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Research Question:

How do different personal traits influence the competitiveness of the B-to-B salesperson in the digitization era?

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to examine three personal traits that may result in escalating salesperson competitiveness in B-to-B sales in the digitization era. The examined traits are: General intelligence, emotional stability, and visionary thinking.

Method:

This study applies a qualitative research method, whereby the primary data collection has been conducted through interviews with salespeople in ABB, as well as with field experts in the B-to-B sales.

Conclusion:

The aim of this study is to examine three traits and their influence on B-to-B salesperson competitiveness in the digitization era. The findings demonstrate that the investigated traits contributed to increasing salesperson competitiveness at ABB with general intelligence ranking as the most important. The second examined trait of emotional stability was found to have influenced salesperson competitiveness in a moderate fashion at ABB. Visionary thinking had the least influence and it has been speculated that such a trait is an overall approach ABB employs as well as other competitive companies in the same industry. An important finding of this research is that the role of digitization in B-to-B sales was not as significant compared to other major factors affecting B-to-B sales and the salesperson is still the most vital element in the B-to-B sales process.