B2B buying behaviour has changed drastically, with 80% of sales interactions predicted to happen in digital channels in 2025. Buyers form opinions about companies long before engaging with sales, relying on digital content and peer discussions.
At the Future-Proof Your Business event in March 2025, Mika Hyötyläinen, Valve explored how AI, data, and sales-marketing alignment are shaping the future of B2B sales. His session highlighted how companies can adapt to these changes, optimise their digital presence, and leverage AI-driven insights to stay competitive.
In this blog, we break down the key takeaways from Mika’s session, offering practical strategies to help businesses navigate the evolving B2B landscape. If you wish to dive deeper, watch the full session recording here.
The digital-first buyer – are you present where It matters?
Today's B2B buyers are forming opinions long before they ever speak with a sales representative. The quality of your products matters, but what truly makes an impact is:
- How your company is presented in digital channels
- What your customers and partners say about you
- Whether you’re visible in the right forums and platforms
Buyers evaluate your company without direct interaction, basing decisions on digital content, peer discussions, and independent research. Are you making the right impression before the first contact happens?
AI as a game-changer in sales & marketing
AI is revolutionising how businesses analyse customer behaviour, optimise marketing, and align sales efforts. The opportunities AI brings include:
- More sophisticated analytics – AI can detect complex patterns in customer behaviour
- Lead nurturing & scoring – identify high-intent leads and automate engagement
- Better pipeline management – improve marketing, sales, and customer service alignment
- Predictive insights – forecast customer needs and reduce churn
Whether through standalone AI tools, integrated platform features like HubSpot, or tailored AI solutions, companies can gain efficiency and deeper customer understanding.
Three levels of impact: how marketing & sales drive growth
To increase top-line revenue, marketing and sales should focus on three key areas:
- Reducing churn – keeping existing customers engaged and satisfied
- Selling more – increasing value from existing customers
- Finding new customers – using data-driven strategies to target the right audience
By leveraging AI and aligning goals across sales and marketing, companies can create targeted messaging and campaigns that truly resonate with customers.
What’s holding us back?
Despite the potential of AI and digital transformation, many organisations face the same challenges:
- Lack of time and resources
- Disconnected systems and poor data quality
- No integration between tools and processes
Instead of waiting for the perfect moment, start small and build momentum. Even incremental improvements can generate long-term impact when consistently applied.
Mika shared Warren Buffett’s famous prioritisation strategy:
- Write down the 25 most important tasks
- Pick the top 5 – focus all efforts on these
Avoid the remaining 20 – these are distractions!
A practical tip: Start your workday by focusing on your most important tasks before checking emails. This prevents getting sidetracked by less urgent matters.
How to move forward?
- Assess your current situation – identify the biggest gaps in sales and marketing alignment
- Set clear ambitions – define what success looks like for your organisation.
- Build a roadmap – Outline the concrete steps to achieve your goals
"IT doesn’t support business." A common concern, but is IT represented in your management team? Bringing IT closer to business decision-making can significantly improve alignment.
It doesn’t matter where you start—just start. Use AI, optimise processes, and iterate daily. The biggest mistake is doing nothing at all.
Continue the conversation
Interested in taking the next steps in sales and marketing transformation? Whether you want to explore AI-driven strategies, data-led marketing, brand-building, or self-service solutions, we’re here to help.
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