Artificial intelligence in business-to-business (B2B) sales process: a conceptual framework

The present study introduces a conceptual framework to explore sales professionals’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the sales process. The author explores AI’s impact and its relationships with specific outcomes within the sales process. The study first explores the embryonic artificial intelligence literature on sales to measure sales professionals’ perceptions of AI by conducting a content analysis. Based on the results, 79 studies were found on AI and sales, with only 13 specifically looking at the business-to-business sales process. Given the newness of AI, this is a dire need to dive deeper into the use of AI in the B2B sales process. A content analysis from the scant literature and data from 62 sales professionals was performed to conceptually develop a framework proposing AI’s impact on several outcomes: sales process effectiveness, administrative efficiency, and performance with customers.