve already got: capability, consistency, and confidence.

Explore our resources on sales efficiency going forward into FY26.