Most of the best recent thinking about the complex B2B sales
environment suggests that the primary role of the sales person should
be to facilitate the prospect's buying process, and I've certainly seen
companies achieve a step function improvement in close rates and
forecast accuracy when they embrace this idea.
One of my clients came up with a great metaphor the other day when
they likened the whole process to a sail boat race. In this view of the
world of sales, each competing sales person is the skipper of a sail
boat. The first one to cross the finishing line wins.