Selling radical innovations

IF 7.5 1区管理学 Q1 BUSINESS

Industrial Marketing Management Pub Date : 2025-09-11 DOI:10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.09.002

Bianca Schmitz , Julian Schmalstieg , Olaf Plötner , Andreas Eggert , Johannes Habel

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Salespeople often resist selling radical innovations. This study identifies a key barrier: salespeople's fear of losing face in customer interactions. Based on a theories-in-use study with 69 experts and two surveys of 190 and 204 industrial salespeople, we show that this fear stems from anticipated consultation failures—such as giving incorrect information, lacking answers, or breaking promises—that may harm their professional image. The fear is most pronounced among those with high self-expectations, low change readiness, and limited experience. Our findings encourage managers to strengthen consultation resources, select or train for change readiness and experience, and realign role expectations to reduce face-related fears and support the successful commercialization of radical innovations.

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销售突破性创新

销售人员通常不愿推销激进的创新产品。这项研究发现了一个关键的障碍：销售人员害怕在与客户的互动中丢脸。我们对69位专家进行了一项理论应用研究，并对190名和204名行业销售人员进行了两次调查，结果表明，这种恐惧源于预期的咨询失败——比如提供不正确的信息、缺乏答案或违背承诺——这可能会损害他们的职业形象。这种恐惧在那些自我期望高、改变准备低、经验有限的人身上表现得最为明显。我们的研究结果鼓励管理者加强咨询资源，选择或培训变革准备和经验，并重新调整角色期望，以减少与面孔相关的恐惧，并支持激进创新的成功商业化。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Industrial Marketing Management Multiple-

CiteScore

17.30

自引率

20.40%

发文量

255

期刊介绍： Industrial Marketing Management delivers theoretical, empirical, and case-based research tailored to the requirements of marketing scholars and practitioners engaged in industrial and business-to-business markets. With an editorial review board comprising prominent international scholars and practitioners, the journal ensures a harmonious blend of theory and practical applications in all articles. Scholars from North America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Asia, and various global regions contribute the latest findings to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of industrial markets. This holistic approach keeps readers informed with the most timely data and contemporary insights essential for informed marketing decisions and strategies in global industrial and business-to-business markets.