Role of Sales in 2026

Sales has changed, and if your conversations still focus on features, pricing, and pressure tactics, you may already be falling behind. Today’s buyers are more informed, more cautious, and more overwhelmed with choice than ever before. Winning deals now is less about pushing harder and more about building trust, reducing friction, and helping buyers feel confident in their decisions.

In this episode, Nicky Miklós explores what is really driving modern sales conversations. She shares how AI, increased buyer transparency, and changing buyer psychology are reshaping sales leadership in 2026 and beyond. The discussion focuses on what top-performing sales teams are doing differently, and why many traditional approaches no longer work.

At the center of the episode is the TEC Framework: Trust, Ease, and Confidence. Nicky explains how this simple but powerful model helps sales teams close deals faster, even in uncertain markets. You will learn why trust has become one of the biggest factors in whether a deal moves forward or stalls, how to make the buying process easier for clients who are already overloaded, and why confidence matters more than persuasion.

The conversation also looks at why feature-led selling has lost its impact and how meaningful, human conversations now create stronger relationships and better long-term results. Nicky shares real-world lessons from leading sales teams through challenging periods like the GFC and COVID, offering practical insights into what works when markets are unpredictable and buyer confidence is low.

Technology plays a role too. This episode breaks down how tools like AI can support better coaching and smarter sales conversations when used intentionally. Referencing research from HubSpot showing that nearly 30 percent of deals fall apart due to a lack of trust, the discussion highlights the real cost of overlooking the emotional side of selling.

This episode is also a call to action for sales leaders. The role has shifted from enforcing scripts and chasing numbers to creating clarity, coaching with intention, and helping buyers feel safe making decisions. When trust is present, deals move faster and relationships last longer. When it is missing, even strong solutions struggle to gain traction.

If you are a sales leader, entrepreneur, or decision-maker looking to future-proof your team and close smarter, more sustainable deals, this episode offers practical ideas you can start using right away. Tune in to learn how to turn everyday sales conversations into trust-building moments that convert.

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Music by Jules Miklos-Woodley

Transcript

Nicky Miklós (00:27)
Hello, you gorgeous human, and thank you so much again for joining me today for the Smart Business Growth podcast episode.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what the role of a salesperson and a sales leader actually looks like in this modern landscape in 2026. I’m having many conversations with sales leaders and salespeople about what’s changing, and there is a lot of change happening.

With the introduction of AI, the level of transparency we now have, and the ability to observe sales calls and use them as coaching tools, the landscape has shifted beyond what we could have imagined. Even for advanced sales teams that have been doing call observations for a while, the capability today is on another level.

For those of you who don’t know what call observation is, it’s essentially recording sales calls or videos so they can be reviewed and used for feedback and coaching. Back in the day, we might have done this during an in-person meeting with a leader sitting beside us and then offering feedback afterward. That’s certainly what I remember.

Shout out to Gemma if you’re listening to this. That’s one of my earliest memories of being coached from a sales perspective.

Now, with technology and the shift to online, we can record calls, observe them, and give feedback far more easily. Some teams have been doing this for quite some time, but the level of transparency has increased rapidly, making it accessible to many more businesses.

This also changes the experience for the salesperson who is being recorded and coached. But what’s really been on my mind is what this means for the client interaction and the buyer experience. How are buyers making decisions now?

I recently read the HubSpot 2025 Sales Trends Report, which is full of interesting insights. It also made me reflect on this question: when was the last time you, as a leader, business owner, or salesperson, paused to think about how your role has changed in the way you interact with clients?

The report found that 74 percent of sellers say AI tools have made buyer research easier, which puts more pressure on sellers to deliver real value. This isn’t surprising. AI has made information about products and services far more accessible. Even before AI, Google did this, and now it’s just been taken to the next level.

In the past, we were taught that a salesperson’s role was to explain features and benefits. Don’t even get me started on that. But that role doesn’t exist anymore. Buyers can research on their own, and often they come into conversations knowing as much, if not more, than the salesperson.

So where does that leave us?

If buyers are already informed and we are still leading feature-focused conversations, we are already behind.

HubSpot outlined that modern sellers add value by building buyer confidence, helping buyers secure internal buy-in, and addressing the emotional side of decision-making. Salespeople are no longer information providers. We are decision facilitators. We are the human layer that AI cannot replace.

I want you to reflect on how long you’ve been in sales. If you’re a sales leader or business owner, probably quite some time, like me. How has it changed?

When I reflected on this myself, I realised I’ve been in sales for about 24 years. Arguably even longer if we count my time working at Sawtell Seaside Seafoods, the fish and chip shop I worked at as soon as I was old enough.

I’ve worked in retail leadership, media advertising, and sales management. I never set out to build a career in sales. Like many people, I didn’t grow up wanting to be in sales. I was just good with people, naturally curious, and comfortable asking questions.

Before I knew it, I was managing retail teams and later moved into media. What connects all of those experiences is how we make people feel.

I remember managing a Sportsgirl store in Coffs Harbour and telling my team we shouldn’t need name badges. Customers should know you work there by how you carry yourself, how you engage, and how you make them feel. Not through sleazy selling, but through genuine conversation and presence.

At the end of the day, it’s not about the sale. If you focus on conversation, curiosity, and understanding outcomes, the sale takes care of itself. Whether you’re selling dresses, advertising, houses, or cars, the principle is the same.

People come back because of how you made them feel.

Later in my career, I worked in media advertising where we created a business unit selling websites at a time when websites weren’t common. It was unfamiliar and uncomfortable for many business owners, so our role was to be a safe pair of hands and guide them through uncertainty.

That principle applies today more than ever. Sales cycles are longer, more decision-makers are involved, and budgets are tighter. How are we making buyers feel? How are we guiding them?

I saw the same thing during the GFC in 2009 and again during COVID. Features and benefits are surface-level. They don’t give buyers confidence.

If we stick to old-school sales thinking, money is left on the table and opportunities are lost.

I recently revisited a slide from the HubSpot report titled “Why Deals Die.” Thirty percent of buyers walk away because trust isn’t established. Other reasons include lack of readiness, price concerns, lack of fit, inability to get internal approval, and sales processes that take too long.

This matches exactly what I hear when working with sales teams.

Over my career, I’ve learned that old-school sales methods don’t work anymore. There’s nowhere to hide. We need to be clear on what our salespeople are focusing on.

That brings me to a simple framework I love called TEC. It stands for Trust, Ease, and Confidence.

This framework is based on my experience selling, leading teams through the GFC and COVID, and understanding why deals fail.

The questions to ask are simple:
 How are we building trust?
 How are we making it easy to say yes?
 How are we helping buyers feel confident in their decision?

Trust. Ease. Confidence.

When we focus on these three things, we create sustainable, long-term sales conversations and conversions, even in turbulent times.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Take it lightly, have fun with it, and I’ll see you next week.