B2B시장에서의 경쟁 강도가 강화되면서 B2B기업은 구매기업과의 장기적 관계형성과 가치의 공동창출을 위해 노력한다. 이러한 의미에서 영업사원들에 의해 수행되는 가치기반 판매는 구매기업과 B2B기업 모두의 수익을 결정하는 중요한 판매전략으로 간주되고 있다. 가치기반 판매의 전략적 중요성에도 불구하고, 기존의 연구들은 가치기반 판매가 기업성과로 연결되는지에 대한 결론에 집중하면서 가치기반 판매의 선행요인을 밝히고자하는 다양한 시도는 부족했던 것이 사실이다. 이에 본 연구에서는 가치기반 판매의 정의적 프레임에 근거하여, 가치기반 판매의 선행요인으로 영업사원의 고객지향성, 영업사원의 학습지향성, 영업사원의 내적 네트워킹과 외적 네트워킹을 설정하고 이들이 가치기반 판매에 미치는 영향에 대하여 살펴보았다. 이와 더불어 가치기반 판매가 B2B기업의 판매성과에 영향을 미치는지도 확인하였다. 200개의 B2B기업을 대상으로 구조화된 설문지를 바탕으로 자기기입식 설문조사를 실시하였으며, 구조방정식모형을 통해 제시된 가설들을 분석하였다. 분석결과, 영업사원의 고객지향성과 학습지향성, 그리고 외적 네트워킹은 가치기반 판매에 긍정적 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났지만 내적 네트워킹은 그렇지 못한 것으로 나타났다. 또한 가치기반 판매는 B2B기업의 판매성과와 매우 강한 정(+)의 관계를 갖는 것으로 확인되었다. 이러한 결과를 바탕으로 B2B기업들이 영업사원을 통해 전개할 수 있는 다양한 가치기반 판매 전략들을 제안하였다.
Purpose: Many firms are increasingly deploying a value-based selling (VBS) in their B2B organizations to drive growth for product and service. Defined as a sales strategy that builds on understanding, developing, and communication of customer value, value-based selling is a proactive, challenging selling approach. Because value-based selling requires significant efforts, especially for products and services where customer and market requirements are more uncertain, research needs to identify all potential sources for encouraging salespeople in B2B industries. Although prior research has focused factors for increasing value-based selling in the light of potential extensions and alternative ways of understanding value-based selling, it remains a selling strategy whose antecedents are relatively unexplored. Therefore, this research aims to investigate factors that affect the implementation of value-based selling and the subsequent influence on salespeople’s sales performance.
Research design, data, and methodology: In order to test hypotheses, First, we identified suitable firms for the empirical survey among B2B firms from manufacturing, IT and services. Second, we use we established scales to measure our key constructs whenever possible. Third, the survey was conducted for 200 salespeople in South Korea. Fourth, the reliability and validity of the constructs was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis. Finally, proposed research model was estimated by using structural equation modeling.
Results: The the hypothesized model, the global fit statistics indicate an acceptable fit of the model to the data (χ² (212)=265.66, p<.05, CFI=.98, TLI=.98, IFI=.98, RMSEA=.06). We find support H1, H2, H3, H5 in this model. First, salespeople’ customer orientation has a positive effect on value-based selling (H1). Second, salespeople’ learning orientation has a positive relationship with value-based selling. Third, salespeople’ external networking is positively related ot value-based selling. Finally, value-based selling increase salespeople selling performance.
Conclusions: Following recent calls for more research on the antecedents of value based selling, this research explores salespeople’ motivational and attitudinal factors that affect the use of value-based selling. The theoretical and practical implications of the research are discussed as follows. First, this research answers recent calls for study into the antecedents of value-based selling by developing a theoretical model to investigating the effect of customer orientation, learning orientation, and external networking of salespeople on the usage of value selling practices. Also, salespeople needs to communicate with inner people in his her own organization, leveraging their skills and knowhow and align everyone around the goal of value-in use creation with customers. Finally, sales manager aiming to encourage the use of value-based selling in their salespeople must balance managerial actions aimed at motivational and attitudinal factors.