Most sales professionals say salespeople are underappreciated in the business world, though more have been feeling appreciated since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recent research from Pipedrive.

The report was based on data from a survey conducted in 2020 among 1,702 sales reps, sales managers, and business owners.

Some 61% of sales professionals say salespeople are underappreciated in the business world.

The overwhelming majority (91%) of sales professionals say they are proud to call themselves a salesperson.

The proportion of sales professionals who say salespeople are underappreciated dropped from 69% in 2019 to 61% in 2020.

Some 49% of sales professionals say they have become more satisfied with their role over the last 12 months, and 22% say there has been no change.

Only 12% of sales professionals say they have become less satisfied with their role over the last 12 months.

About the research: The report was based on data from a survey conducted in 2020 among 1,702 sales reps, sales managers, and business owners.