Transforming B2B sales essentials: how to reshape traditional sales procedures to engage modern organizational buyers

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to gain a better understanding of modern organizational buying behavior, sales essentials, and the role of customer experience in developing a sustainable and profitable business in the 21st century. Theories of buying, selling and customer experience are explored to produce a foundation for customer centric B2B sales procedures that originate in modern buying behavior and customer expectations. A quantitative case study conducted at Isku Interior B2B sales organization investigates the salespeople’s opinions, wishes, and attitudes regarding their current sales process and its future development. What this thesis primarily taught me was that true customer-centricity is deep in the organization’s culture. It appears to be a mutual mindset and way of handling all things within the organization, which together lead to customer engagement, self-imposed recommendations and profits.

As numerous challenges have hit companies hard and rapid changes have occurred in fundamental business basics, daily operations require changes as well. Acceptable purpose of an organization is no longer to merely produce physical products to make a profit, but instead customers expect something sustainable that aligns with their values and creates them value. Hardly anyone wants to be actually sold to, but rather effortlessly helped by a trusted companion. Customers are well-informed, they have growing expertise in purchasing and their journey to purchase is often nonlinear and more independent than before. Strong customer relationships are more valuable than ever, which is why the importance of employee engagement is seen critical to continuous growth and improved efficiency. Millennials as customers and employees are challenging mature organizations’ operating cultures, and the uncertain economy increases risk aversion in decision-making. Some experts claim that the answer to these challenges lies in gathering and analyzing customer insight data to create a personalized and meaningful customer experience, which will increase their loyalty and bounce back as profits and self-imposed recommendations.

Data-centricity and utilizing advanced technology are seen as modern tools for customer experience and efficiency improvement purposes. However, the foundation for overcoming these challenges may exist in the company culture, which in mature organizations, seems to be changing extremely slowly and from the top down.