Rethinking the Sales Process: An Interplay between Human and AI-based Technology

Existing research reveals the need to revisit sales process as the industry 4.0 is heavily influencing the business processes including sales. This paper builds on the research opportunity to rethink the sales process exploring the effect of artificial intelligence, its underlaying algorithms and in general technology. Through multiple interviews and observations of two case companies has enabled us empirically to test the new and innovative sales process titled Aalborg Sales Process Model (Bhatti & Jensen, 2022), which has its roots in Dubinsky (1981), Marshall, Monchief & Lassak (1999) and Töytäri (2011). Through collected data, it has been possible to reveal that technology plays a significant role in the modern-day sales process. Furthermore, the interplay between human interactions and AI-based technologies accomplishes an important task. This collaborative interaction gives the right information at the right time, hence facilitating finding data for a purpose. We have witnessed that this approach leads the salespeople to be one step ahead of the customers facilitating in understanding the customer’s needs before they know themselves.