Sales Buy-in of Marketing Strategies: Exploration of its Nuances, Antecedents, and Contextual Conditions

This study uses a qualitative research design with the Grounded Theory method, to explore the multifaceted nature of sales buy-in, i.e. the sales function’s belief that marketers’ proposed strategy is appropriate and has merit. Based on 49 in-depth interviews with sales and marketing professionals, the findings indicate that obtaining sales buy-in consists of four key components: (a) objectivity and rational persuasion (b) sensitivity and responsiveness to reality (c) involvement in strategy creation, and (d) positioning for success. The findings also show that three organizational-level factors play an important role in determining sales buy-in: (1) eliminating interfunctional walls, (2) bridging the cultural divide between sales and marketing, and (3) developing interfunctional relationships. Last, sales buy-in depends on two contextual conditions –hierarchy, and strategy absorption time.

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	Sohi, Ravi Associate Dean - Graduate Programs and Research Expertise: Business-to-Business Marketing E-Commerce Marketing International Marketing Marketing Channels Management Sales Management Marketing CBA 214B P.O. Box 880492 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68588-0492, USA Phone: (402) 472-9500 Fax: (402) 472-5180 rsohi1@unl.edu	Sohi, Ravi	Marketing