Denna avhandling anlägger en kritisk syn på den personliga försäljningens normativa beslutsmodeller. Med ett alternativt synsätt i det s.k. nätverkssynsättet får personlig försäljning en delvis annorlunda betydelse än vad som framförs i traditionell försäljnings- och marknadsföringslitteratur. Författarens övergripande syfte med rapporten är att öka förståelsen av försäljarens roll och uppgifter i långsiktiga industriella kundrelationer. I studien ingår en beskrivning av relationen mellan Atlas Copco Svenska Försäljningen och ABV mellan åren 1971-1984. Beskrivningen baseras på ett nätverksperspektiv. Ur det empiriska fallet utvecklas ett antal teser som karakteriserar långsiktiga kundrelationer. Teserna är relaterade till varandra genom interdependens och dynamik. Teserna får praktiska implikationer för industriell försäljning, bl.a. diskuteras konflikter i försäljningsarbetet mellan kortsiktiga affärer och långsiktiga överenskommelser, konsekvenserna av en ökad specialisering, styrning och organiserande av försäljningen i långsiktiga kundrelationer. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögsk.

<p>This thesis is a description of the sales process for Toolox, the newest of four products produced by SSAB Oxelösund. Toolox is a tool steel, sold using eleven external dealers throughout Europe. Each dealer carries a wide range of steel grades for different uses. To increase sales volumes SSAB want to have the right support for their dealers. In this thesis the organizations and individuals who influence in the buying decision are identified as well as their buying behavior and the information that is needed in the sales situations. The requirements on the tool steel derive not only from the toolmaker itself but also from end users of a product further down the product chain. The study indicates that communication of benefits along the chain difficult because is not well integrated. The decision of what steel to buy is often made by the tool designer and these are influenced by a number of other individuals. It is also found that risk aversion and conservatism are barriers for product introductions.</p>

This thesis is a description of the sales process for Toolox, the newest of four products produced by SSAB Oxelösund. Toolox is a tool steel, sold using eleven external dealers throughout Europe. Each dealer carries a wide range of steel grades for different uses. To increase sales volumes SSAB want to have the right support for their dealers. In this thesis the organizations and individuals who influence in the buying decision are identified as well as their buying behavior and the information that is needed in the sales situations. The requirements on the tool steel derive not only from the toolmaker itself but also from end users of a product further down the product chain. The study indicates that communication of benefits along the chain difficult because is not well integrated. The decision of what steel to buy is often made by the tool designer and these are influenced by a number of other individuals. It is also found that risk aversion and conservatism are barriers for product introductions.

Industrial selling processes are complex phenomena. The involvement of diverse persons and the prevalence of service elements in integrated sales offerings have meant that collaboration and dialogue are now essential aspects of any successful selling process. The present study is based on the premise that these essential aspects of contemporary industrial selling processes have not been sufficiently conceptualised in the extant literature and that new concepts are therefore required. In particular, relevant new concepts that are based on the personal experiences of the actors involved in the selling process are urgently needed. Grounded-theory methodology was chosen for this inductive study because this approach is especially suitable for the development of empirically based concepts derived from the real-life experiences of involved actors who are addressing their issues of concern. The substantive theory that is subsequently produced by this grounded-theory approach posits a core category of ‘business manoeuvring’ as the basic social process whereby the involved actors resolve their main concern—which is the conduct of effective business. This resolution is achieved within the core category of ‘business manoeuvring’ by the judicious management of mutually dependent and complementary activities, which are reflected in the other categories of the substantive theory—(i) ‘business standardisation’; (ii) ‘business fraternisation’; (iii) ‘personalisation’; and (iv) ‘probationary business rationalisation’. A comparison of the present study’s substantive theory with alternative models in the literature reveals that the broader scope and integration of the proposed substantive theory provides it with greater explanatory power than extant models; however, it is acknowledged that the proposed theory lacks the detailed depth of other models. The successful development of a substantive theory that grasps the main concern of the involved actors and adequately describes its continuous resolution means that this study has achieved its primary purpose of developing empirically based, actor-related concepts that provide an enhanced understanding of the theory and practice of complex selling processes in contemporary industrial markets.