Recognizing Excellence in B2B Sales

B2B Salesperson of the Year Awards

Every year, we honor the B2B salespeople who don't just hit their numbers. They redefine what's possible.

When AI handles the grind, salespeople finally get to do the work they got into sales to do.

Nominations open February 16, 2026
Winners announced January 16, 2027

THE MISSION

Why This Awards Program Exists

More than 1.6 million B2B sales professionals in the United States facilitate over $11 trillion in annual commerce. That is 6.2% of U.S. GDP moving through conversations, relationships, and deals that most people never see. B2B salespeople are the bridge between marketing and revenue. They are the reason pipeline becomes purchase orders.

1.6M+

U.S. B2B sales professionals

$11T+

in annual B2B commerce facilitated

66%

would leave a job where they do not feel appreciated (Gallup)

90%

of B2B sellers experience burnout (Gartner)

And yet, they are among the least recognized professionals in business. Gallup research shows 66% of employees would leave their job if they did not feel appreciated. Gartner found nearly 90% of B2B sellers experience burnout. The people who carry the number, quarter after quarter, rarely get anything beyond a quota bump and a pat on the back.

The Salesperson of the Year Awards exist to change that. Every year, we honor the B2B sales professionals who do not just hit their numbers. They redefine what is possible. Winners are nominated by their peers, colleagues, customers, and marketing partners, then validated by our team and recognized on National B2B Salesperson Day, January 16th.

This is not a popularity contest. It is a recognition of the qualities that matter most in modern B2B sales: persistence in the face of rejection, creativity in solving customer problems, integrity in building relationships, the ability to leverage AI to work smarter, and results that drive real business growth.

TWO TRACKS, ONE MISSION

Two Awards. One Mission. Revenue Growth Through AI Fluency.

For the first time in any B2B sales award program, we are recognizing excellence on two tracks: the best human salespeople and the best AI sales agents. Both tracks exist within each of our 10 industry categories, because the future of B2B sales is not human or AI. It is human and AI, working together.

The primary winning criterion across both tracks is the same: driving revenue growth by leveraging AI in the sales process. For human salespeople, that means AI fluency is baked into the evaluation. For AI sales agents, that means delivering a buyer experience that a human would be proud of.

HUMAN AWARD

Best B2B Salesperson of the Year (Human Award)

This award recognizes individual B2B sales professionals who have demonstrated exceptional performance in their industry category. The evaluation is built around five criteria, each weighted to reflect what modern sales excellence actually looks like.

Revenue Impact

Measurable contribution to revenue growth. Quota attainment, new business acquisition, account expansion, and overall sales performance relative to targets and peers.

Client Relationships

The depth and durability of customer relationships. Repeat business, client retention, customer satisfaction scores, and the ability to become a trusted advisor rather than a transactional vendor.

Industry Expertise

Deep knowledge of the industry vertical, including technical product knowledge, regulatory awareness, competitive landscape understanding, and the ability to speak the customer's language at an expert level.

AI Leverage

How effectively the salesperson uses AI tools to enhance their workflow, improve buyer interactions, accelerate deals, and generate insights they would not have had otherwise. This is not about using AI as a novelty. It is about using AI as a competitive advantage. AI fluency is the new closing skill, not a separate technical competency.

Team Elevation

The salesperson's impact beyond their own quota. Mentoring junior reps, sharing best practices, contributing to team culture, and raising the performance of the people around them.

AI AGENT AWARD

Best AI Sales Agent of the Year (AI Agent Award)

This award recognizes the AI-powered sales agents that are redefining what is possible in B2B buyer engagement. These are not generic chatbots. These are purpose-built AI systems that handle real sales conversations, qualify real leads, and drive real revenue.

Companies building AI sales agents like the ones competing for this award are already deploying tools that handle lead qualification through intelligent chatbots, conduct structured needs analysis conversations that replace spreadsheet-based intake processes, and generate instant branded quotes complete with real-time shipping calculations. These are the kinds of AI colleagues that free human salespeople to focus on the work they actually got into sales to do.

The AI Sales Agent award is evaluated across six criteria:

Buyer Experience

How natural, helpful, and friction-free the AI agent's interactions feel to prospective buyers. Does the conversation feel like talking to a knowledgeable colleague, or does it feel like navigating an automated phone tree?

Sales Effectiveness

Measurable impact on pipeline and revenue. Lead conversion rates, qualified opportunity generation, quote-to-close ratios, and overall contribution to the sales team's performance.

Knowledge Depth

The breadth and accuracy of the agent's product, technical, and industry knowledge. Can it answer the questions a real buyer would ask, at the level of detail they need?

Human Handoff

How gracefully the AI agent transitions complex or high-value conversations to human sales reps. Does the handoff include context, qualification data, and actionable next steps, or does the rep start from scratch?

Brand Alignment

How well the AI agent represents the company's voice, values, and positioning. Does it sound like the company's best salesperson, or does it sound like a generic language model?

Innovation

What makes this AI agent different from what was possible a year ago? Novel approaches to lead qualification, creative uses of document analysis, integration of real-time data, or other capabilities that push the boundary of AI-assisted selling.

Nominate an AI Sales Agent →

THE PHILOSOPHY

AI Does Not Replace Great Salespeople. It Finally Gives Them Room to Be Great.

The B2B Salesperson of the Year Awards are built on a simple belief: the best version of B2B sales is the one where humans and AI each do what they do best. AI handles the grind. Salespeople do the work they got into sales to do.

This is not a future prediction. It is happening right now, in companies across every industry we cover. And the salespeople and AI agents winning these awards are the ones proving it every day.

Pillar #1

The Job You Actually Wanted

Nobody got into B2B sales to spend their day copying SKUs into PDF templates, chasing down requirements questionnaires, or manually calculating shipping rates. They got into sales because they are good with people, they understand complex products, and they thrive on solving problems that matter. The grind of modern B2B sales, the admin, the data entry, the follow-up loops, has buried the work that actually makes great salespeople great. The best salespeople competing for this award are the ones who have reclaimed their time by putting AI to work on the tasks that never needed a human in the first place.

Pillar #2

AI Fluency Is the New Closing Skill

Five years ago, CRM fluency was a differentiator. Today, AI fluency is. The salespeople we are honoring do not just use AI tools. They think in AI workflows. They know when to let the chatbot qualify a lead and when to pick up the phone. They know how to read an AI-generated needs analysis report and walk into a meeting already knowing the prospect's constraints, budget signals, and competitive alternatives. AI fluency is not a technology skill. It is a sales skill. And it is the skill that separates the top performers from everyone else.

Pillar #3

Meet Your AI Colleague

The best AI sales agents are not replacing salespeople. They are doing the work of an entry-level hire who never gets tired, never forgets to follow up, and never misquotes a shipping rate. They handle the first conversation on the website. They collect technical requirements through guided intake forms. They generate branded quotes with live freight calculations. They send follow-up sequences from the rep's own email address. They are the colleague your sales team never had the headcount for. And the AI Sales Agent of the Year award exists to recognize the companies that build these colleagues at the highest level.

Pillar #4

The Bigger Table

When AI handles the grind, something unexpected happens: the table gets bigger. More prospects get engaged. More leads get qualified. More quotes go out. More follow-ups happen. More pipeline gets built. The salespeople who win this award are not working harder. They are reaching further. AI gives them leverage, and they use that leverage to serve more customers, close more deals, and build more relationships than any individual could alone. The result is not fewer salespeople. It is more sales.

THE PROCESS

How It Works

From nomination to recognition, a clear path to honoring sales excellence.

Step 1: Nomination

Anyone can nominate a B2B salesperson or an AI sales agent. Colleagues, managers, customers, marketing teammates, technology partners, or the salespeople and companies themselves. Nominations for human salespeople take about 2 minutes. AI agent nominations take about 5 minutes and include supporting documentation. Nominations are open now through December 1, 2026.

Step 2: Validation

As nominations come in, our team reviews them to verify eligibility and gather additional context. Human nominees receive an email notification with a brief questionnaire to complete their profile. AI agent nominations are evaluated against the six criteria with supporting evidence.

Step 3: Selection

For each industry category and each award track (human and AI), we select a Winner (1st Place), Finalist (2nd Place), and Finalist (3rd Place). Selection is based on the strength of nominations, supporting evidence, and our evaluation of impact across the published criteria.

Step 4: Announcement

Winners and finalists are announced on January 16, 2027 during our live YouTube awards ceremony on National B2B Salesperson Day. Every validated human nominee receives an Honorable Mention with a certificate and profile page. AI agent finalists receive a feature in our annual awards coverage.

RECOGNITION

What Winners Receive

The B2B Salesperson of the Year Awards are about recognition, not trinkets. Winners receive meaningful recognition that elevates their professional profile.

The Trophy

A custom-designed Salesperson of the Year trophy, shipped to you and presented during our live YouTube awards ceremony. Something you can put on your desk, your shelf, or your LinkedIn banner.

Major Media Feature

Winners are featured in our annual awards article, published in partnership with a major business publication (Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, or Inc.). Your name, your story, your achievement, seen by millions.

Press Release Distribution

Your win is announced in our year-end press release, distributed to 400+ media outlets nationwide. Local papers, industry publications, and news aggregators will pick up your achievement.

State of B2B Sales Report Feature

Winners receive a dedicated profile in our annual State of B2B Sales Report, downloaded by thousands of sales and marketing professionals. Your approach, your insights, your story, shared with the community.

Website and LinkedIn Recognition

A permanent profile page on salesperson.com showcasing your achievement, plus a feature on our LinkedIn page announcing your win to our growing professional community.

YouTube Live Ceremony Presentation

Your trophy is presented during our YouTube Live awards ceremony on January 16, 2027, with your name, company, and achievement announced to the audience watching live.

AI Agent Winners: Additional Recognition

AI Sales Agent of the Year winners also receive a dedicated case study published on salesperson.com, a badge for their website and marketing materials, and inclusion in our AI sales agent showcase. The winning agent is featured in a live demo during the awards ceremony.

TIMELINE

Key Dates

Nominations Open

February 16, 2026

Nominations Close

December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET

Validation Period

Year-round (as nominations come in)

Winner Selection

January 1 through 15, 2027

Winners Announced

January 16, 2027 (National B2B Salesperson Day)

CATEGORIES

2026 Industry Categories

In our inaugural year, we are recognizing the top B2B salespeople and AI sales agents across 10 industry categories focused on laboratory equipment, scientific supplies, and adjacent sectors.

Each category features two award tracks: Best B2B Salesperson of the Year and Best AI Sales Agent of the Year. Each track will have a 1st Place Winner, 2nd Place Finalist, and 3rd Place Finalist, plus Honorable Mentions for every validated nominee.

We selected these industries for 2026 based on our ability to properly evaluate excellence in each sector. Each year, we will add 10 more industries until we cover 100+ B2B sectors by 2035.

Clinical Laboratory Equipment & Diagnostics

Learn more

Analytical Instruments

Learn more

General Laboratory Equipment

Learn more

Life Science & Biotechnology Equipment

Learn more

Laboratory Chemicals, Reagents & Consumables

Learn more

Laboratory Safety & Controlled Environments

Learn more

Industrial & Environmental Testing Equipment

Learn more

Veterinary Equipment & Supplies

Learn more

Laboratory Furniture, Casework & Design

Learn more

Refurbished & Pre-Owned Equipment

Learn more

Don’t see your industry? We are adding 10 new categories every year. Suggest an industry for 2027

NOMINATE

Nominate a B2B Salesperson

Know a B2B salesperson who deserves recognition? This is their moment.

Nominations take about 2 minutes. You can nominate a colleague, a direct report, a customer, or yourself. There is no shame in putting your own name forward. The best salespeople know their worth.

Who Should Nominate?

Sales colleagues

You see each other in the trenches every day. You know who consistently delivers.

Sales managers and directors

Recognize the people who make you look good. Nominating costs nothing and means everything.

Marketing teams

You generate the leads. You know which salespeople actually follow up, actually close, and actually make your campaigns worthwhile.

Customers

Had a salesperson who actually helped you solve a problem? Who followed through? Who earned your trust? Nominate them.

The salespeople themselves

Self-nominations are welcome and encouraged. If you have earned it, claim it.

Before You Start

Nominations close December 1, 2026

All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM ET to be considered for the 2026 awards.

One nomination per nominee per nominator

You can nominate multiple people, but only one submission per person.

Be specific

The strongest nominations include concrete examples: deals closed, problems solved, obstacles overcome.

What Happens After You Submit

Step 1: Confirmation email

You will receive immediate confirmation of your nomination.

Step 2: Nominee notification

We will email the nominee to let them know they have been recognized. (They can opt out at any point.)

Step 3: Validation

The nominee completes a brief questionnaire to validate their entry.

Step 4: Results

Winners, finalists, and Honorable Mentions are announced on January 16, 2027.

AI SALES AGENT

Nominate an AI Sales Agent

The AI Sales Agent of the Year award recognizes the AI-powered systems that are transforming how B2B companies engage buyers, qualify leads, and close deals. If your company has deployed an AI agent that handles real sales conversations, collects real requirements, or generates real quotes, this is its moment.

Companies across every industry we cover are building AI sales agents that work alongside human teams. Some handle the first website conversation and qualify leads before a rep ever picks up the phone. Others conduct structured needs analysis conversations that replace weeks of spreadsheet back-and-forth. Others generate instant branded quotes with live shipping calculations, eliminating the copy-paste grind that eats 20+ hours of rep time every week.

The companies that build and deploy these agents at the highest level deserve recognition.

What We Are Looking For

Real conversations

AI agents that handle real B2B sales conversations with real buyers.

Measurable impact

Measurable impact on pipeline, conversion rates, or revenue.

Technical depth

Technical depth: the agent can answer the questions buyers actually ask.

Graceful handoff

Graceful human handoff with context and qualification data.

Brand-aligned voice

Brand-aligned communication that sounds like the company, not a generic bot.

Innovation

Innovation that pushes the boundary of what AI-assisted selling can do.

Nomination Details

AI agent nominations take about 5 minutes and should include a link to the live agent (or demo), a description of its capabilities, key performance metrics, and supporting documentation. The contact person should be a VP of Sales, Director of Sales Operations, or equivalent decision-maker who can speak to the agent's impact.

FOR LEADERS & MARKETERS

For Sales Leaders and Marketing Teams

Nominate Your Top Salesperson

You know who carries the number. The one who saves the quarter. The one who turns a cold account into your biggest customer. The one the rest of the team watches and learns from. They deserve to be recognized. Nominate them for Salesperson of the Year.

For Them

Professional recognition they can add to their LinkedIn, resume, and bio. A trophy for their desk. A feature in a major business publication. A chance to be named among the best in their industry.

For You

Nothing says “I see you” like nominating someone for a national award. It takes 2 minutes and costs nothing. The ROI on loyalty and motivation? Immeasurable.

For Your Company

Companies with multiple nominees appear on our public leaderboard. When your salespeople get recognized, your company’s reputation for sales excellence grows with them.

For Marketing Teams

You spend your days generating leads, building campaigns, and creating content that drives pipeline. But here is the truth: none of it matters if sales does not close.

You know which salespeople actually follow up on your leads. Which ones work the MQLs instead of ignoring them. Which ones give you feedback that makes your campaigns better. Which ones turn your hard work into revenue.

National B2B Salesperson Day is your chance to recognize them.

Why Marketing Should Nominate

Strengthen the relationship

Strengthen the sales-marketing relationship (they will remember who nominated them).

Recognize great execution

Recognize the salespeople who make your campaigns look good.

Build lasting goodwill

Build goodwill that translates to better collaboration all year.

Show you see them

Show your sales counterparts that marketing sees and values their work.

The best marketing teams know that their success depends on sales execution. Nominate the salespeople who execute.

Nominate Your AI Sales Agent

If your company has deployed an AI sales agent that is driving measurable results, nominate it. The AI Sales Agent of the Year award is built for the companies that are not just talking about AI transformation. They are doing it.

Your marketing team built the website content. Your sales operations team configured the rules. Your sales engineers validated the technical knowledge. The AI agent is the product of your entire revenue team working together. Winning this award is recognition for all of them.

Nominate an AI Agent

STRONG NOMINATIONS

What Makes a Strong Nomination

The best nominations include specifics. Not “they are a great salesperson” but:

The Deal That Should Not Have Closed

What obstacle did they overcome? What made it impossible until they made it possible?

The Relationship They Built

Which customer would follow them anywhere? Why?

The Number That Tells the Story

Quota attainment. Revenue generated. Accounts saved. Growth delivered.

The AI Advantage They Created

How did they use AI tools to work smarter? What did AI handle so they could focus on the work that actually required a human? Did they leverage chatbot-qualified leads, AI-generated needs analysis reports, or instant quoting to accelerate their pipeline?

The Thing That Makes Them Different

What do they do that others do not? What is their edge?

You do not need all of these. But the more specific you are, the stronger the nomination.

Nominating Multiple Salespeople?

You can submit as many nominations as you like. Just complete a separate form for each person. There is no limit.

Companies with 5+ nominations appear on our public leaderboard. With 10+ nominations, you can claim your company profile page and add your logo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can be nominated for Salesperson of the Year?
Any B2B salesperson working in one of the 10 industry categories can be nominated. This includes Account Executives, Sales Representatives, Business Development Representatives, and Sales Managers who carry a personal quota. The nominee must be actively employed in a B2B sales role during the nomination period.
Who can nominate an AI Sales Agent?
Anyone involved in deploying or managing the AI agent can submit a nomination. This includes VPs of Sales, Directors of Sales Operations, Marketing Directors, CROs, and technology partners who built or configured the agent. The nominating contact must be able to speak to the agent’s measurable impact.
Can I nominate myself?
Yes. Self-nominations are encouraged for both tracks. The best salespeople know their value, and self-advocacy is a core sales skill. For AI agents, the company that built and deployed the agent is the natural nominator.
What information do I need to nominate a salesperson?
You need the nominee’s full name, email address, company, job title, and LinkedIn profile URL. You also select their industry category and provide a brief explanation (500 words maximum) of why they deserve recognition. Specific examples of deals closed or obstacles overcome strengthen nominations.
What information do I need to nominate an AI agent?
You need the company name, agent name or product name, a link to the live agent or demo, the primary industry category, a contact person with email and title, a description of agent capabilities (500 words max), key performance metrics, and optionally, supporting documentation such as case studies or screenshots.
When do nominations close?
Nominations close December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. All submissions must be received by this deadline to be considered for the 2026 awards. Nominations received after December 1 are held for the following year.
How are winners selected?
Human salesperson winners are evaluated across five criteria: Revenue Impact, Client Relationships, Industry Expertise, AI Leverage, and Team Elevation. AI agent winners are evaluated across six criteria: Buyer Experience, Sales Effectiveness, Knowledge Depth, Human Handoff, Brand Alignment, and Innovation. Selection is based on nomination strength, supporting evidence, and our editorial team’s evaluation. This is not a public voting contest.
What do winners receive?
Human salesperson winners receive a custom trophy, a feature in a major business publication (Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, or Inc.), inclusion in a press release distributed to 400+ media outlets, a profile in the State of B2B Sales Report, and trophy presentation at the live YouTube awards ceremony. AI agent winners receive a trophy, a published case study, a website badge, and a live demo feature during the ceremony.
What do finalists receive?
Finalists (2nd and 3rd place in each category and track) receive a custom trophy, a permanent profile page on salesperson.com, LinkedIn recognition, and trophy presentation at the live YouTube awards ceremony.
What do Honorable Mentions receive?
All validated human nominees receive an Honorable Mention, which includes a personalized digital certificate, an optional profile page on salesperson.com, permanent inclusion in the Honoree Directory, and shareable badges for LinkedIn and email signatures.
Is there a cash prize?
No. The Salesperson of the Year Awards focus on professional recognition, not cash. Winners receive media exposure, a trophy, and career-building visibility. Lasting recognition in major publications provides more long-term value than a one-time payment.
What are the 10 industry categories for 2026?
The 2026 categories are: Clinical Laboratory Equipment and Diagnostics, Analytical Instruments, General Laboratory Equipment, Life Science and Biotechnology Equipment, Laboratory Chemicals Reagents and Consumables, Laboratory Safety and Controlled Environments, Industrial and Environmental Testing Equipment, Veterinary Equipment and Supplies, Laboratory Furniture Casework and Design, and Refurbished and Pre-Owned Equipment. Ten additional industries will be added each year until 100+ B2B sectors are covered by 2035.
What is an Executive Endorsement?
An Executive Endorsement is a formal statement of support from a VP-level or above executive at the nominee’s company. Endorsed nominees receive a special badge on their profile. Endorsements signal that performance is recognized at the highest organizational levels and carry additional weight in selection.
Can previous winners be nominated again?
Yes. Previous winners can be nominated in subsequent years and will be evaluated alongside all other nominees. Winning once does not guarantee future wins. Each year’s selection is independent.
What makes the AI Sales Agent award different from other AI awards?
Most AI awards evaluate technology in isolation. The AI Sales Agent of the Year award evaluates AI specifically in the context of B2B sales outcomes. We do not care about the underlying model or the architecture. We care about whether the agent converts leads, qualifies opportunities, and drives revenue. It is a sales award, not a technology award.
Salesperson Inc.1111B S Governors Ave, Ste 56252, Dover, DE 19904, United Statesinfo@salesperson.com+1 (888) 261-3211
© 2026 Salesperson Inc. The sale before the sale. All rights reserved.
Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy