Why should b2b marketing/selling have to be so convoluted?

This is an email I received from a product called Substrata - A tool that gives sales intelligence for prioritizing sales deals.

The Complexity Creep in B2B Marketing

I came across this newsletter from Substrata, a B2B sales intelligence company, and it got me thinking about how complicated we've made sales. The email is all about "navigating workplace politics" to close deals - understanding office dynamics, identifying internal champions, aligning with different stakeholders' priorities. It's essentially telling salespeople to map out the political landscape inside their prospect's company and use that intelligence to their advantage. There's even a section on how to "turn office politics into an advantage" with tactics like cultivating internal champions and adapting to shifting power dynamics.

But here's what puzzles me: when did B2B sales become so convoluted? The straightforward approach used to work just fine - you have a product, it solves specific problems, you identify customers who have those problems, and you communicate the value clearly and honestly. No overpromising, no overselling. Then you negotiate on pricing, security, implementation details, and other practical matters that actually move the deal forward. It was simple, transparent, and focused on the product's real value.

Now it feels like we're being told to operate more like a spy agency than a sales team. Plant someone on the inside, groom them as a champion, map the political terrain, and maneuver your agenda through internal conflicts. Why can't we just keep it simple? If you have a genuinely good product that solves real problems, shouldn't communicating that true value be enough? Why do we need all these layers of complexity and political maneuvering? Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like we've lost sight of what sales should fundamentally be about.