As companies expand, their priorities transition from simply generating leads to optimizing the sales process and managing the pipeline. AI is boosting sellers' abilities rather than replacing them, resulting in higher productivity without significantly lowering costs. This is partly due to the supervision required to ensure AI-generated lists meet the stringent standards necessary for successful sales outreach, which helps maintain current cost levels.

A key aspect of this optimization is strengthening the link between sales development and marketing. As pipeline generation becomes a broader responsibility across the revenue team, SDRs increasingly focus on building brand awareness, serving as the first point of contact for prospects. While 59% of respondents indicate that their SDRs report to sales, 34% report to marketing, highlighting the growing overlap between marketers and frontline sellers.