Twenty years ago, sales looked very different. Reps carried BlackBerrys instead of smartphones. Zoom didn't exist. CRM adoption was growing, but many salespeople still relied on spreadsheets, notebooks, and memory.

The fundamentals of selling haven't changed. People still buy from people they trust. But the tools, buyer behavior, and day-to-day reality of the profession have evolved dramatically. Here are ten ways sales has changed since 2006.

1. Most reps didn’t have LinkedIn

In 2007, LinkedIn reached 10 million users. Today, it has more than a billion members worldwide. For many salespeople, it has become the primary tool for researching prospects, building relationships, and generating opportunities. According to LinkedIn's timeline, the platform was still a relatively small professional network in the mid-2000s.

2. The salesperson used to be the primary source of information.

In 2006, a salesperson was often the primary source of information about a product. Today, buyers typically research solutions online long before speaking with a rep. According to multiple B2B studies, buyers often complete more than half of their research before contacting a vendor.

3. Inside sales beat outside sales.

Outside sales once dominated many industries. Reps spent days driving between appointments, flying to customer sites, and working trade shows. While field sales still exists, inside sales teams now handle a much larger share of B2B selling.

4. Video calls replaced countless flights.

The pandemic accelerated a trend that was already underway. Many meetings that once required airfare, hotels, and expense reports now happen over Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet.

5. CRM became mandatory.

Twenty years ago, using a CRM could make a sales organization seem sophisticated. Today, it is basic infrastructure. According to LinkedIn's State of Sales research, CRM data has become central to how sales organizations operate and measure performance.

6. Buyers became harder to reach.

Caller ID, spam filters, crowded inboxes, and remote work have made prospecting more difficult. Getting someone's attention is often harder than it was twenty years ago, even though there are more tools available than ever.

7. The sales tech stack exploded.

A typical salesperson in 2006 might have used email, a phone, and (maybe) a CRM. Today's reps often juggle prospecting platforms, conversation intelligence tools, sales engagement software, data providers, forecasting tools, and AI assistants.

8. Social selling became a real skill.

Building a personal brand was rarely part of a sales job two decades ago. Today, many reps generate opportunities through LinkedIn content and online networking. According to LinkedIn research, salespeople who embrace social selling consistently outperform peers who do not.

9. Buying committees got bigger.

Many deals now involve numerous stakeholders across departments. According to recent B2B research, buying groups have expanded significantly over the past decade, making consensus-building a larger part of the sales process.

10. AI entered the profession.

The newest change is also the fastest-moving. AI tools can summarize calls, draft emails, research prospects, forecast pipeline, and coach reps. Whether the technology ultimately transforms sales or simply becomes another tool in the stack remains to be seen, but its impact is already impossible to ignore.

Salespeople from 2006 would still recognize the profession today. There are still quotas, cold calls, objections, and negotiations. But they'd probably be amazed by how much of the job now happens through screens, software, and data—and how much of the buyer's journey takes place before the first sales conversation ever begins.