What does the data actually say about where ANZ sales leadership and their teams are really at right now? 

Nearly 700 sales professionals across Australia and New Zealand fed into the 2026 Mood of the Sales Leader report by Indicator and Trinity and the findings raise opportunities and a few red flags. 

Cian McLoughlin, CEO and Founder of Trinity and one of the sharpest minds in B2B win-loss analysis, is back on the REV UP Rebellion podcast for his second appearance. 

Cian and Abbie go beneath the data to unpack what is actually shifting in sales, where the execution gaps are widening, and what the best revenue leaders are doing differently. 

The data doesn't lie: 

• 62% of Australian companies achieved revenue growth in 2025, yet development budgets dropped 30% in a single year
• AI adoption jumped from 56% to 90% of salespeople in twelve months, but only 34% say it has lifted their results
• Pricing has become a major reason deals fall through… but there is far more to that story than meets the eye
• There's a rising opportunity that could offset shrinking marketing budgets that almost no one is capturing

Check out the full breakdown of the 2026 Mood of the Sales Leader Report here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34D5cMR8DkU 

What's also covered in this episode: 

• AI adoption has gone near-universal — while most companies still have no guardrails on where to use it and where to stop 
• The one gap stalling AI ROI (hint: it lives inside your team, not your tech stack) 
• Where personalisation and human communication are making a comeback, and the moments where automation is quietly damaging your brand 
• The development budget drop that is eroding sales capability across Australia, and what salespeople need to do about it when their company won't 
• Why pricing rarely wins you a deal, and the mistakes most revenue teams keep making
• How to lead with clarity when the path forward is genuinely unclear and your team is watching to see what you do next
• Practical ways to close the execution gap and build a team that performs in complexity 

This is the inside track on what ANZ sales leaders are actually seeing, not just saying. 

Book your spot at Seismic City Tour – Sydney: 

Abbie is a guest speaker at the Revenue Leaders Working Lunch at the Seismic City Tour in Sydney on 31 March, and you're invited too.  

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/SeismicCityToursSydney 

(00:00:00) Sponsor – Seismic City Tours 

(00:00:38) In this episode  

(00:01:05) Introducing Cian McLoughlin and the 2026 Mood of the Sales Leader Report 

(00:02:10) The AI Gap Sales Leaders Need to Close 

(00:08:41) Where AI and Automation Can Be Brand Damaging 

(00:14:01) Stop Falling Into the ”I Don't Have Time” Trap 

(00:15:48) What Businesses Won't Spend On… But Sellers Need 

(00:20:28) What Leadership Needs to Look Like in 2026 

(00:26:03) ”You Won't Win on Price, But You Will Lose on It” 

(00:29:16) Real Cases of AEO Impact on Businesses 

(00:30:57) Have We Finally Aligned Sales and Marketing? 

(00:38:33) How to Win Deals in a Longer Sales Cycle 

(00:43:15) The Future of Work in the AI Era 

(00:48:06) Final Thoughts: Critical Leadership Moves for 2026 

Connect with Cian: 

• Cian’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cianmcloughlin/  
• Trinity: https://www.usetrinity.com/  
• Download the Mood of the Sales Leader 2026 Report: https://tinyurl.com/2026MoodOfTheSalesLeader  

Connect with us: 

• Check out our REV UP 2026 Program, built for vendors and partners to grow together: https://tinyurl.com/REV-UP-2026 
• Be an Insider & receive our inside track every other Thursday: https://tinyurl.com/be-an-insider-now 
• Follow Abbie for the behind-the-scenes journey: https://tinyurl.com/Follow-Abbie-on-LinkedIn 
• Follow Sales Redefined on LinkedIn for educational bites: https://tinyurl.com/Follow-SR-on-LinkedIn