The Future of Sales in the B2B Software Industry. The Digitalization of Sales in German small and medium-sized enterprises

Master's Thesis from the year 2022 in the subject Business economics - Trade and Distribution, grade: 1,3, European School of Business Reutlingen, language: English, abstract: In addition to an overview of the most relevant trends and the most promising digital methods as well as tools for sales, this master thesis will provide insights into the practical aspects of Digital Sales. A particular focus will be placed on the relevance and influence of Digital Leadership in the context of necessary change management regarding the digitalization of sales. Across all industries, digitalization leads to sustainable structural changes for companies of all sizes. New business models are emerging, existing business models are changing fundamentally or are even disappearing altogether. Hardly any business area is spared from disruptive change. Therefore, also customer management and sales constantly face new challenges and opportunities. Familiar processes and methods have to be reassessed radically to ensure ongoing success. Companies have to learn to adapt their customer management to changing requirements. They cannot hope that customers will continue to move towards providers as they have in the past. This has profound consequences for sales. Existing processes have to change, salespeople have to adapt their¿ skills and competencies to shifting customer expectations, and organizations have to review their structures. Companies that do not address the digital market changes today will not survive in the future. In contrast to U.S.-based companies, German companies have been hesitant to deal with the digitalization of sales so far. Business was excellent and sales were continuously successful. Thus, there was little need to change the status quo, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly changed business life. The entire sales cycle suddenly needed a redesign, from customer acquisition to customer service. Ultimately, the pandemic began to change sales processes in German SMEs, and with that, also the mindset towards the digitalization of sales. Nevertheless, companies are still struggling to change. The vast number of options for optimizing sales processes seems unlimited. Which sales processes should companies digitize, and which should stay as they are? Which aspects are critical to the success of effective sales management? Who should be the initiator and motivator for digitalization measures in sales? Moreover, are the necessary skills and competencies even available?