“COVID-19 has destroyed lives and livelihoods and continues to do so in many communities worldwide. Although the full implications of the pandemic are far from certain, it is already clear that its economic consequences are dire. For sales leaders contemplating how to react, taking care of their people and customers must be a top priority. Even as they manage that reality, sales leaders must adjust how their organizations sell in the face of new customer habits and trying economic times. We believe we are at a digital inflection point, where B2B sales operations going forward will look fundamentally different from what they were before the pandemic.’’

Extract from The B2B digital inflection point: How sales have changed during COVID-19 by Gavin, Harrison, Plotkin, Spillecke, and J Stanley (, 2020)

In line with the statement above, the growing use of aggregators and influencers is slowly eroding the importance of a salesperson. Evaluate whether the salesperson's role is still valid and applicable in the 21st century in general and more specifically in a post-Covid-19 pandemic era. Use the characteristics of selling activities to frame your arguments.