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Business-to-business selling in the post-COVID-19 era: Developing an adaptive sales force

Author

Listed:
  • Rangarajan, Deva
  • Sharma, Arun
  • Lyngdoh, Teidorlang
  • Paesbrugghe, Bert

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how salespeople interact with customers and with business-to-business (B2B) organizations. Organizations must confront the shifts in how their salespeople operate. Recent research recommends firms develop an adaptive sales force to address disruptions like a pandemic and be prepared to meet such challenges in the future. Based on interviews with marketing and sales executives, we explore how firms have responded to these interconnected changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and offer insight into best practices deployed across industries.

Suggested Citation

  • Rangarajan, Deva & Sharma, Arun & Lyngdoh, Teidorlang & Paesbrugghe, Bert, 2021. "Business-to-business selling in the post-COVID-19 era: Developing an adaptive sales force," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 64(5), pages 647-658.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:64:y:2021:i:5:p:647-658
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2021.02.030
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Arun Sharma & Deva Rangarajan & Bert Paesbrugghe, 2020. "Increasing resilience by creating an adaptive salesforce," Post-Print hal-03136152, HAL.
    2. Paschen, Jeannette & Wilson, Matthew & Ferreira, João J., 2020. "Collaborative intelligence: How human and artificial intelligence create value along the B2B sales funnel," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 63(3), pages 403-414.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bendell, Bari L. & Kristal, Emma K., 2023. "Five naming strategies to help tell your organization’s story," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 66(3), pages 387-404.
    2. Marc Lim, Weng, 2023. "Transformative marketing in the new normal: A novel practice-scholarly integrative review of business-to-business marketing mix challenges, opportunities, and solutions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    3. Ramos, Carla & Claro, Danny P. & Germiniano, Renato, 2023. "The effect of inside sales and hybrid sales structures on customer value creation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    4. Nawar N. Chaker & Rhett T. Epler & Gabriel Moreno & Dana Amiri & Elizabeth G. McDougal & Jay O’Toole, 2025. "The past, present, and future of adaptive selling: Toward an integrative framework," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 53(6), pages 1572-1599, December.
    5. Durst, Susanne & Davila, Andrés & Foli, Samuel & Kraus, Sascha & Cheng, Cheng-Feng, 2023. "Antecedents of technological readiness in times of crises: A comparison between before and during COVID-19," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    6. Badrinarayanan, Vishag & Ramachandran, Indu, 2024. "Relational exchanges in the sales domain: A review and research agenda through the lens of commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    7. Aditya Gupta & Vishag Badrinarayanan & Linda Alkire & Indu Ramachandran, 2026. "The Countervailing Effects of Job Crafting on Salesperson Ethical Behaviors: The Role of Meaningful Work and Organizational Interventions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 203(2), pages 425-451, January.
    8. Mouzas, Stefanos & Bauer, Florian, 2022. "Rethinking business performance in global value chains," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 679-689.

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