Authors: Mikko Illi; Salu Ylirisku
This empirical research builds on existing research on value co-creation. The research develops understanding on challenges and development opportunities of the use of visual support in value-based selling process. Sales force and sales management in B2B markets are facing radical organisational changes related to transformation from traditional sales processes towards value-based selling. These people have typically aimed at selling products that fulfil customer needs in order to receive revenue. The transformation from products to value-based selling blurs the clarity in how value is quantified. Value often falls into creating credence quality instead to support the value promise to customer through trust and credibility. The complexity in working environment of sales force opens up possibilities to develop novel relevant simplifications. This study aims at supporting the process with visual means while appreciating the expertise of the sales negotiators in value-based selling process. The research method combines ethnography and constructive design research. The paper presents interactions from real B2B sales environments as well as provides visual samples from the design and development process. The primary data consists of a preparational sales meeting inside the selling organisation in paper machine industry’s division of Roll-Services and it was collected in the form of video recordings. These data are supported with recordings from interviews with the involved and observation notes from development workshops. The videoed interactions were analysed through Conversation Analysis by a research team through three rounds. This empirical study contributes to existing process framework on value-based selling capabilities of three stages: planning, implementation and leveraging. The results show how visualisations can support activities under all three stages and how they may facilitate complex sales interactions. The study also draws implications for managerial practice on how visual prototypes may contribute to sales work while. We consider the aspects of visual support, data management, and customer references in regard to the visual prototypes.
Journal: n.a. (n.a. – n.a.)
Web Address: n.a.
Publish Year: 2016
Conference: Poznan, Poland (2016)