Sales activity systematization and performance: differences between product and service firms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the impact that systematization of sales activities through sales process management has, at the firm level, on profitable sales growth in business‐to‐business (B2B) companies. The research aims to compare companies focusing on service offerings to those focusing on product offerings. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on survey data. Findings – Despite the emergence of service‐dominant logic, B2B service and product companies still differ in how sales process management contributes to firm performance. Research limitations/implications – The findings suggest that differences between service and product firms in their sales process management stem from the different underlying modes of interaction. The findings are generalizable to B2B companies. Practical implications – The findings help businesses differentiate between productive sales process management practices in product and service firms. Originality/value – The study contributes to the wider need of operationalizing ideas about sales process management at the level of organizations and business units.