AAA

New challenges in sales management in the context of modern technologies development and the COVID-19 pandemic

Marcin Gul

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to systematize the knowledge on sales strategy and to answer the question whether contemporary socio-economic conditions in the form of progressive digitalization and evolution of the sales function induce to update the definition of sales strategy. Furthermore, the study aims to verify whether the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing companies to reformulate their sales strategy. A non-systematic literature review supplemented by a qualitative study was used as the research method. The first part of the paper presents the theoretical basis of the analysis based on the literature review. The second part presents the results of the own research, enriched by the results of existing studies. Then, the results of the conducted argument are presented. The final part of the paper contains a summary along with the author's definition of sales management with a focus on sales strategy and a potential direction for future research. According to the analysis, currently the greatest challenge in the implementation of the assumed sales strategy is the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly affects the change of consumer behavior and limits market activities. However, with widespread access to advanced technologies and a flexible approach to strategy, most of the surveyed companies can meet their financial targets despite the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. When defining a sales strategy, it is necessary to consider the aspect of progressing digitalization and the evolution of the sales function, closely integrated with the marketing function.

Keywords: sales, management, sales management, sales strategy, sales function, sales department

References

  • Ambroziak, Ł. (2020). Wpływ pandemii COVID-19 na handel rolno-spożywczy Polski: pierwsze doświadczenia. Zeszyty Naukowe SGGW w Warszawie - Problemy Rolnictwa Światowego, 20(4), 5-17. https://doi.org/10.22630/PRS.2020.20.4.18
  • Bages-Amat, A., Harrison, L., Spillecke, D. i Stanley, J. (2020, 14 października). These eight charts show how COVID-19 has changed B2B sales forever. McKinsey&Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/these-eight-charts-show-how-covid-19-has-changed-b2b-sales-forever
  • Baldwin, R. i Tomiura, E. (2020). Thinking ahead about the trade impact of COVID-19. W R. Baldwin i B. W. di Mauro (red.), Economics in the time of COVID-19 (s. 59-71). CERP Press.
  • Bothe, J., Weiss, P. i Dumitrescu, B. I. (2021). Success factors for digital sales development in B2B sales of products requiring explanation. W V. Pamfilie, L. Dinu, D. Tăchiciu, C. Ple?ea i C. Vasiliu (red.). 7th BASIQ International Conference. New Trends in Sustainable Business and Consumption. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352132599
  • Calvin, R. J. (2001). Sales management. McGraw-Hill.
  • Corbin, J. M. i Strauss, A. C. (2007). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (wyd. 3).Thousand Oaks: Sage.
  • Cybulski, K. (2020). Zarządzanie działem sprzedaży firmy. Prognozowanie - organizowanie - motywowanie - kontrola. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
  • Dannenberg, H. i Zupancic, D. (2009). Development of successful sales strategies. W H. Dannenberg i D. Zupancic (red.), Excellence in sales (s. 59-71). Gabler GWV Fachverlage GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8349-8782-2_5
  • Davenport, T., Guha, A., Grewal, D. i Bressgott, T. (2020). How artificial intelligence will change the future of marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(1), 24-42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00696-0
  • Enyinda, C. I., Opute, A. P., Fadahunsi, A., Mbah, C. H. (2021). Marketing-sales-service interface and social media marketing influence on B2B sales process. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 36(6), 990-1009. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-01-2019-0053
  • EverString. (2018). The state of Artificial Intelligence in B2B marketing. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.theipm.org.uk/resource/resmgr/member_surveys/ai-in-b2b-marketing_es_final.pdf
  • Geiger, S. i Guenzi, P. (2009). The sales function in the twenty-first century: where are we and where do we go from here? European Journal of Marketing, 43(7/8), 873-889. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560910961434
  • Gupta, S., Keen, M., Shah, A. i Verdier, G. (red.). (2017). Digital revolutions in public finance. International Monetary Fund. http://pinguet.free.fr/digitalrevo.pdf
  • Harrison, L., Gavin, R., Plotkin, C. L. i Stanley, J. (2020, 14 lipca). How B2B sales have changed during COVID-19. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/how-b2b-sales-have-changed-during-covid-19
  • Hoeft, F. (2021). The case of sales in the automotive industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strategic Change: Briefings in Entrepreneurial Finance, 30(2), 117-125. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2395
  • Ingram, T. N., LaForge, R. W., Avila, R. A., Schwepker, C. H. Jr. i Williams, M. R. (2012). Sales management. Analysis and decision making. Routledge.
  • Jobber, D. i Lancaster, G. (2019). Selling and sales management (wyd. 11). Pearson.
  • Johnson, J. S. (2015). Qualitative sales research: an exposition of grounded theory. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 35(3), 262-273. https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2014.954581
  • Johnson, J. S. (2019). Developing qualitative propositions in sales research: existing approaches and a new multiphasic technique. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 40(1), 19-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2019.1604143
  • Koldyshev, M. V. (2020). Future marketing in B2B segment: Integrating Artificial Intelligence into sales management. International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Economy, 4(31). https://doi.org/10.31435/rsglobal_ijite/30092020/7149
  • Lane, N. i Piercy, N. (2009). Strategizing the sales organization. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 17(3-4), 307-322. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09652540903064886
  • Lashgari, M., Sutton-Brady, C., Soilen, K. S., Ulfvengren, P. (2018). Adoption strategies of social media in B2B firms: a multiple case study approach. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 33(5), 730-743. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-10-2016-0242
  • Leigh, T. W. i Marshall, G. W. (2001). Research priorities in sales strategy and performance. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 21(2), 83-93.
  • Lilien, G. L. (2016). The B2B knowledge gap. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 33(3), 543-556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2016.01.003
  • Lofland, J. i Lofland, L. H. (1995). Analyzing social settings: a guide to qualitative observation and analysis. Wadsworth.
  • Marshall, G. W., Moncrief, W. C., Rudd, J. M. i Lee, N. (2012). Revolution in sales: the impact of social media and related technology on the selling environment. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 32(3), 349-363. https://doi.org/10.2753/PSS0885-3134320305
  • Mattila, M., Yrjölä, M. i Hautamäki, P. (2021). Digital transformation of business-to-business sales: what needs to be unlearned? Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 41(2), 113-129. https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.1916396
  • Mattioli, D. i Herrera, S. (2020, 30 kwietnia). Amazon's sales jump as coronavirus prompts surge in online shopping. Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazons-sales-jump-as-coronavirus-prompts-surge-in-online-shopping-11588278740
  • Maxwell, J. A. (2009). Designing a qualitive study. W L. Bickman i D. J. Rog (red.). The SAGE handbook of applied social research methods (s. 214-253). Thousand Oaks: Sage. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483348858.n7
  • Murawska, M. (2020). Zmiany indeksów giełdowych w okresie bessy wywołanej pandemią COVID-19 w pierwszym kwartale 2020 r. Nowoczesne Systemy Zarządzania, 15(4), 79-93. https://doi.org/10.37055/nsz/134106
  • Palmer, T. B. i Flanagan, D. J. (2016). The sustainable company: Looking at goals for people, planet and profits. Journal of Business Strategy, 37(6), 28-38. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-09-2015-0095
  • Panagopoulos, N. G. i Avlonitis, G. J. (2010). Performance implications of sales strategy: The moderating effects of leadership and environment. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 27(1), 46-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2009.11.001
  • Paschen, J., Paschen, U., Pala, E. i Kietzmann, J. (2020a). Artificial Intelligence (AI) and value co-creation in B2B sales: activities, actors and resources. Australasian Marketing Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ausmj.2020.06.004
  • Paschen, J., Wilson, M. i Ferreira, J. J. (2020b). Collaborative intelligence: How human and artificial intelligence create value along the B2B sales funnel. Business Horizons, 63(3), 403-414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.01.003
  • Pereira, D. F., Oliveira, J. F. i Carravilla, M. A. (2020). Tactical sales and operations planning: a holistic framework and a literature review of decision-making models. International Journal of Production Economics, 228, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2020.107695
  • Pindelski, M. (2011). Strategia sprzedaży jako egzekucja strategii organizacji - powstanie barier wzrostu przedsiębiorstwa. W J. Skalik i G. Bełz (red.), Strategiczne i operacyjne problemy rozwoju i wzrostu przedsiębiorstwa (s. 194-202). Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wrocławiu, 218. https://dbc.wroc.pl/Content/71976/Pindelski_Strategia_sprzedazy_jako_egzekucja_strategii_organizacji.pdf
  • Prieto, F. i Tadeu H. F. B. (2021). Contribution of artificial intelligence in B2B sales: a danfoss case study. International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS), 8(4), 225-234. https://doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.84.27
  • Radlińska, K. (2020). Pandemia COVID-19 - implikacje dla polskiego rynku pracy. Zeszyty Naukowe Wydziału Nauk Ekonomicznych, 1(24), 113-126. https://ezeszyty.wne.tu.koszalin.pl/index.php/zeszyty/article/view/161
  • Rangarajan, D., Sharma, A., Paesbrugghe, B. i Boute, R. (2018). Aligning sales and operations management: an agenda for inquiry. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 38(2), 220-240. https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2018.1450148
  • Rangarajan, D., Sharma, A., Lyngdoh, T. i Paesbrugghe, B. (2021). Business-to-business selling in the post-COVID-19 era: Developing an adaptive sales force. Business Horizons, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2021.02.030
  • Ray, M., Redaelli, S., Rudich, D. i Wong, A. J. (2020, 20 lipca). A Post-COVID-19 commercial-recovery strategy for B2B companies. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/advanced-electronics/our-insights/a-post-covid-19-commercial-recovery-strategy-for-b2b-companies
  • Reformat, B. (2003). Strategie dystrybucji przedsiębiorstw na rynku dóbr konsumpcyjnych. Prace Naukowe, 175. Akademia Ekonomiczna w Katowicach.
  • Rutkowski, I. P. (2020). Inteligentne technologie w marketingu i sprzedaży - zastosowania, obszary i kierunki badań. Marketing i Rynek, 27(6), 3-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.33226/1231-7853.2020.6.1
  • Shankar, V. (2018). How Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping retailing. Journal of Retailing, 94(4), 6-11. https://mays.tamu.edu/center-for-retailing-studies/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/02/How-Artificial-Intelligence-AI-is-Reshaping-Retailing.pdf
  • Shankar, V., Kalyanam, K., Setia, P., Golmohammadi, A., Tirunillai, S., Douglass, T., Hennessey, J., Bull, J. S. i Waddoups, R. (2020). How technology is changing retail. Journal of Retailing, 97(1), 13-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2020.10.006
  • Sławińska, M. (2002). Zarządzanie przedsiębiorstwem handlowym. Polskie Wydawnictwo Ekonomiczne.
  • Spiro, R. L., Rich, G. A. i Stanton, W. J. (2008). Management of a sales force (wyd. 12). McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
  • Storbacka, K., Ryals, L., Davies, I. A. i Nenonen, S. (2009). The changing role of sales: viewing Sales as a strategic, cross-functional process. European Journal of Marketing, 43(7/8), 890-906. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560910961443
  • Syam, N. i Sharma, A. (2017). Waiting for a sales renaissance in the fourth industrial revolution: Machine learning and artificial intelligence in sales research and practice. Industrial Marketing Management, 69, 135-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2017.12.019
  • Terho, H., Eggert, A., Haas, A. i Ulaga, W. (2015). How sales strategy translates into performance: The role of salesperson. Industrial Marketing Management, 45, 12-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2015.02.017
  • Tomczak, T., Kuss, A., Reinecke, S. (2014). Marketingplanung: Einführung in die marktorientierte Unternehmens und Geschäftsfeldplanung [Planowanie marketingowe: Wprowadzenie do zorientowanego na rynek planowania korporacyjnego i biznesowego]. Springer Gabler.
  • Urbanowska-Sojkin, E. i Sławińska, M. (2001). Zarządzanie marketingowe przedsiębiorstwem handlowym. Akademia Ekonomiczna w Poznaniu.
  • Zdonek, D., Zdonek, I. i Hysa, B. (2016). Publikacje przeglądowe w naukach o zarządzaniu - istota i tendencje. Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Śląskiej. Organizacja i Zarządzanie, 96, 519-533.
  • Zhang, B. G., Fan, M., Gu, B., Mookerjee, V., Zhang, B. i Zhao, L. (2018). Business values/implications of AI and machine learning. Data and Information Management Journal, 2(3), 121-129. https://doi.org/10.2478/dim-2018-0016
  • Zoltners, A. A., Sinha, P. i Lorimer, S. E. (2005). Zwiększanie efektywności działu sprzedaży. Oficyna Ekonomiczna Wolters Kluwer.
AUTHOR

Marcin Gul

About the article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15219/em91.1536

The article is in the printed version on pages 61-72.

pdf read the article (Polish)

How to cite

Gul. M. (2021). Nowe wyzwania w zarządzaniu sprzedażą w kontekście rozwoju nowoczesnych technologii i pandemii COVID-19. e-mentor, 4(91), 61-72. https://doi.org/10.15219/em91.1536