The relationship between digital solution selling and value-based selling: a motivation-opportunity-ability (MOA) perspective

Abstract

Purpose Value-based selling (VBS) is increasingly a key success factor in business to business (B2B) settings, but its relationship with digital solutions selling (DSS) has not been explored. This study aims to develop a motivation-opportunity-ability (MOA)-based model that shows how an individual salesperson’s task-specific motivation to implement DSS affects personal capabilities to engage in DSS-related internal coordination, customer networking and ultimately VBS behavior. The authors also account for the supervisor’s DSS-focused behavioral control as the opportunity variable, potentially influencing all other variables in the framework. Design/methodology/approach The authors test the model and hypotheses using data of 178 salespeople from a B2B company growing its digital solutions business. Path modeling and SmartPLS software are used to estimate the model. Findings The results demonstrate the key importance of DSS implementation motivation to implement VBS. The findings emphasize the mediating role of salespeople’s ability to collaborate with colleagues and engage in customer networking to configure the right idiosyncratic digital solutions and demonstrate these solutions’ economic value. Supervisors have a fundamental role in directly and indirectly stimulating DSS motivation, DSS-related customer networking ability and VBS. Research limitations/implications The study has several limitations. The authors examined a single company. In addition to internal coordination and customer networking, other relevant abilities of salespeople could be considered as mediators between DSS and VBS. Similarly, other opportunity factors may be analyzed in the future, such as supervisors’ risk orientation and ability to stimulate team spirit. Future research could also investigate other salespeople’s individual talents and additional organizational support variables that predict a salesperson’s behavioral and outcome performance in DSS and VBS. Practical implications Companies willing to adopt VBS should acquire, develop and retain salespeople characterized by strong motivation to implement DSS. Supervisors should adopt a DSS-focused behavioral control, and companies should support supervisors through appropriate training on how to manage detailed feedback to salespeople constructively and sales performance management systems that systematically track DSS-related sales force activities and results. Companies should also facilitate DSS-related teamwork, for example, through team incentives, and DSS-related customer networking, for instance, through appropriate sales enablement platforms and tools. Originality/value The research addresses the communalities and differences between solutions selling and VBS, suggesting a causal relationship. While prior research has analyzed solutions and value mainly as corporate strategies at the organizational level, the current study considers implementation at the individual salesperson level. The study focuses on digital solutions, which are more uncertain and complex to sell than traditional solutions.

Guest editorial: Value-creating sales and digital technologies

“…The second theme focuses on how sales organizations and sales managers can use sales controls to facilitate their salespeople's implementation of value-creating sales and engagement in it. The article of Guenzi and Nijssen (2023) investigates how behavioral controls focusing on digital solution selling influence salespeople's motivation to implement digital solutions, salesperson abilities for digital solution selling and value-based selling. The study sheds light on the process between behavioral controls focusing on digital solution selling and value-based selling and shows that supervisors have a crucial role in developing their salespeople to engage in value-based selling and achieve digital solution selling performance.…”

Connotation analysis of vocational literacy of higher vocational students in modern service industry based on MOA model

“…It emphasizes that individual behavior occurs under the joint action of "motivation-opportunity-capability". Literature [16] in order to explore the method of value-based selling for solving digital sales solutions in B2B, based on the MOA model to analyze the impact of digital solutions on sales performance among salespeople and verify the ability of individual salespeople to participate in internal coordination and build customer networks. Literature [17] analyzed the relevant impact of leadership charisma on sales force service based on the motivation, opportunity, and ability framework, modeled the correlation with partial least squares structural equations, and verified that leadership charisma is positively correlated with sales service dexterity through the model.…”

“…Xiaobin Xu, Ruiye Zhao. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, 9(1) (2024)[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] …”