In 2026, chief sales officers (CSOs) will contend with significant headwinds impacting their organizations’ growth ambitions. Increased productivity demands, a growing slate of change initiatives, demand for high-speed transformation and an emphasis on cost optimization all add to the uncertainty and confusion placed on sales leaders. 

These challenges are now amplified by the rapid rise of AI, prompting several questions among CSOs, including:

- Where should I expect AI to deliver ROI?

- How do I improve seller and buyer engagement?

- Which levers can I pull to improve seller performance?

Gartner recommends CSOs act on three priorities to effectively lead sales in the year ahead.

Top priorities for CSOs in 2026

1
Create a sales-centric AI portfolio roadmap
2
Transform go-to-market (GTM) motions to align with buyer preferences
3
Maximize sales manager impact with role clarity and organizational support

PRIORITY 1

Create a sales-centric AI portfolio linked to sales strategy

CSO challenge: Though more than 60% of sales teams are using GenAI, only one-third are seeing related productivity gains. Too few CSOs are engaged with sales-related tech stack initiatives.

Focus areas for the head of ERM in 2026

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