Strategic transformation of the sales function in servitization: A multi-level configurational view

This study explores how manufacturing firms reshape their sales function in their shift to a service business (servitization). Drawing on polar-type case studies at different stages of servitization, this research analyses how the sales of base and advanced services differ in terms of organisational structures, roles and responsibilities of sales teams, processes and tools, and knowledge and skills. The research reveals that standardised approaches and centralised governance often constrain the evolution of advanced services sales. We argue that modularity can also hinder the strategic development of sales functions in early-stage servitization. In contrast, it drives legitimation of professional sales teams in more mature contexts. Moreover, digital tools that support the selling of base and advanced services can differ significantly, with the latter benefiting from a more sophisticated portfolio of information systems and technologies such as simulators and configurators, while the former remain anchored to legacy tools supporting the sales of product business. The paper contributes to the servitization and industrial marketing literature by offering a multilevel view of the transformation of sales functions in connection with servitization, highlighting the interplay between standardisation, autonomy, modularity, and digitisation as impediments or enablers for the sale of advanced services.