Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • May 2018
  • Article
  • Top Sales Magazine

The Changing Craft of Selling

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Tiffani Bova
  • Format:Print
ShareBar

Abstract

This article draws on two surveys: one with more than 3,100 sales professionals about trends affecting the role(s) of sales in their companies, and the other with over 7,000 consumer and business buyers about their expectations when dealing with sales people. The findings indicate that more people at the buyer now interact with more people at the seller (within and beyond the formal sales organization) throughout the buying journey. In turn, this has implications for effective selling in areas such as data management, channel management, and cross-functional interactions at the selling organization.

Keywords

Sales; Change; Trends; Performance Effectiveness

Citation

Cespedes, Frank V., and Tiffani Bova. "The Changing Craft of Selling." Top Sales Magazine (May 2018), 16–19.

About The Author

Frank V. Cespedes

Entrepreneurial Management
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • October 2023
    • Top Sales Magazine

    Finding New Business and Developing Relevant Sales Capabilities

    By: Frank V. Cespedes
    • September–October 2023
    • European Business Review

    Building Brand Engagement: Lessons from NFTs and Collectibles

    By: Frank V. Cespedes and Ben Plomion
    • August 2023
    • Faculty Research

    Aphro Beverages

    By: Frank V. Cespedes
More from the Authors
  • Finding New Business and Developing Relevant Sales Capabilities By: Frank V. Cespedes
  • Building Brand Engagement: Lessons from NFTs and Collectibles By: Frank V. Cespedes and Ben Plomion
  • Aphro Beverages By: Frank V. Cespedes
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College