The transformation of professional selling: Implications for leading the modern sales organization

Abstract

The nature of professional selling has transformed profoundly over the last few decades resulting in a fundamental redefinition of the role of the sales force. Despite this evolution, there is recognition of the relevance of ‘traditional’ sales approaches, resulting in an increasing polarization between transactional and strategic or consultative selling. Drawing on interview data with senior sales leaders, sales consultants and prominent sales academics, I synthesize three key drivers for change and identify a set of core transformations sales forces are undergoing: The composition of the offer that suppliers bring to customers, the nature of the relationships between suppliers and customers, and the configuration of sales organizations and the role of sales people. The paper reveals the need to reconcile seemingly disparate approaches to managing sales forces if sales professionals are to become genuine enablers of customer development. It outlines the tensions that underpin the management of both transactional and strategic selling, suggesting the adoption of ambidexterity and paradoxical leadership in the management of modern sales organizations.