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