The shift in sales organizations in business‐to‐business services markets
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to examine shifts in sales organizations utilized to sell services to business‐to‐business customers. The paper also examines the changes expected in personal selling and sales management.
Design/methodology/approach
Extant academic literature and emerging practices are examined to determine trends.
Findings
The paper suggests that the traditional service‐focused sales organization is evolving in two distinct directions. First, enhanced sales automation is resulting in a reduction in salespeople's contact with customers. Second, an enhancement in the level of customer contact is leading to a growth of customer‐focused sales organizations and an increase in global account management teams.
Research limitations/implications
Additional research is needed in this area.
Practical implications
Changes are required in the manner in which personal selling and sales management is practiced in organizations. Firms need to make these changes or their sales forces will be less efficient and less effective.
Originality/value
This important area is very infrequently examined in literature. This is the first attempt to examine this area.
Keywords
Citation
Sharma, A. (2007), "The shift in sales organizations in business‐to‐business services markets", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 21 No. 5, pp. 326-333. https://doi.org/10.1108/08876040710773633
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited