Digital Transformation in B2B Sales · sales process to service the account Technical skills...

Digital Transformation in B2B Sales

Differences and best practices in three European countries

Pia Hautamäki, Margarethe Überwimmer, Stefan Wengler

Robert Füreder, Gabriele Hildmann and Ulrich Vossebein

9th Cross-Cultural Business Conference

at University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria

Steyr, 14th May 2020

Agenda

1 Research Idea

2 Research Design & Data Collection

3 Research Results

4 Future Research

5 The Future of Sales Education in Austria, Germany and Finland

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1 Research Idea – Starting Point

• Digital transformation a big challenge for B2B-companies

with regard to sales

• European countries are on different development levels

regarding digitalization

What could be the future role of universities assisting

companies in their digital transformation in sales?

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1 Research Idea – Background

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Processes People Data

IT Systems

Customers

Par

tne

rsC

om

petito

rs

Business Model/Business Type/Resources

Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI)

Conncetivity

Human Capital

Use of Internet Services

Integration of digital technology

Digital Public Services

Finland: Rank 1; Germany: Rank 12; Austria: Rank 13

2 Research Design & Data Collection

Research Questions:

1) What does “Digital Transformation in Sales” mean for you?

2) What does “Digital Transformation in Sales” mean for your company?

3) Which areas/activities do you think will be mostly affected by the digital

transformation in marketing & sales?

4) Who do you think is driving the digital transformation primarily?

5) Which competencies will the salesperson require in future?

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2 Research Design & Data Collection

• researched countries: Austria, Finland & Germany

• approx. 15 SMEs per country (=> 50 companies)

• Manufacturing and IT sector

• expert interviews (semi-standardized questionnaire)

• experts mainly members of the board of management

(CEO, COO, CIO, VP of Commercialization)

• company size: 50-550 employees

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3 Research Results• not many differences between these 3 countries

• common understanding about need to digitalize parts of sales and marketing activities but

many question marks from companies’ side: how to do it properly…?

• companies (no matter if manufacturing or IT): difficulties to define needed skills in sales in

future

• Still the human is important and human skills are needed (all interviewees)

• Continuous development of skills important (several interviewees)

• Which and how digital skills should be developed? (several interviewees)

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⇒ Importance of the role of universities increases – development of sales skills!

4 Future Research

• Data analysis will be continued. Many other topics to go deeper on:

• How do companies define and drive digital transformation in these three

countries?

• How have these companies digitalized their sales and marketing and

what kind of differences are there when comparing these three countries?

• First step: Analysis of the data from the perspective of future sales

skills in a close collaboration.

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We already now see: universities’ role in educating future

talents to sales career is more important than ever before…

5 The Future of Sales Education in Austria, Germany and in Finland

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Main underlying question:

Which skills are necessary?Interpersonal skills

•Communication skills

Salespersonshipskills

•Abilities along the sales process to service the account

Technical skills

•Knowledge about markets, competitors, customers

Intercultural skills

•Forethought, performance, self-reflection

Digital skills

•Systems, integration in sales and marketing processes, knowledge

Source: adapted from Rentz (2002); authors