Launching New Products with a Direct Sales Force: A Case Study and Grounded Theory

The importance of innovation to the long-term profitability and survival of firms is widely recognized. The sales force plays a key role for new product introduction and the successful commercialisation of innovations. Yet, the role of the sales force has not received thorough examination from a holistic point of view that considers its interaction with other key players, such as Marketing and the customer. Benjamin Klitzke addresses this research gap. He studies selling and adoption processes between marketing, sales and customers. The academic result of his work is a conceptual framework that extends the state of research in various ways. He provides insights and answers on how to successfully launch new products with a direct sales force.