Given the target-based nature of sales, last year was frustrating for many, Stokes said.
Just 43% of New Zealand salespeople hit their targets and achieved bonuses last year.
Only 6% listed their pipelines as being strong going into 2026.
“We definitely expected last year to be better than it was,” Stokes said. “People were bruised.”
Sales leaders also raised concerns about the level of support businesses were providing.
Marketing budgets, professional development and new technology investment were all down in 2025.
“There is a significant risk salespeople will begin to feel undervalued, given the lack of commitment to development and flat remuneration,” Stokes said.
Only 5% rated marketing as “excellent”, while 31% rated it “not great” or “very poor”.
Only 51% said their firms had increased investment in sales technology in 2025. This was the third consecutive year that this figure declined.
There was a big lift in the number of salespeople using AI (artificial intelliegence) to enhance performance, with 90% saying they used it in 2025. That compared to 56% in 2024 and just 22% in 2023.
But this most likely reflected the increased use of personal accounts, given the lack of large-scale tech investment by firms, Stokes said.
“A significant majority believe salespeople using smart technology will be the future, and 0% feel salespeople will become redundant due to AI.”
Business development was the standout frustration with sales teams, far ahead of any other single issue, Stokes said.
Average investment in sales development plummeted by 50%, with the average spend per salesperson now $1500 in 2025, compared with $2979 in 2024.
Fifty-nine per cent received some training, leaving a sizeable 41% without development, Stokes said.
“Development for salespeople became a casualty of the financial environment, leaving teams to navigate a hard market with reduced training and support.”
Sales leaders noted that strong relationships, including trust in people and brand, remained the biggest reason for winning deals – ahead of price and product superiority.
But when it came to “deal-killers”, price stood out as the number one issue.
The gap between Australia and New Zealand continued to widen, Stokes said.
New Zealand achieved 41% total market growth, which Australia outpaced with a 60% increase.
In Australia, 18% of respondents were bullish and expected strong growth in 2026. Just 9% of New Zealanders felt the same.
In Australia, 67% of salespeople hit their targets in 2025.
There were some bright spots in the survey.
One-third of respondents were exporters and 64% reported moderate or strong growth, despite the global tariff turmoil.
Only 6% reported declining sales.
Nearly 70% of exporters said the US tariffs had no impact on their business.
Overall, there were reasons to be positive about 2026, Stokes said.
But it was understandable that after last year’s false start that expectations were tempered, he said.
“We’ve called it cautious realism.”
Liam Dann is business editor-at-large for the NZ Herald. He is a senior writer and columnist, and also presents and produces videos and podcasts. He joined the Herald in 2003.
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