Everyone wants the best, but the definition of what makes something “the best” depends on who you are and what you’re looking for. For example, ice cream lovers are always on the hunt for the best ice cream, but what makes it the best depends on other factors, such as what you had for dinner (“Scoop of chocolate. Scoop of vanilla. Don’t waste my time.” —Barry Shalowitz, City Slickers.)

Scene (“The Challenge”) from City Slickers (1991).

The same principle applies to salespeople. What makes “the best” salesperson depends on who you are. So when Lee Smith, CEO of SalesFuel, discusses the results from the company’s B2B Buyers Scan Study (June 2025) and what makes for “the best salesperson 2,000 C-suite executives have ever had,” the lessons can’t necessarily be applied to middle managers or print procurement staffers. Perhaps, then, why many print salespeople have a hard time. 

Not Everyone’s Best Is the Same

Our industry has been pushing consultative selling for a long time, but that approach doesn’t work for every prospect.

According to SalesFuel’s B2B Buyers Scan Study, 30% of B2B decision-makers say they have a vendor salesperson whom they frequently trust to help them on matters not directly related to their product or service, and 46% are more apt to meet with a salesperson who provides them with information they didn’t already know or hadn’t seen elsewhere.

That’s consultative selling, and these customers/prospects are the C-suite. If you’re trying these approaches on non-C-suite prospects, you’re probably not going to get the same reaction. 

The Danger of Over-Confidence

The SalesFuel study also found that salespeople tend to think they are better at consultative selling than they actually are. When salespeople were asked what percentage of salespeople say sales reps (in general) “always” put customers’ needs ahead of closing the sale, 62% of salespeople gave themselves a thumbs up. But when their C-suite customers were asked the same question, the answer was closer to 20%. That’s quite a gap.

Figuring out how to close that gap is increasingly important, especially since nearly half of B2B decision-makers say they expect salespeople to show that they “care about me and my business” or they aren’t returning their calls. (Didn’t get a callback after that Zoom meeting the other week? Maybe we just discovered the reason why.)

Altruism as a sales tool? To indulge in another movie reference: Inconceivable!

This study offers fascinating insights into what makes salespeople indispensable for this customer group (and which was made available as a webinar by Sales & Marketing Magazine). Go back and watch it  if you can. Link here.

Are You Qualified to Talk to Me?

Another tidbit of note is that, if a salesperson does present a compelling case in an email or phone message, 42% of B2B decision-makers want to see that your expertise is apparent and demonstrated in comments and posts on LinkedIn or other online platforms. When your prospects Google you, they want you to show up…and not just in a company directory.

Before they respond to your outreach, 60% of these decision-makers will research you. When they do, what will they find? Are you taking the time to build your online profile? If not, it could come back to bite you. Before they call back or put you on their calendar, they want to know, “Are you even qualified to talk to me?” If you’re a C-suite executive, are you encouraging your salespeople to build their own online profiles? Or are you assuming your company’s online presence is sufficient? Because it’s not.

So what does all this mean for print salespeople? It means the same approach won't work for everyone on your prospect list. The C-suite wants a trusted advisor who brings fresh insights. The procurement manager wants efficiency and solutions that won't get them fired. The marketing director wants a partner who understands their creative vision and their budget constraints.

The “best” salesperson isn't the one who masters a single approach—it's the one who, like Barry Shalowitz in City Slickers, figures out what “best” means in each context and adapts accordingly. Because, sometimes, only rum raisin will do.