What are 12 CROs really betting on for 2025? The answer will surprise you.

We’ve been talking to CROs non-stop for a month.

12 of them, to be exact, all leading sales at major tech companies.

What they’re planning for 2025 isn’t what you’d expect.

Everyone’s talking about AI, right? New sales tools? The latest tech stack?

Let’s take a look at what these sales leaders are actually betting on.

"We’re completely reinventing how we work," as the CRO of a $35 million SaaS company told us.

1. We want to understand the customer 100%

Every department thinks they know the customer best.

Sales has its perspective, product has theirs, and support has another.

In 2025, that won’t be enough anymore.

Here’s what we’re seeing at the best companies:

• Product teams are joining sales calls (yes, really!)
• Support teams are driving product decisions (about time!)
• Sales insights are shaping marketing in real time
• Weekly meetings where everyone shares customer stories are a must

One CRO put it perfectly:

"If your entire company doesn’t have a deep understanding of your customers by 2025, you’ve got a problem."

2. Sell the value, not the features

Feature-based selling is dead.

i.e., companies are completely restructuring around their value proposition.

What does that look like in practice?

• dedicated teams responsible for customer success and understanding
• success metrics across multiple products
• ROI frameworks for every industry your customers operate in
• real-time tracking of value creation

As one CRO told us directly:

"Our sales reps aren't allowed to pitch our products until they fully understand what success looks like for the customer."

3. Identify problems before they arise

Why are you losing customers?

Often, you realize it far too late.

Top companies try to identify these signals as early as possible.

Companies are developing:

• systems that detect risks based on product usage
• models that predict problems before they occur
• teams that intervene at the first sign of trouble
• programs that resolve issues before customers even notice them

"We don't need more tools", a CRO told us.

"We need to be smarter about what we already have."

What does "smarter" mean?

• Connecting all revenue data in one place
• Predicting how customers will buy
• Understanding engagement across all channels
• Knowing which deals are at risk (and why)
• The human factor (surprise!)

BUT here is the biggest surprise:

8 out of 12 CROs rely MORE on human skills than on AI.

Which skills are they focusing on?

• True business acumen (not just sales)
• Solving complex problems
• Building relationships in our digital world
• Leading cross-functionally
• Building sound business cases

Integration. Getting everything—and everyone—working together.

But how exactly does all of this work?

Ask yourself:

1. Does your entire company truly understand the customer?
2. Are you selling outcomes or still just features?
3. Can you identify problems before they arise?
4. Are you investing enough in your team's skills?

The bottom line

What 2025 is really about:

It’s not about having the coolest technology or the most AI.

It’s about bringing everything together—teams, processes, technology—all focused on delivering real value to customers.

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