Internet integration into the industrial selling process: A step-by-step approach

The Internet has evolved into an outstanding tool for industrial salespeople. Reps use the Internet to prospect new accounts more efficiently, serve existing customers more effectively, and build more enduring business buyer relationships. This paper examines these practices and possibilities in detail while offering ways to facilitate and augment WWW usage. Each phase in the selling process is addressed by proposing specific websites, web-based tools, and techniques that industrial salespeople can use to further enhance their selling competitiveness and effectiveness. Examples of how the Internet is used by salespeople in a variety of industries are described. A series of propositions and a new conceptual model summarizes the positive effects of the increased Internet utilization on individual selling effort. The paper concludes with a discussion of managerial implications for sales management and recommendations for future research.