Skip to main content

Digital Sales in B2B: Status and Application

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Advances in Creativity, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Communication of Design (AHFE 2021)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 276))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

The megatrend of digitalization has transformed the way companies are doing business with their clients. We show that digitizing business-to-business (B2B) sales is not solely a question of technology, but also involves considerations of the buying cycle. Therefore, we discuss the progression from the traditional buying cycle to the customer journey. We illustrate the need for digitizing this journey and outline important customer touchpoints. Afterward, we identify emerging technologies in B2B sales and show how they can be applied to digitize different customer touchpoints. Additionally, we investigate how digitalization in sales revolutionizes the seller organization, briefly discuss our results, and offer recommendations for B2B digital sales.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Steward, M.D., Narus, J.A., Roehm, M.L., Ritz, W.: From transactions to journeys and beyond: the evolution of B2B buying process modeling. Ind. Mark. Manage. 83, 288–300 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Rosenbaum, M.S., Otalora, M.L., Ramírez, G.C.: How to create a realistic customer journey map. Bus. Horiz. 60, 143–150 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Edelman, D.C., Marc, S.: Competing on customer journeys. Harv. Bus. Rev. 93, 88–100 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Toman, N., Brent, A., Gomez, C.: The New Sales Imperative, vol. 95, pp. 118–125 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Lemon, K.N., Verhoef, P.C.: Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. J. Mark. 80, 69–96 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Rodríguez, R., Svensson, G., Mehl, E.J.: Digitalization process of complex B2B sales processes – Enablers and obstacles. Technol. Soc. 62, 101324 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bonetti, F., Warnaby, G., Quinn, L.: Augmented reality and virtual reality in physical and online retailing: a review, synthesis and research agenda. In: Jung, T., tom Dieck, M.C. (eds.) Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. PI, pp. 119–132. Springer, Cham (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64027-3_9

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  8. Gallardo, C., et al.: Augmented reality as a new marketing strategy. In: De Paolis, L.T., Bourdot, P. (eds.) AVR 2018. LNCS, vol. 10850, pp. 351–362. Springer, Cham (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95270-3_29

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  9. Fischer, H., Seidenstricker, S., Poeppelbuss, J.: Extended reality in business-to-business sales: an exploration of adoption factors. In: Ahram, T.Z., Taiar, R., Groff, F. (eds.) Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing: Human Interaction, Emerging Technologies and Future Applications IV: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Human Interaction and Emerging Technologies: Future Applications (IHIET-AI 2021), 28-30 April 2021, Strasbourg, France, vol. 1378, pp. 123–130. Springer, Cham (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74009-2_16

  10. Lee, I.: Big data: dimensions, evolution, impacts, and challenges. Bus. Horiz. 60, 293–303 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Sanders, N.R.: How to use big data to drive your supply chain. Calif. Manage. Rev. 58, 26–48 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Gandomi, A., Haider, M.: Beyond the hype: big data concepts, methods, and analytics. Int. J. Inf. Manage. 35, 137–144 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Hallikainen, H., Savimäki, E., Laukkanen, T.: Fostering B2B sales with customer big data analytics. Ind. Mark. Manage. 86, 90–98 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Fosso Wamba, S., Akter, S., Edwards, A., Chopin, G., Gnanzou, D.: How ‘big data’ can make big impact: findings from a systematic review and a longitudinal case study. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 165, 234–246 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Akter, S., Wamba, S.F.: Big data analytics in e-commerce: a systematic review and agenda for future research. Electr. Mark. 26, 173–194 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Chui, M., et al.: Notes from the AI frontier: Insights from hundreds of use cases (2018). http://straty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/McKinsey-AI-Frontier-paper-April-2018.pdf. Accessed 20 Jan 2021

  17. Davenport, T., Guha, A., Grewal, D., Bressgott, T.: How artificial intelligence will change the future of marketing. J. Acad. Mark. Sci. 48(1), 24–42 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00696-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Paschen, J., Wilson, M., Ferreira, J.J.: Collaborative intelligence: how human and artificial intelligence create value along the B2B sales funnel. Bus. Horiz. 63, 403–414 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Paschen, J., Kietzmann, J., Kietzmann, T.C.: Artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for market knowledge in B2B marketing. JBIM 34, 1410–1419 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Kamalaldin, A., Linde, L., Sjödin, D., Parida, V.: Transforming provider-customer relationships in digital servitization: a relational view on digitalization. Ind. Mark. Manage. 89, 306–325 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Koponen, J., Julkunen, S., Asai, A.: Sales communication competence in international B2B solution selling. Ind. Mark. Manage. 82, 238–252 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Busch, T.K.: Determining competencies for frontline sales managers in for-profit organizations. Adv. Dev. Hum. Resour. 15, 296–313 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Lacoste, S.: From selling to managing strategic customers - a competency analysis. J. Pers. Selling Sales Manage. 38, 92–122 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. MySkillsProfile.com Ltd.: Sales Competencies Questionnaire (2014). http://www.myskillsprofile.com/Guides/Sales%20Competencies%20Questionnaire%20User%20Manual.pdf. Accessed 7 Dec 2021

  25. Lapoule, P., Colla, E.: The multi-channel impact on the sales forces management. Int. J. Retail. Distrib. Mgt. 44, 248–265 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Powers, T.L., Jennings, J.A.C., DeCarlo, T.E.: An assessment of needed sales management skills. J. Pers. Selling Sales Manage. 34, 206–222 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Barney-McNamara, B., Peltier, J., Chennamaneni, P.R., Niedermeier, K.E.: A conceptual framework for understanding the antecedents and consequences of social selling: a theoretical perspective and research agenda. JRIM ahead-of-print, vol. 267 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  28. van den Hemel, C., Rademakers, M.F.: Building customer-centric organizations: shaping factors and barriers. J. Creating Value 2, 211–230 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Singh, J., et al.: Sales profession and professionals in the age of digitization and artificial intelligence technologies: concepts, priorities, and questions. J. Pers. Selling Sales Manage. 39, 2–22 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Vaidyanathan, A., Rabago, R.: The Customer Success Professional’s Handbook. How to Thrive in one of the World’s Fastest Growing Careers-While Driving Growth for your Company. Wiley, Hoboken, New Jersey (2020)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sven Seidenstricker .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Fischer, H., Seidenstricker, S., Berger, T., Holopainen, T. (2021). Digital Sales in B2B: Status and Application. In: Markopoulos, E., Goonetilleke, R.S., Ho, A.G., Luximon, Y. (eds) Advances in Creativity, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Communication of Design. AHFE 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 276. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80094-9_44

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80094-9_44

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-80093-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-80094-9

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics