New product selling challenges (key insights in the ICT sector)

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify crucial and new product selling challenges in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector for the companies operating in Business to Business (B2B) sales setting.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses qualitative techniques of focus group discussion, semi-structure interviews and thematic content analysis to explore crucial and new product selling challenges. Total interpretive structuring modeling (TISM) is used to create a hierarchy amongst the factors and interpret the relationships amongst them.FindingsThis study identifies crucial challenges for the ICT sector. The TISM framework helped in identifying variables and explained the relationship between the identified variables.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings may have been affected by the small size of the sample, the research was restricted to Indian market only and the result would have varied across cultures and different domains.Practical implicationsCompanies in the ICT sector are eager to develop new products but fail to sell it. Salespeople play a crucial role in diffusing the new product in the market. Addressing the challenges faced by salespeople will improve not only the sales of the new product but also the overall the operational efficiency of the sales force.Social implicationsAlthough several studies have suggested that sales force is the major contributing factor to new product success, few studies have focused on the role of salespeople in new product launch, particularly with respect to challenges in new product selling.Originality/valueThis is the first study to identify new product selling challenges in the ICT sector.