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A Competency-Based Curriculum Content Design for Complex B2B Sales in Higher Education Institutions

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Title: A Competency-Based Curriculum Content Design for Complex B2B Sales in Higher Education Institutions
Language: English
Authors: Silvio Cardinali (ORCID 0000-0003-1283-9631), Marta Giovannetti (ORCID 0000-0002-9658-1705), Pia Hautamäki (ORCID 0000-0003-0100-6386), Karina Burgdorff Jensen
Source: Journal of Marketing Education. 2025 47(3):287-305.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 19
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Competency Based Education, Curriculum Design, Sales Occupations, Business Education, Higher Education, Salesmanship, Curriculum Development
DOI: 10.1177/02734753251322946
ISSN: 0273-4753
1552-6550
Abstract: Sales education has evolved significantly due to trends such as sales transformation, hybrid sales, and the growing relevance of sales in complex digital markets. However, there is a lack of comprehensive educational research that can propose curriculum designs based on the most relevant competencies for the industry and help respond to recent challenges in competitive and technological terms. This study adopts a competence-based and multi-stakeholder perspective to investigate emerging competencies in complex selling and implement a curriculum design model for sales. It examines the literature and gathers insights from both sales scholars and business stakeholders to put forward a comprehensive set of competencies and a curriculum content proposal for universities. The results reveal that sales professionals should have strategic value creation, advanced business negotiation, and advanced interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies. The findings of our study and the proposed curriculum content provide a basis for future research on sales education and applications in universities.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1488967
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0189024055;mke01dec.25;2025Nov05.01:25;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0189024055-1">A Competency-Based Curriculum Content Design for Complex B2B Sales in Higher Education Institutions </title> <p>Sales education has evolved significantly due to trends such as sales transformation, hybrid sales, and the growing relevance of sales in complex digital markets. However, there is a lack of comprehensive educational research that can propose curriculum designs based on the most relevant competencies for the industry and help respond to recent challenges in competitive and technological terms. This study adopts a competence-based and multi-stakeholder perspective to investigate emerging competencies in complex selling and implement a curriculum design model for sales. It examines the literature and gathers insights from both sales scholars and business stakeholders to put forward a comprehensive set of competencies and a curriculum content proposal for universities. The results reveal that sales professionals should have strategic value creation, advanced business negotiation, and advanced interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies. The findings of our study and the proposed curriculum content provide a basis for future research on sales education and applications in universities.</p> <p>Keywords: selling; sales management; B2B complex selling; sales education; higher education institution; sales competence</p> <p>The sales profession and, consequently, the training of sales personnel have evolved considerably over the years, driven by trends such as sales transformation ([<reflink idref="bib62" id="ref1">62</reflink>]), the spread of paradigms such as hybrid sales ([<reflink idref="bib93" id="ref2">93</reflink>]) and solution selling ([<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref3">48</reflink>]), the growing relevance of sales in complex and digital environments ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref4">38</reflink>]), and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing the productivity in business-to-business sales ([<reflink idref="bib64" id="ref5">64</reflink>]). In this evolving and increasingly complex landscape, numerous academic contributions have emphasized the relevance of sales teachings in universities and the need to develop them further ([<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref6">21</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref7">22</reflink>]). Although the relevance of sales education to the performance of companies and employees is known ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref8">9</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib96" id="ref9">96</reflink>]), little research has addressed this issue by integrating university–industry collaboration into curriculum design, which can lead to relevant innovations in education, co-funding study programs, awards, testimonials (e.g., [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref10">42</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib80" id="ref11">80</reflink>]), and the promotion of student employment following graduation ([<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref12">34</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib57" id="ref13">57</reflink>]).</p> <p>In addition, the role of salespersons is relevant in "complex selling." Complex selling implies a long sales cycle (infrequent transactions and negotiations that can last months or years) and the involvement of multiple decision-makers, which makes it necessary to address the needs and priorities of several parties while also staying relevant and up to date with upcoming trends such as hyper-automation and the use of AI ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref14">28</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref15">29</reflink>]). Considering the product/solution, complex selling is not based on standard products but on customized solutions that address specific customer problems and usually entails contracts of significant value, often involving strategic goods or services ([<reflink idref="bib84" id="ref16">84</reflink>]). Consequently, a specific set of competencies is expected of the professional salesperson in this area.</p> <p>This study explores sales education to propose a competence-based and multi-stakeholder approach curriculum design for higher education institutions (HEIs). In particular, we aim to respond to the following research questions: What competencies are central to current sales curricula and content aiming at adequately preparing students for their professional lives? How do these comprehensive sets of competencies align with the current demands of the job market in complex selling? How could these competencies be included in a higher education curriculum?</p> <p>To answer these questions, we conducted a literature review and two empirical studies—namely, a survey of sales academics about the current state of sales education and an analysis of the skills relevant to the sales profession based on focus groups of business representatives—to understand the challenges and changes that have most influenced the transformation of the profession. Based on an in-depth analysis of these areas, we developed a curriculum content proposal to respond to the demand for sales education and guide universities in designing and implementing sales curricula. The findings are summarized in a content proposal for curriculum design, which is based on the competencies identified as relevant through a synthesis of research from both university and industry perspectives. Finally, we propose educational implications and suggest directions for future research.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-2">Literature Review</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0189024055-3">Competencies and Competency-Based Education</hd> <p>The first academic definition of skills applied to education was provided by [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref17">7</reflink>], whose contribution then inspired educators and researchers on curriculum design and evaluation ([<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref18">52</reflink>]). Further literature contributed to defining competencies as composite concepts (knowledge, attitudes, skills, and other characteristics) and as a performance level that can be measured and improved via training and development ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref19">15</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref20">74</reflink>]). Consequently, studies generally define individual competencies or create taxonomies of specific competencies for individual roles or work contexts. Although business capability modeling has enabled organizations to design recruitment, training, monitoring, and reward programs aligned with organizational objectives, the sales training literature tends to emphasize the role of capability in the design of training pathways and the methodology. The competency modeling approach is underrepresented in academic or practitioner research on sales even though it could have a significant impact on sales role design, education and training ([<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref21">52</reflink>]), especially in light of recent developments ([<reflink idref="bib87" id="ref22">87</reflink>]). The sales literature includes the mapping of sales competencies proposed by [<reflink idref="bib67" id="ref23">67</reflink>], who developed typologies of salespeople starting from sales activities.</p> <p>Competency models are the central element of competence-based education given that they enable students to achieve superior performance ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref24">12</reflink>]). However, their application is not always straightforward or immediately applicable, partly due to the multiplicity of terminologies and coexisting or overlapping approaches even in guideline documents according to the Bologna Process ([<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref25">23</reflink>]). Therefore, in this paper, we refer to the concept of competency proposed by [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref26">15</reflink>], who conceive of competency modeling as an overcoming or enrichment of traditional job analysis. Job analysis relies on the analysis of existing jobs from a bottom-up perspective, starting with information gathered from lower-level employees. Conversely, competency models often begin by defining the competencies required for managerial roles and then extend downward to other levels of the organization. In addition, competence models often include potential future job requirements ([<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref27">74</reflink>]) in an attempt to anticipate future developments and, occasionally, even define the future ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref28">15</reflink>]).</p> <p>In this context, a combination of competencies is defined as a competency model, and competencies refer to sets of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes (KSAOs) required for effective performance in a job (e.g., [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref29">15</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref30">33</reflink>]). Competencies are also related to expected behavior and performance specification ([<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref31">52</reflink>]) related to job development (novice, master, and expert), the level of competency performance (e.g., marginal, good, and excellent), job grade performance (e.g., marginal, good, and excellent), job level (e.g., associate, staff, or senior), or other characteristics depending on level and purpose ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref32">15</reflink>]). All these dimensions, which include behavior, performance indicators, and organizational objectives, are relevant but difficult to target with the higher education competency model for curriculum design. The latter tends to focus more on knowledge, competencies and learning outcomes and behaviors that indicate which competencies have been acquired. This is because accurately predicting the level of professional performance in each role, job level and industry is complex, whereas the classification proposed by [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref33">15</reflink>] is appropriate for vocational or professional training in structured environments.</p> <p>Curriculum development includes a set of activities related to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of higher education curricula ([<reflink idref="bib72" id="ref34">72</reflink>]) to avoid mismatch with the demands of the job market, notably by consulting students and stakeholders ([<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref35">46</reflink>]). Curriculum design serves to set clear learning objectives, design learning activities, assess students' learning, incorporate technology, differentiate to cater to diverse needs, and monitor learning effectiveness ([<reflink idref="bib69" id="ref36">69</reflink>]). Curriculum design involves defining the competencies graduates must possess, informed by literature reviews and student profile characteristics ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref37">12</reflink>]). This process includes input from internal and external stakeholders to identify training needs, employer requirements ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref38">30</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib94" id="ref39">94</reflink>]) and relevant emerging technologies ([<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref40">1</reflink>]). [<reflink idref="bib63" id="ref41">63</reflink>] recommended using expert panels, focus groups or job incumbents to identify necessary competencies. Evaluations based on these competencies can serve as criteria for selection or promotion, making this method cost effective and valid ([<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref42">14</reflink>]). University collaboration with industry in conducting future-oriented competency modeling for designing, implementing, and controlling higher education curricula ([<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref43">50</reflink>]) has improved the fit between university education and business needs ([<reflink idref="bib98" id="ref44">98</reflink>]). In the competence analysis phase, benchmarking is carried out between the required skills and the curriculum content to highlight gaps and fine-tune priorities based on established models ([<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref45">32</reflink>]). This approach underlines that the curriculum should be designed to meet students' interests and work-life needs, clearly articulating competencies, contents, and teaching methods and offering a mix of lectures, real-world projects, case studies, and internships.</p> <p>Pedagogical research on sales offers insight into which activities should be included in sales classes, how sales education benefits students, what skills are or should be taught in sales education ([<reflink idref="bib61" id="ref46">61</reflink>]), and the importance of including active ones in teaching methods ([<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref47">90</reflink>]). This competency-based ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref48">12</reflink>]) and multi-stakeholder approach ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref49">30</reflink>]) may foster graduates' preparation and employment and lead to educational innovations card and more opportunities to co-fund study programs ([<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref50">34</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib57" id="ref51">57</reflink>]); yet, the approach has had limited applications in sales education ([<reflink idref="bib57" id="ref52">57</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib65" id="ref53">65</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib95" id="ref54">95</reflink>]). Finally, continuous improvement is necessary given the transformations of the sales profession. Owing to digital transformation and other emerging trends, curricula must be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure their continued relevance and effectiveness in preparing students for their professional careers.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-4">Sales Education Literature</hd> <p>The literature reviewed, following [<reflink idref="bib73" id="ref55">73</reflink>], ranges from overviews of the history and context of sales education to contributions examining the evolving competencies required in the sales profession. Sales organizations struggle to hire students who are prepared to embark on a sales career ([<reflink idref="bib59" id="ref56">59</reflink>]), even though job opportunities in the field are growing fast, particularly in business-to-business (B2B) sales, and the importance of the profession and the academic attention its teaching receives are rising internationally ([<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref57">90</reflink>]).</p> <p>Historically, sales education has not been a prominent focus of marketing and sales research ([<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref58">22</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref59">43</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib86" id="ref60">86</reflink>]). However, interest in this area has surged over the past few decades ([<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref61">22</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref62">21</reflink>]). The <emph>Journal of Marketing Education</emph> has published several special issues on sales education ([<reflink idref="bib77" id="ref63">77</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib81" id="ref64">81</reflink>]) to orient scientific production toward this domain. These have become more consistent regarding the issues of recruiting; developing the student mindset, self-efficacy, and sales pedagogy; and including sales competitions, sales technology, and the impact of the pandemic. They also address the integration of sales training and education ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref65">18</reflink>]).</p> <p>[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref66">24</reflink>] explored the state of the art and the global diffusion of sales education and reported that at the time of their study, only a few universities at an international level offered personal selling courses focusing on relevant competencies for the profession, such as customer management skills, selling techniques, and negotiation skills. Subsequent studies have highlighted the growing demand for sales candidates with specific training and pointed out that the role of sales is becoming increasingly strategic and value-adding ([<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref67">25</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref68">44</reflink>]). They also noted that sales positions are often career entry points for marketing graduates ([<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref69">22</reflink>]). [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref70">24</reflink>] comprehensive study was followed by research that countered and updated the prevailing view of sales training ([<reflink idref="bib56" id="ref71">56</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref72">90</reflink>]), highlighting the evolution of sales training, the gaps to be filled and the frequent use of innovative teaching methods and collaboration with businesses and territories in the United States.</p> <p>The literature on sales education has often considered the impact of sales education on the knowledge and skills acquired by students, linking it to students' performance ([<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref73">8</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref74">47</reflink>]) with individual dimensions such as customer orientation and adaptive selling ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref75">5</reflink>]). It has also highlighted the importance of sales education in providing hard (analytic) and soft (people) skills to future sales managers through theoretical and practical education ([<reflink idref="bib71" id="ref76">71</reflink>]) and the use of active teaching methods to achieve superior involvement and performance ([<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref77">16</reflink>]).</p> <p>Sales scholars have also studied stereotypes about sales among students ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref78">4</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref79">6</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref80">27</reflink>]) and how to better build and effectively communicate university sales curricula ([<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref81">35</reflink>]) for B2B sales professionals ([<reflink idref="bib53" id="ref82">53</reflink>]). Finally, some studies focus on the use of platforms and technologies, such as SFA and CRM ([<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref83">36</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref84">54</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib60" id="ref85">60</reflink>]), while others outline implications for teaching the digital transformation of sales ([<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref86">3</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref87">39</reflink>]).</p> <p>For many years, academics have investigated the key skills and competencies needed for the sales profession and how they have evolved ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref88">26</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref89">40</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref90">41</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref91">48</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib76" id="ref92">76</reflink>]). [<reflink idref="bib67" id="ref93">67</reflink>] put forward a set of relevant skills and aggregated them into profiles, providing a taxonomy of positions in a sales context that is increasingly attentive to relationships and technology. More recently, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref94">20</reflink>] asserted that essential skills belong to the following groups: functional, relational, managerial and cognitive. According to [<reflink idref="bib76" id="ref95">76</reflink>], definitions of sales skills as the ability to "effectively conduct the personal selling process" are ambiguous because managing the selling process requires multiple skills, such as prospecting, presentation, and closing. As reported by [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref96">48</reflink>], sales skills range from adaptive selling behavior to communication skills, customer-oriented behavior, listening skills, and personal selling capabilities. Among these behavioral, affective, and cognitive communication components, sales acumen is paramount in B2B international solution selling ([<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref97">48</reflink>]). Many of these skills are considered crucial in the B2B sales success framework developed by [<reflink idref="bib70" id="ref98">70</reflink>]. Others have focused instead on the ability to manage relationships from a political and ethical point of view ([<reflink idref="bib85" id="ref99">85</reflink>]), the capacity to manage complex disparate objectives with limited resources through sales ambidexterity ([<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref100">51</reflink>]) and emotional behavior ([<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref101">45</reflink>]) in complex selling, and the role of superior analytical skills in the profession and performance ([<reflink idref="bib76" id="ref102">76</reflink>]).</p> <p>[<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref103">26</reflink>] proposed a new taxonomy of essential competencies for B2B sales, updating the framework elaborated by [<reflink idref="bib67" id="ref104">67</reflink>]. This update reflects the current competitive market and technological context, emphasizing the increasing use of digital technologies in B2B sales. The needs in B2B sales positions have evolved due to the digitization of sales channels ([<reflink idref="bib93" id="ref105">93</reflink>]), the impact of AI and data analytics ([<reflink idref="bib87" id="ref106">87</reflink>]) and the automation of non-strategic tasks. Consequently, the B2B sales profession is shifting toward less routine work and more analytical activities that enhance decision-making, customer value creation and sales performance ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref107">26</reflink>]).</p> <p>Our literature review indicates that the future B2B salesperson must possess the following competencies: disciplined negotiation, for instance, leading customers through negotiations with clear objectives and prepared alternative scenarios ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref108">10</reflink>]); effective communication and the ability to present compelling alternative proposals to deal with objections ([<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref109">48</reflink>]); relational skills using multiple channels, data collection methods, and customer life stages ([<reflink idref="bib58" id="ref110">58</reflink>]); technological and analytical skills, such as data collection and reconciliation to unify the customer's vision ([<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref111">19</reflink>]) also connected with the new AI tools and hybrid sales processes ([<reflink idref="bib88" id="ref112">88</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib93" id="ref113">93</reflink>]); and the advent of sales enablement ([<reflink idref="bib78" id="ref114">78</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib79" id="ref115">79</reflink>]).</p> <p>Alternatively, some scholars have focused on the implications of sales transformation from a technological standpoint ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref116">38</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib62" id="ref117">62</reflink>]). The digital transformation of sales is expected to result in sales professionals demonstrating a greater proclivity for soft skills, such as relationship building and emotional connectivity, than hard skills like selling and prospecting ([<reflink idref="bib87" id="ref118">87</reflink>]). Moreover, the extensive deployment of AI in sales operations will necessitate a shift toward a collaborative model that integrates humans and AI to drive value creation in B2B sales ([<reflink idref="bib75" id="ref119">75</reflink>]).</p> <p>In this context, it is essential to identify the areas of greatest impact of AI in the sales process and enable salespeople and future professionals to train in these areas. This will allow them to carry out data-driven selling tasks ([<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref120">29</reflink>]) and take advantage of AI's potential (see, e.g., [<reflink idref="bib64" id="ref121">64</reflink>]). The full potential of AI in the aforementioned areas—namely, recommending next steps, generating leads, forecasting, and understanding customer needs ([<reflink idref="bib75" id="ref122">75</reflink>]), CRM systems, sales automation, and sales forecasting ([<reflink idref="bib82" id="ref123">82</reflink>])—has yet to be fully realized. Nevertheless, this technological content also emphasizes the crucial role of the salesperson, particularly in complex contexts, where they act as knowledge brokers, facilitating the integration of digital intellectual capital with their own specialized knowledge during the sales process.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-5">Research Gaps in Sales Education and Curriculum Development</hd> <p>This examination of the sales education literature and the changes occurring in sales reveals several gaps in the research. First, growing trends in sales research, such as hybrid and digital sales ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref124">38</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib88" id="ref125">88</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib93" id="ref126">93</reflink>]), servitization in sales enablement ([<reflink idref="bib78" id="ref127">78</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib79" id="ref128">79</reflink>]) or complex sales, in which analytical skills ([<reflink idref="bib76" id="ref129">76</reflink>]), active listening ([<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref130">48</reflink>]), empathy ([<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref131">45</reflink>]), and co-creation of value ([<reflink idref="bib91" id="ref132">91</reflink>]) prevail, are not reflected in the sales education literature. Furthermore, considering the complex selling setting, the digital transition of communication and sales transformation in general have only been included in the study programs in an extremely limited and fragmented way ([<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref133">3</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref134">39</reflink>]).</p> <p>Second, few contributions have addressed the creation of sales education courses ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref135">18</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib77" id="ref136">77</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref137">90</reflink>]) from a multi-stakeholder perspective, and none has done so in the European Union (EU) or an international collaborative setting ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref138">30</reflink>]).</p> <p>Finally, most studies do not adopt a comprehensive approach to competency analysis, instead focusing on a specific competence. In light of this, we aim to provide a comprehensive list and description of the competency set necessary for complex B2B sales in higher education curricula. Moreover, to date, few studies have addressed the question of which competencies are or should be taught in sales education ([<reflink idref="bib61" id="ref139">61</reflink>]), despite the existence of methodological approaches such as competency-based curriculum design. The competency-based approach ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref140">12</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref141">31</reflink>]) and the multi-stakeholder approach ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref142">30</reflink>]) have only been marginally explored in the context of sales education ([<reflink idref="bib57" id="ref143">57</reflink>]). Therefore, the present study seeks to examine the competencies that are central to current sales curricula in order to prepare students for complex B2B selling in a context characterized by continuous, rapid change. The objective is to ascertain which competencies align with the demands of the job market and how they can be integrated into higher education curricula.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-6">Method</hd> <p>This study aims to produce a content definition process for a curriculum relying on a competency-based design that also involves key stakeholders ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref144">12</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref145">30</reflink>]), such as sales educators and industry representatives. The objective is to draw on these educational approaches to propose a roadmap for implementing complex sales education that is calibrated to emerging needs. To this end, we applied the sequential ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref146">30</reflink>]) and multi-stakeholder ([<reflink idref="bib94" id="ref147">94</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib97" id="ref148">97</reflink>]) approaches using both qualitative and quantitative methods and divided the process into three stages. The first stage consisted in investigating the state of the art and emerging needs in terms of topics and methods in the literature. In the second stage (Study 1), an international group of experts (sales researchers and educators) was asked to fill in a questionnaire about their priorities and concerns regarding topics and teaching methods. The goal was for internal stakeholders (sales educators) to evaluate potential topics based on a questionnaire developed by [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref149">24</reflink>] and [<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref150">90</reflink>]. The questionnaire (see Table A1 in the Appendix) elaborates on some of the most influential previous studies on sales education ([<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref151">24</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref152">90</reflink>]). It was distributed via email to sales and marketing scholars by an international research group and through associations such as the Global Sales and Science Institute, the Sales Education Foundation and the Academic Association of Sales Engineering between June and August 2020. Out of approximately 250 emails, 79 responses were received, and 64 responses were retained after incomplete responses and non-EU responses were excluded. The respondents had an average of 12 years of sales experience, and 42% held additional roles such as program head, head of institute, academic director, degree developer, sales center director, or course coordinator (Table A2 in the Appendix).</p> <p>The third stage (Study 2) investigated the needs and expectations of company representatives from various EU countries (Austria, Denmark, Finland and Italy) to understand companies' demands regarding their future employees in sales positions and map needs and trends from an external stakeholder point of view. The logic in this second study reflects the behavioral event interview (BEI); according to [<reflink idref="bib63" id="ref153">63</reflink>], BEI competencies are sufficiently well defined to provide managers with actionable feedback on whether they are meeting various critical competencies required for success, thereby improving their performance in the following year. This method allowed us to undertake a realistic job analysis and single out characteristics of exceptional figures compared to typical ones, which help in predicting future performance within the organization, as evidenced by metrics such as bonuses received and turnover rates.</p> <p>The focus group sessions followed a common guide (Table A3 in the Appendix) to collect information and expectations from the participants based on their knowledge and professional experience. The data collection sessions were carried out by at least two researchers with at least 10 years of experience in marketing and sales research to maintain the focus on the topics covered without sacrificing spontaneity and the emergence of new topics ([<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref154">49</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib55" id="ref155">55</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib66" id="ref156">66</reflink>]). The discussion was conducted in the participants' native language. The interview guide was translated following [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref157">13</reflink>] back-translation method with two translators to ensure that content and meaning were preserved. The objective was to understand the competencies and skills needed for graduates to be hired in sales positions (professional complex B2B selling) and, thus, complement the results that emerged from the educational side. The participants were sales managers, HR managers or consultants, chief executive officers (CEOs), and entrepreneurs from small and medium enterprises working in B2B international complex selling contexts.</p> <p>The data collection for Study 2 was carried out between December 2020 and January 2021 in Austria, Denmark, Finland and Italy. This research phase involved online focus groups of five to 10 company representatives in each of the four countries and interviews with a total of 24 participants (see Table A4 in the Appendix). The focus group sessions, which lasted over 90 min, were recorded, transcribed and accompanied by extensive notes from the researchers. The original transcripts in Austrian, Danish, Finnish, and Italian were translated into English and checked by pairs of expert researchers before the joint data analysis of the English-language versions. This allowed the whole research group to take part in the processing and discussion of the results.</p> <p>Following the BEI approach, the transcripts were used in an exploratory manner to construct a competence model. Specifically, the behaviors of the best-performing sales professionals and managers and the contingencies and needs of the organizations were considered. Competencies are coded based on both their frequency of occurrence during the interview ([<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref158">11</reflink>]) and the level of complexity or scope at which they are exhibited ([<reflink idref="bib89" id="ref159">89</reflink>]).</p> <p>The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns across interviews. Thematic analysis proceeded through the following steps: (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref160">1</reflink>) becoming familiar with the data; (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref161">2</reflink>) generating codes; (<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref162">3</reflink>) generating themes; (<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref163">4</reflink>) reviewing themes; (<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref164">5</reflink>) defining and naming themes; and (<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref165">6</reflink>) locating examples ([<reflink idref="bib92" id="ref166">92</reflink>]). Thematic analysis was useful for drawing meaningful conclusions by systematically identifying common themes in the data.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-7">Findings</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0189024055-8">Study 1: Survey of Sales Educators</hd> <p>The survey of sales educators provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with curriculum development for HEIs. Many different forms of sales education are offered. Sales education is primarily offered in combination with other programs (30%), as a minor (21%) or as a major (19%). Furthermore, 14% of the surveyed European universities, especially in Austria and Germany, offer degree programs that combine sales education with technically oriented curricula, such as engineering, as the focus. Specializations (9%) and pure sales certification programs (7%) represent the minority in the survey. In addition, 57% of the educators highlighted that additional sales programs, curricula or courses are considered for implementation in their institutions, mainly due to demand from the industry (65%) and from students (22%). A specific feature of sales education is the focus on B2B in an international context, with more than 85% of teaching institutions offering courses in this area.</p> <p>The survey revealed mismatches between what educators identify as necessary to adequately prepare students for the demands of professional complex B2B selling in a changing world and what is currently offered by HEIs. The educators emphasized four currently disregarded or undervalued areas in sales education that should be integrated more significantly into sales courses in the coming years: technology, analytical skills and acumen, communication and negotiation, and team selling skills. Technology concerns topics such as emerging sales technology, social media, mobile devices and communication technologies, and technology for sales presentations. The second area pertains to sharpening analytical skills and acumen. This includes sales analytics, understanding the sales process and business acumen. The third area focuses on negotiation and negotiation; although the majority of educators confirmed that their institution offers a negotiation course, they stressed that more should be done. According to them, negotiation skills should be strengthened through ongoing practice in various courses rather than concentrating on a single course. Team selling, meanwhile, appears to mean more than using group or team activities as a teaching method, which was applied by a large share of the interviewees. The educators proposed specific topics in two of these areas, such as "Industry 4.0, AI, Big Data," "Digital KAM," "Linking sales lectures to technical understanding" (for technology), "Virtual negotiations," and "Team selling tactics" (for negotiation and team selling). The educators emphasized the growing importance of analytical skills and business acumen. However, they made no suggestions for how sales education can address this need.</p> <p>Looking at sales teaching methods, sales courses predominantly apply traditional approaches, such as lectures, class discussions, in-class exercises, and student presentations. Guest speakers and cases are the most frequently used methods that present real industry situations. Newer methods, such as sales competitions, pitching, shadowing, field assignments, and field trips, are less commonly used (Figures 1–3).</p> <p>Graph: Figure 1. Survey Results: Teaching Methods Adopted Within Sales Courses. Source : Own elaborations.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 2. Survey Results: Sales Topics Taught in Current Sales Courses. Source : Own elaborations.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 3. Survey Results: Issues Absent or Undervalued in the Coming Years (1 = Not at All Preferred; 7 = Strongly Preferred). Source: Own elaborations.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-9">Study 2: Focus Group</hd> <p>The results of the focus groups are presented according to the six overarching themes identified in the data across the four countries. They indicate the kinds of competencies our informants (including sales managers and CEOs) deemed essential for B2B sales professionals in the future. The themes that emerged are emotional intelligence, negotiation in complexity, team player competencies, sales analytics and technology, business acumen, and creating and transferring value to the customer. This almost aligns with the results of the survey with sales educators, who also emphasized these competencies.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-10">Emotional Intelligence</hd> <p>Emotional intelligence, a cluster of competencies encompassing various types of competencies (KSAOs), was prominently featured in the focus groups. Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and manage one's emotions and those of others to build strong relationships with customers. For example, one participant from Finland stated that "You need to be prepared and understand what emotional intelligence means: like recognising the needs and identifying—I mean—read your customers' and your own feelings." This is an example of both knowledge ("understanding what emotional intelligence means") and the ability to act with emotional intelligence ("recognising needs," "reading your customers," and "your own feelings").</p> <p>The participants agreed that emotional intelligence is one of the important skills for sales professionals, as evidenced by the example below:</p> <p>From my point of view, a salesperson is a moderator, a project manager who has a good understanding of when to involve whom well. Especially because of the fast pace of life, there is a danger of only talking about CRM. Intelligence has to be brought in. (Austria)</p> <p>This example refers to skills such as being able to "moderate and manage relationships" and knowing "when to involve whom" as well as knowledge by having a "good understanding" and "intelligence."</p> <p>Another participant's response exemplified the emotional competency cluster:</p> <p>To start, the seller must have selling and communication skills, know the product and, I believe, also be enthusiastic about it. In the end, the success of a seller occurs when he is competent, passionate about what he sells, proactive, a problem solver and well equipped and supported by the company in terms of training, initiatives and enablement. All these elements contribute to the success of sellers, and of the business, in a synergistic manner. (Italy)</p> <p>This quote indicates a need for skills such as "selling and communication skills" and being a "problem solver" as well as knowledge ("knowing the product"). More personal characteristics are also mentioned, such as being "enthusiastic" and "passionate," as well as the ability to be "competent."</p> <p>These examples highlight the need for emotional intelligence as a set of competencies that includes knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics in different ways. These competencies are necessary for connecting with customers and regulating one's emotions. Emotional intelligence also serves to guide technology and mediate interactions. In the future, emotional intelligence will be an important skill for salespersons.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-11">Negotiation in Complexity</hd> <p>The second cluster that emerged from the study is negotiation competencies. Negotiation is part of the sales profession, as underlined by the participants. However, the participants also indicated that these competencies are becoming increasingly necessary as the sales environment changes:</p> <p>Internationalisation and digitalisation have allowed increasing competition even in highly technical and specialistic sectors. This is not easy as the offering has such a great level of specificity that the negotiation has changed. Some have taken the opportunity to evolve and improve with a strong market orientation, while others have remained the same, and some of them have closed. (Italy)</p> <p>This participant called for knowledge, pointing out the need to understand how new trends in the market such as internationalization and digitalization impact sales to adapt negotiations accordingly. There is also a need for skills to evolve or adapt to changes.</p> <p>Changes in the business environment have increased the focus on negotiation skills, and technological advances have caused customers to demand more from salespeople, including better negotiation skills:</p> <p>Customers require competence, anticipating problems and avoiding technical issues before they happen. Today, it has become more difficult as the competition has increased and time to market has shortened significantly; therefore, the negotiation, machinery design and realisation are very strict. It has become more formal, and the relationship is particularly defined in contracts and commission documents, which tend to be strict. (Italy)</p> <p>The quote highlights the need to understand the customer's expectations, their industry's standards and the contractual and legal issues that may be relevant to them. This is crucial in the negotiation process in complex selling.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-12">Team Player Competencies</hd> <p>To successfully create value with customers, sales managers and executives highlighted the need for team player skills. Team playing competencies may be on an organizational level, with, for instance, the emergence of customer success teams, as one participant explains:</p> <p>New for us [...]: the customer success theme [...] Support and care are extremely important to customers. People want to receive faster feedback and better support. A new department, the Customer Success Team, has just been started. (Austria)</p> <p>The participant indicated that this was a new development for the company; however, other participants also relied on teams for sales. This underscores the need for knowledge in the form of understanding customer support and the ability to care for customers as well as the ability to implement customer support systems, such as a customer support team. In one example, a participant detailed how a team is put together as part of the preparation for a customer meeting:</p> <p>It is significant to prepare for the meetings by discussing with the client in advance and, for example, finding out who is participating from the client's side to be able to know what kind of team you should have with you. From time to time, this work reminds me of the role of conductor. (Finland)</p> <p>This was supported by another participant, who underlined that a team should consist of people with different knowledge sets to enhance success:</p> <p>It can be a great advantage to have both representatives at the meeting, the technical one and the one with sales skills, the technical ones give security with the knowledge they have, and the one with sales skills pushes the conversation forward so that it is not purely about the technical stuff. (Denmark)</p> <p>This quote indicates that it is crucial for different types of knowledge to be available in meetings, including "technical expertise and product knowledge" and the ability to communicate effectively and to lead and manage a strategic conversation with customers. In summary, the ability to work together in teams was identified as an essential competency to leverage the different strengths and resources available in the team in the pursuit of better results.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-13">Sales Analytics and Technology</hd> <p>Technology and digitalization have created a demand for new competencies for the salespeople of tomorrow. These capabilities include the effective use of CRM systems and social media: "The topic of CRM, even for the older generation, often well-skilled, [now] acceptance is there. But this competence had to be built up; shyness had to be overcome. Social media competence—Facebook, LinkedIn—was not a matter, of course" (Austria). The participant underscored skills such as social media competencies and personal characteristics such as shyness that must be overcome.</p> <p>The participant's mention of "shyness" regarding the use of social media as a sales tool is interesting. This shyness may result from the fact that social media are often personal accounts, and their use for professional agendas transgresses the work/life barrier. This emphasizes the need for competencies not only for using social media but also for understanding how to overcome this barrier. Other technological skills include the ability to use business intelligence tools and understand and use data more efficiently in the sales process. As one participant explained,</p> <p>One position is new: the [sales] data analyst, who supports sales with evaluations, BI [business intelligence] programmes, in particular. Since then, things have been happening in evaluation, things we hadn't thought of before. The office staff are also taking on a more active role. (Austria)</p> <p>Overall, salespeople should be able to use different types of technology and AI tools as the number of these technologies increases constantly. Developing sales support roles that can facilitate the use of technology may even be a relevant solution, according to one participant:</p> <p>A "sales excellence" role, an internal person who deals with the sales process. A second role in the factories: "technical sales support," a technician [...] who has a kind of inside sales role, but more in the direction of making offers and working out concepts. (Austria)</p> <p>Technical sales analytical skills and understanding were mentioned in all focus groups as extremely crucial to success. The following example points to the necessity of these skills:</p> <p>Technical understanding is not so important, but how can I involve experts in the process? From my point of view, a salesperson is a moderator, a project manager who has a good understanding of when to involve whom well. Especially because of the fast pace of life, there is a danger of only talking about CRM. Human intelligence has to be brought in. (Austria)</p> <p>Given the growing importance of sales analytics, technologies, and AI, technical competencies will likely remain highly relevant in the complex selling environment of the future.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-14">Business Acumen</hd> <p>Panelists across borders strongly valued the ability to understand customer business and strategy and the capacity to deliver insights and add value to customers through business acumen. One participant mentioned, '<emph>Solution expertise, higher specialisation, and the ability to add value. Among others, process expertise</emph> [the salesperson's and the customers']. <emph>Understanding what business the customers are in was described as an emerging need, especially with respect to quickly grasping the customers' perspective in sales</emph>' (Austria).</p> <p>The need for salespeople with competencies in this area was confirmed by another participant from Finland:</p> <p>The professionalism of the buying organisations is increasing rapidly. It has a direct impact on the level of salesman knowledge. The operational purchase will be automated, and the strategic purchase and the deeper partnership between the seller and buyer are increasing.</p> <p>To be a partner to customers, the salesperson must be able to deliver qualified inputs beyond product and price information. Thus, the ability to understand the business and B2B environments is a crucial competency.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-15">Create and Transfer Value to the Customer</hd> <p>The theme of value creation was evident in the focus groups. In particular, the participants emphasized that the complexity and changes in the selling environment have made this a top priority:</p> <p>Solution expertise, and certainly higher expertise than 10 years ago. Customer acquisition, trust gained, contact person [...] Nowadays, customers demand higher specialisation. The IT expert wants to talk to someone who adds value. He doesn't have to understand everything like a software developer, but he, too, is a customer. Sales funnel, solution competence and process expertise [are the keywords]. (Austria)</p> <p>Relatedly, a participant from Denmark explained,</p> <p>You need to know the customer's needs before you start selling. You have some professionals who know all the technical things but do not know the customer's needs. We have specialists who have been given a sales role, but they are not well trained in making sales that create value.</p> <p>These quotes show that salespersons should be able to identify needs and understand the customers' requirements while simultaneously grasping the specificities of customers' businesses and how to help create value for them:</p> <p>The ability to speak to the customer's value creation as well as the ability to be able to talk to someone at a higher-level position as a customer. In value selling, it is very important that you can get hold of the CEO because they are the ones who can stay in a dialogue that is not only about price but also about value for the company. (Denmark)</p> <p>Table 1 presents competence clusters for complex selling, grouped into three main competencies that are highly valued: strategic value creation, advanced business negotiation and advanced interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies.</p> <p>Table 1. Comprehensive List of Competencies for Complex Selling.</p> <p>Graph</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><colgroup><col align="left" /><col align="char" char="." /><col align="char" char="." /></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="center">Set of competencies</th><th align="center">Description</th><th align="center">Supporting quotes from the data</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td /><td><bold>Create and transfer value to the customer</bold>Ability to understand and communicate how products/services generate value for customers.</td><td>"The salesperson has to show value creation and substantiate it with data." (Denmark)"Understanding customer needs is key to creating value in sales." (Italy)"Solution competence and process expertise are crucial for value creation." (Austria)</td></tr><tr><td><bold>Strategic value creation</bold></td><td><bold>Business acumen</bold>Deep understanding of industry trends and customer business needs, which helps in strategic sales decisions.</td><td>"Salespeople must know their own company [...] know the business competencies that can be drawn on." (Denmark)"You need to understand the customer's business to add value." (Austria)"A wider view of the whole product is required from salespeople." (Finland)</td></tr><tr><td /><td><bold>Sales analytics and technology</bold>Competence in using CRM systems, data and AI tools to improve customer interactions.</td><td>"Sales data analyst: supporting sales with evaluation data." (Austria)"You must master digital communication tools to build relationships." (Denmark)"Mastering CRM and understanding IoT [the Internet of things] is essential for the future." (Finland)</td></tr><tr><td><bold>Advanced business negotiation</bold></td><td><bold>Negotiation in complexity</bold>Navigating complex sales interactions to reach agreements that are favorable to all parties involved.</td><td>"Internationalisation and digitalisation have allowed major competition; the negotiation has changed." (Italy)"Negotiating impossible customer wants." (Denmark)"Negotiation and realisation have become stricter, formal and defined by contracts." (Austria) </td></tr><tr><td><bold>Advanced interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies</bold></td><td><bold>Emotional intelligence</bold>Ability to recognize and manage one's and others' emotions and build strong relations.</td><td>"Emotional intelligence means recognising the needs [...] and reading your customers' and your own feelings." (Finland) "A salesperson is a moderator who has a good understanding of when to involve whom." (Austria)"The human relationship is and will be essential, we must figure out how to do that online." (Italy)</td></tr><tr><td /><td><bold>Team player competencies</bold>Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and mobilize diverse skill sets to achieve shared goals.</td><td>"You need to know what kind of team you should have with you." (Finland)"Team selling helps draw on internal experts for complex meetings." (Austria)"A good mix of people who know the industry, product and customers." (Denmark)</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>1 <emph>Source</emph>: Authors' elaboration.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-16">Curriculum Content Design</hd> <p>The first two studies concluded that some elements of complex B2B sales education are missing from the current offering, according to both sales educators and industry professionals. In light of this, we developed a curriculum content design. The literature review and empirical study allowed us to identify and systematize the thematic areas of greater importance for the development of sales curricula at HEIs, aside from those traditionally included (e.g., personal selling, sales management, KAM).</p> <p>Through progressive thematization, the elimination of redundancies and benchmarking of the sales competencies highlighted in the literature, scholars' survey responses, and industry representatives' focus group interviews, we elaborated a summary of the contents of a curriculum content design in sales following the competency-based and multi-stakeholder approaches (Table 2). We linked the topics and abilities raised to competency sets in an iterative approach and fine-tuned them based on the literature discussing the latest approaches to the transformation of sales ([<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref167">20</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib62" id="ref168">62</reflink>]), the advent of the digital transformation and virtual interaction methods ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref169">38</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib87" id="ref170">87</reflink>]), and AI in the B2B sales process ([<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref171">29</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib64" id="ref172">64</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib75" id="ref173">75</reflink>]).</p> <p>Table 2. Summary of Curriculum Content Design, Competence Set, and Learning Outcomes for Complex B2B Sales.</p> <p>Graph</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><colgroup><col align="left" /><col align="char" char="." /></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="center">Topics</th><th align="center">Learning outcomes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1. Introduction to complex B2B selling: • Sales strategy, planning for one's sales team's sales strategy and sales activities. • Defining the sales context and familiarizing oneself with various actors involved in sales activities in international sales environments. • Marketing and sales activity integration and communication planning through various channels.</td><td> • Understanding various sales models depending on the selected business model and sales strategy. • Gaining knowledge of how the sales environment and selected sales strategy affect the different kinds of sales activities needed. • Being able to develop competencies in integrating marketing and sales activities. • Understanding how important it is to demonstrate professionalism in culturally different sales environments. • Learning to use various channels and digital tools in sales communications for customer value creation.</td></tr><tr><td>2. Sales orientations in complex B2B sales and negotiation styles: • Sales orientations and their selections according to the sales strategy and industry (consultative selling, solution selling, value-based selling, team-based selling). • Negotiation and meetings with demanding B2B customers during buying processes (face-to-face, online, social media).</td><td> • Understanding and gaining practical knowledge of different sales orientations and developing a value-based orientation. • Being able to acquire knowledge in different sales contexts and with various actors involved on the sales and customer sides (various decision-makers) using emotional intelligence and business acumen. • Understanding different negotiation styles and strategies, how to demonstrate effective interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and how to develop collaborative approaches to demanding negotiations in person and in online sales environments. • Being able to cooperate and adapt in team-based sales environments.</td></tr><tr><td>3. Sales transformation, digital technologies, and analytics in complex B2B sales: • Sales process and sales transformation. • Sales analytics, CRM, and BI. • AI tools and related competencies, AI-based decision support systems and CRM automation.</td><td> • Understanding the impact of sales technology in complex B2B sales processes and learning how digitalization transforms complex selling on a practical level. • Being able to develop analytical skills. • Navigating complex sales negotiation utilizing digital channels and understanding effective ways to communicate with customers in line with the selected sales strategy. • Being able to integrate human intelligence and AI. • Using AI-driven methods to increase the efficiency of the sales process.</td></tr><tr><td>4. Hybrid sales models for generating new business in complex B2B sales: • Digital channels and social media in the B2B sales process. • Sales technologies for supporting salesperson performance. • New business generation in complex B2B sales and online relationship management.</td><td> • Understanding the wide range of digital channels and social media platforms that can be used to support customers during their buying journey. • Developing the ability to maximize the use of digital technologies, AI and digital platforms to enhance performance and meet sales objectives. • Selecting and applying technologies and AI to generate new sales opportunities. • Learning how to develop and plan relationships with strategic customers in a digital environment.</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>2 <emph>Source</emph>: Authors' elaboration.</p> <p>Study 1 identified key competencies required for complex B2B sales from the perspective of sales educators. These include advanced negotiation skills, business acumen, and the integration of digital tools. These competencies formed the basis for the focus group discussions and interviews in Study 2, where industry representatives validated and expanded on these themes by describing real-world applications and examples. For instance, the need for negotiation skills was highlighted in Study 1 and further contextualized in Study 2 with industry feedback on how negotiation dynamics have evolved in response to digitalization and global competition. These findings are synthesized in Table 2, which integrates the theoretical framework of Study 1 with the practical insights gained from Study 2, thus offering a comprehensive competence set that addresses both academic and industry needs.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-17">Discussion and Conclusion</hd> <p>The present research aimed to understand the current state of sales education and B2B companies' expectations of their future sales professionals in complex selling. In addition, it sought to determine which competencies in current sales curricula and design content are essential in preparing students for complex professional selling positions in a changing world and which competencies and skills are needed for sales education to meet job market demands. To this end, we conducted a literature review and two empirical studies: a survey of sales educators and focus groups and interviews with industry representatives in four countries (Austria, Denmark, Finland, and Italy). Our data collection sets comprehensively illuminate the complex landscape of B2B sales competencies, an area that has been minimally researched ([<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref174">24</reflink>]). Furthermore, only a few contributions have addressed the creation of sales education courses ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref175">18</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib77" id="ref176">77</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref177">90</reflink>]) from a competency-based and multi-stakeholder perspective. This is notable given that sales education has been shown to yield superior long-term results in sales and sales management roles ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref178">9</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib96" id="ref179">96</reflink>]), fostering employability and development ([<reflink idref="bib68" id="ref180">68</reflink>]).</p> <p>Our literature review indicated that only a few international universities offer courses on personal selling, focusing on customer management skills, selling techniques, and negotiation skills ([<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref181">24</reflink>]). Given the limited scholarship on the creation of sales education courses from a multi-stakeholder perspective ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref182">18</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib77" id="ref183">77</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref184">90</reflink>]), our study makes a significant contribution by outlining competence set requirements from the perspectives of educators and industry representatives.</p> <p>Our survey revealed that teaching should emphasize more strongly on negotiation and team selling skills. Although 77% of participating educators confirmed that their institution offers a negotiation course, the demand for more comprehensive training was apparent in their responses. Negotiation skills should be strengthened through ongoing practice in various courses rather than the focus of a single course. In addition, our research underscores that negotiation competency has gained importance due to the proliferation of various technologies. Team selling involves more than using team-based activities as a teaching method. We argue that the ability to interact with team members through different digital channels and utilize hybrid selling strategies, even in complex B2B sales situations, has made this even more crucial. In short, our findings expand the current literature by illustrating what EU educators' emphasis on the growing importance of analytical skills and business acumen means. In addition, our results highlight the necessity of sharpening analytical skills and business acumen, in line with previous studies on the impact of digital technologies and hybrid sales models ([<reflink idref="bib93" id="ref185">93</reflink>]) as well as sales strategy, structure, and customer relations ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref186">38</reflink>]).</p> <p>We also delved into the perceptions of B2B sales managers and executives, identifying essential skills for future B2B sales professionals in complex selling. These include strategic value creation, advanced business negotiation, and advanced interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies. To be able to generate value, sellers must develop strong business acumen and understand business dynamics and the strategic needs of customers ([<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref187">20</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib76" id="ref188">76</reflink>]). In addition, they must leverage advanced analytical skills and use digital technologies and AI tools to evaluate customer data, improve decision-making effectiveness, and optimize their interactions with customers ([<reflink idref="bib64" id="ref189">64</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib75" id="ref190">75</reflink>]).</p> <p>The changing context and the effects of technologies and AI on the sales process have made it essential not only to prepare students but also to educate them to use AI to increase productivity in sales ([<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref191">29</reflink>]). Sales students should also be taught data literacy skills and interpretation of AI-generated information. This will allow them to automate routine sales tasks and maximize their analytical and decision-making potential while adapting to the complexities of sales processes and B2B customers ([<reflink idref="bib75" id="ref192">75</reflink>]). Therefore, combining the learning of human skills with elements of critical, analytical, and ethical thinking toward AI, its potential and its limits will be essential. Only by integrating these technical and strategic capabilities will sellers be able to meet the needs of today's complex and competitive markets ([<reflink idref="bib93" id="ref193">93</reflink>]).</p> <p>Furthermore, our study suggests that advanced negotiation competence, as "a traditional competence," plays a pivotal role in sales insofar as it remains critical and continues to evolve in a complex and digital environment. Complex selling requires a multi-actor approach in negotiation to work with buyer centers and enhance digital and physical collaboration ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref194">17</reflink>]). Navigating complex sales interactions and communicating to reach agreements that are favorable to all parties is fundamental in modern sales. Our findings extend the current understanding of sales managerial competencies, emphasizing the role of human intelligence (interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies) in guiding technology and mediating interactions. This highlights the necessity of integrating technology, sales processes, and human skills into sales education. Our study expands this understanding by showing that business acumen and emotional intelligence have emerged as pivotal soft sales skills in B2B complex selling, which has elevated their importance in the current sales skills landscape. As we underscored, human intelligence plays a crucial role in moderating and leading the sales process. Human emotional intelligence is required to guide technology and facilitate interactions. Thus, to address the complexity of business environments, it is necessary to move beyond traditional one-salesperson approaches and embrace team player competencies, namely, the ability to collaborate (in person and online) with cross-functional teams and draw on diverse skill sets to achieve shared goals ([<reflink idref="bib76" id="ref195">76</reflink>]).</p> <p>Our study contributes to the current research by underlining that sales academics should integrate the set of competencies for complex selling into their sales curricula. To this end, we developed a proposal of four topics: introduction to complex B2B selling; sales orientations in complex B2B sales and negotiation styles; sales transformation, digital technologies, and analytics in complex B2B sales; and hybrid sales models for generating new business in complex B2B sales. Our findings demonstrate the importance of teaching how to build sales teams for value creation (e.g., [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref196">37</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib83" id="ref197">83</reflink>]). This calls for innovative teaching and learning methods in sales education as well as the adoption of updated sales curricula. Furthermore, the foundations of our study contribute to the broader discourse on sales education and practice ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref198">18</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref199">24</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref200">35</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib77" id="ref201">77</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref202">90</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-18">Implications and Limitations</hd> <p>Our research has implications for universities and policymakers at the international level. For HEIs looking to implement sales courses in their university programs, we highlighted the importance of teaching sales at the economic and social levels and underscored how rapid changes in this area are driven by AI and institutional changes. Therefore, we recommend that universities with economics or business programs (but also technical ones) introduce or expand sales education by acquiring companies' stimuli. In particular, our research proposes a competency-based and multi-stakeholder perspective that could be used and replicated in different contexts or industries. This approach will also help HEIs keep their curricula updated, which constitutes a success factor in an ever-changing market labor.</p> <p>We also outlined a comprehensive set of competencies required for salespeople involved in the B2B complex selling process. This framework should form the basis for designing training programs. In addition, we presented a comprehensive curriculum of topics, outcomes, and competencies that can be adopted by universities interested in sales education. This is a practical outcome for "newcomer" universities but can also serve as a benchmark for universities that already have well-established programs.</p> <p>Given our sample, our research has implications for EU policymakers. The diverse landscape of sales education in EU countries indicates that greater harmonization and cooperation are needed and illuminates the heterogeneity of national systems and offerings (major and minor courses in sales) as well as the scarcity or vagueness of specific guidelines in the EU framework. From this perspective, academic research must contribute to raising awareness among sales researchers and educators and involve national and international institutions in the debate. The emphasis on soft skills, which include emotional intelligence and teamwork, suggests a shift toward a more holistic approach to sales professionalism. Initiatives at the EU level could focus on fostering these skills, promoting technological literacy, and ensuring that sales education keeps pace with advances in sales technologies. This is possible if HEIs understand the importance of monitoring feedback and indicators regularly and frequently reviewing and adapting curricula content and methods to improve students' employability and effectiveness ([<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref203">2</reflink>]). In this way, academic–industry cooperation—including in the ex-post monitoring phase of content and curriculum development—would ensure that graduates acquire competencies that make them highly qualified and adapted to the current labor market (Gawel et al., 2024) without needing further (on-the-job) training. These competencies should therefore cover the most relevant topics and the latest technologies, such as the use of AI in sales procedures and activities ([<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref204">29</reflink>]).</p> <p>This study has limitations related to the representativeness of the data obtained from the empirical studies. Study 1 was quantitative and involved a relatively large sample, whereas Study 2, which was also quantitative, covered only convenient participants from four countries. Accordingly, an area to explore further in future research would be potential differences between (intra- and extra-EU) university systems, particularly the reasons (e.g., culture) behind differences between EU sales education systems and the more developed Anglo-Saxon ones. Furthermore, additional research on European HEIs could provide insights and opportunities for further research in terms of cultural, institutional and situational challenges.</p> <p>Given the study's limited time frame for data collection (2021) and the speed of technological progress, we could not consider the impact of AI on curriculum design and competencies. Future studies could follow our approach to update the new curriculum and the list of competencies. To ensure the continued relevance of the proposed curriculum, we recommend implementing mechanisms to monitor technological advancements and emerging sales trends. Such mechanisms could include biannual curriculum reviews informed by industry advisory boards and data analytics tools that track shifts in job market requirements. These practices align with our findings highlighting the dynamic nature of sales competencies and the need for curricula that adapt to changes in the sales landscape. For instance, monitoring and integrating the use of emerging technologies into HEI curricula can be a catalyst for learning experiences, fostering innovation, and preparing individuals for the digital age. In particular, integrating the use of AI into education raises ethical concerns and requires curriculum redesign, strategies for continuous learning and alignment with industry standards ([<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref205">2</reflink>]). AI-enhanced curriculum development could be leveraged to increase student engagement in the learning process, enhance the quality of teaching and learning materials, foster students' critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, and integrate platforms that use adaptive UX thanks to AI ([<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref206">1</reflink>]). The trends of digitalization and sustainability applied to education underline the role of data-driven decision-making, the use of advanced technologies, and the development of creative solutions. Meanwhile, educators must be able to understand and integrate such technologies into curricula to prevent a focus on the hard skills of technology use rather than on its application accompanied by the correct ethical preparation and critical thinking. This will help mitigate the homogenization of ideas and judgments and excessive confidence in the tools.</p> <hd id="AN0189024055-19">Appendix</hd> <p>Table A1. Survey Items.</p> <p>Graph</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><colgroup><col align="left" /></colgroup><tbody><tr><td><p> 1. Name of the university/institution<break /> 2. Type of university/institution<break /> 3. Country<break /> 4. Current role/position (as researcher/professor)<break /> 5. Do you have some additional roles or responsibilities (e.g. course coordinator, dean, etc.) related to sales education?<break /> 6. List the teachings/courses held.<break /> 7. Years of experience in sales education.<break /> 8. Experience as a practitioner: yes/no.<break /> 9. If you have some experience as a sales practitioner, please specify the number of years, role and industry.<break />10. Please select the types of sales programs currently available in your university/institution.<break />11. Level of the sales programs currently available in your university/institution.<break />12. Is your university/institution considering implementing further sales programs/curricula/courses?<break />13. Reasons for consideration?<break />14. Please select the types of courses/subjects in the field of sales currently available in your university/institution.<break />15. Please specify the types of learning in the sales course categories listed below.<break />16. Please specify the teaching methods adopted in the sales course categories listed below.<break />17. Please specify the skills taught in the sales course categories listed below.<break />18. Given your role and experience in sales education, what do you think are the issues that are currently absent or undervalued and that should be more present in sales courses in the coming years?<break />19. Please evaluate the relevance of the following topics to be added to sales courses.<break />20. Please provide suggestions regarding new topics you would like to see added to sales programs and courses.<break />21. Please identify helpful 'free' materials from the sales industry to use in sales courses.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>3 <emph>Source</emph>: Authors' elaborations based on [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref207">24</reflink>] and [<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref208">90</reflink>].</p> <p>Table A2 Descriptive Data for the Survey Sample.</p> <p>Graph</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><colgroup><col align="left" /><col align="char" char="." /><col align="char" char="." /></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="center">Country</th><th align="center"><italic>n</italic></th><th align="center">%</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p>Austria</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>16%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Belgium</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Czech Republic</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Denmark</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Finland</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>31%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>France</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Germany</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Greece</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Ireland</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Italy</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Netherlands</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Poland</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slovenia</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sweden</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>64</p></td><td><p>100%</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p>Type of HEI</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Public</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>17%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Private</p></td><td><p>51</p></td><td><p>80%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>64</p></td><td><p>100%</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p>Current role/position</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Professor</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>27%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Instructor/lecturer</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>22%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Associate professor</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>17%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Principal lecturer</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Assistant professor</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>13%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Adjunct professor</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>University researcher</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Academic coordinator</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>TOTAL</p></td><td><p>64</p></td><td><p>100%</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p>Of these, the following are also</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Program director</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>46%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Course coordinator</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>46%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sales center director</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Head of business school</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>28</p></td><td><p>100%</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p>Years of experience in sales education</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Average</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td /></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p>Experience as practitioner</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Yes</p></td><td><p>49</p></td><td><p>77%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>No</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>23%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>64</p></td><td><p>100%</p></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>4 <emph>Source</emph>: Authors' elaborations.</p> <p>Table A3. Focus Group Guide.</p> <p>Graph</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><colgroup><col align="left" /></colgroup><tbody><tr><td><p>Part 1: Icebreaking and discussion about competencies needed in complex B2B sales, skills considered important and main sales technologies essential to conduct B2B sales.<break />Part 2: Discussion about new or emerging requirements of international customers vis-à-vis suppliers' salespeople.<break />Part 3: Discussion about new jobs or roles emerging or gaining importance in the last years in the field of complex B2B sales.<break />Part 4: Suggestions regarding new topics the participant would like to see added to sales courses.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>5 <emph>Source</emph>: Authors' elaborations.</p> <p>Table A4. Focus Group Sample Characteristics.</p> <p>Graph</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><colgroup><col align="left" /><col align="char" char="." /><col align="char" char="." /><col align="char" char="." /><col align="char" char="." /></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="center">Country</th><th align="center">Italy</th><th align="center">Austria</th><th align="center">Denmark</th><th align="center">Finland</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p>Age</p></td><td colspan="4"><p>Range = 39–63 years; average = 49 years</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gender</p></td><td><p>5 male; 1 female</p></td><td><p>4 male</p></td><td><p>6 male; 1 female</p></td><td><p>7 male</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Roles</p></td><td><p>− 3 CEOs<break />− Export manager<break />− Chief growth officer<break />− Innovation manager</p></td><td><p>− Managing directors<break />− Head of business development<break />− Head of international sales<break />− Chief of sales operations, co-owner</p></td><td><p>− Sales manager<break />− Consultant and board member<break />− Chief commercial officer<break />− Head of B2B<break />− Sales and marketing manager<break />− Independent consultant<break />− Sales manager</p></td><td><p>− Vice-president of sales and marketing<break />− 2 sales directors<break />− 2 sales managers<break />− Innovation director<break />− Export director</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Number of informants</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Duration</p></td><td><p>125 min</p></td><td><p>92 min</p></td><td><p>103 min</p></td><td><p>Single interviews:<break />35–60 min each</p></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>6 <emph>Source</emph>: Authors' elaborations.</p> <ref id="AN0189024055-20"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref40" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Abbasi B. 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Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 8(1), 73–95.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <ref id="AN0189024055-21"> <title> Footnotes </title> <blist> <bibtext> The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Data collection was financially supported by Erasmus Plus project Splash (Sales PLAtform Studies for Higher Education) no. 2020-1-I T02-K A203-079882.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Silvio Cardinali</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext>Graph</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1283-9631 Marta Giovannetti</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext>Graph</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9658-1705 Pia Hautamäki</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext>Graph https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0100-6386</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Silvio Cardinali; Marta Giovannetti; Pia Hautamäki and Karina Burgdorff Jensen</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author; Author; Author</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib62" firstref="ref1"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib93" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib48" firstref="ref3"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib64" firstref="ref5"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref6"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref7"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib96" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib42" firstref="ref10"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib80" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref12"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib57" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink 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Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: A Competency-Based Curriculum Content Design for Complex B2B Sales in Higher Education Institutions
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Silvio+Cardinali%22">Silvio Cardinali</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1283-9631">0000-0003-1283-9631</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Marta+Giovannetti%22">Marta Giovannetti</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9658-1705">0000-0002-9658-1705</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pia+Hautamäki%22">Pia Hautamäki</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0100-6386">0000-0003-0100-6386</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Karina+Burgdorff+Jensen%22">Karina Burgdorff Jensen</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Marketing+Education%22"><i>Journal of Marketing Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 47(3):287-305.
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  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 19
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research<br />Tests/Questionnaires
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Competency+Based+Education%22">Competency Based Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum+Design%22">Curriculum Design</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sales+Occupations%22">Sales Occupations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Business+Education%22">Business Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Salesmanship%22">Salesmanship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum+Development%22">Curriculum Development</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1177/02734753251322946
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0273-4753<br />1552-6550
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Sales education has evolved significantly due to trends such as sales transformation, hybrid sales, and the growing relevance of sales in complex digital markets. However, there is a lack of comprehensive educational research that can propose curriculum designs based on the most relevant competencies for the industry and help respond to recent challenges in competitive and technological terms. This study adopts a competence-based and multi-stakeholder perspective to investigate emerging competencies in complex selling and implement a curriculum design model for sales. It examines the literature and gathers insights from both sales scholars and business stakeholders to put forward a comprehensive set of competencies and a curriculum content proposal for universities. The results reveal that sales professionals should have strategic value creation, advanced business negotiation, and advanced interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies. The findings of our study and the proposed curriculum content provide a basis for future research on sales education and applications in universities.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
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  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
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  Label: Accession Number
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  Data: EJ1488967
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1488967
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1177/02734753251322946
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 287
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Competency Based Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Curriculum Design
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sales Occupations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Business Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Higher Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Salesmanship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Curriculum Development
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: A Competency-Based Curriculum Content Design for Complex B2B Sales in Higher Education Institutions
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Silvio Cardinali
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Marta Giovannetti
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Pia Hautamäki
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Karina Burgdorff Jensen
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 12
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0273-4753
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1552-6550
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 47
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Marketing Education
              Type: main
ResultId 1