• Title: Fully leveraging AI in B2B sales: Exploring sales managers’ capabilities and organizational knowledge processes
• Authors: Pia Hautamäki 🌸 LUT University and Minna Heikinheimo University of Eastern Finland
• Journal: Journal of Business Research, Volume 194, Article 115396 (2025); Open access under CC BY

Highlights & Key Contributions

The paper is built on a solid empirical foundation. It draws from interviews with thirty-two top-level B2B sales managers, making it a grounded study rooted in real-world managerial perspectives and capabilities rather than theory alone.

From this data, the authors propose a framework of sales manager capabilities that are essential for successful AI integration. These include the development of data-based human capital, where managers and teams build strong analytic and data literacy. They also emphasize the importance of social capital and a culture of knowledge-sharing that encourages collaboration and continuous learning. Finally, they point to the need for a transformative, AI-positive mindset that embraces innovation and sees AI as an opportunity rather than a threat.

The study shows how these capabilities work across multiple levels. At the individual level, managers apply analytics in their decision-making; at the team level, knowledge is shared and applied collectively; and at the organizational level, processes are shaped by an openness to AI, ensuring adoption is consistent throughout the sales function.

The authors conclude with practical recommendations for leaders. They encourage companies to strengthen analytics skills, nurture collaboration across units, and cultivate a forward-looking culture that embraces AI as a driver of strategic change.

Major Takeaways

• Human + Cultural Dimensions Matter: Successful AI adoption in B2B sales isn’t just a tech deployment—it’s grounded in data-savvy leaders, open knowledge cultures, and positive mindsets.
• Multi-Level Integration: AI succeeds when managerial capabilities reinforce adoption across individuals, teams, and organizational systems.
• Strategic Value for Sales Leadership: Beyond efficiency, AI becomes a tool for strategic insight and innovation when empowered by human capital and leadership culture.

Human and Cultural Dimensions Matter

Successful AI adoption in B2B sales is not simply about plugging in the latest technology. The paper makes it clear that the real differentiator lies in the people who lead and manage these systems. Data-savvy leaders are essential—they know how to interpret analytics, translate insights into action, and guide teams with evidence-based decision-making. A sales manager who can explain to their team why predictive lead scoring matters, for instance, builds trust in the technology rather than resistance. Just as important is cultivating a knowledge-sharing culture. When sales reps openly exchange lessons learned—say, how an AI tool helped identify an overlooked customer segment—those insights ripple across the organization. Add to this an AI-positive mindset at the leadership level, and you have the cultural foundation for adoption. Without it, even the most sophisticated systems risk being underused or misunderstood.

Multi-Level Integration

The study also shows that AI works best when capabilities are integrated across multiple levels of the organization. At the individual level, a rep might use AI-driven recommendations to personalize a pitch. At the team level, managers can leverage shared dashboards to track performance and coordinate strategies. At the organizational level, leadership can embed AI into CRM systems, aligning data from marketing, customer service, and product teams to create a single, consistent customer view. Companies that succeed here treat AI not as a siloed tool but as an ecosystem that connects people and processes. For example, a global SaaS firm could use AI to unify its sales playbooks across regions, ensuring that local teams benefit from the same predictive models and insights as headquarters.

Strategic Value for Sales Leadership

Perhaps the most powerful insight is that AI should not be reduced to an efficiency tool. While automation can cut down on time spent on routine tasks, its real value for sales leadership lies in strategic insight and innovation. Imagine a sales leader using AI to spot patterns in client churn before they become revenue losses, or to forecast which markets are likely to respond best to a new product. These capabilities empower leaders to shift from reactive management to proactive growth strategies. In industries like finance or healthcare, where compliance and trust are critical, AI can also serve as a safeguard—flagging anomalies, ensuring ethical standards, and reinforcing credibility with clients. In this way, AI becomes less about saving minutes in a day and more about shaping the future direction of the business.

Relevance to Companies Seeking

SVCH Certification

If your company is pursuing an SVCH certification Silicon Valley Certification Hub a standard recognizing smart, value-centered, technology-integrated sales hubs, this research offers critical insights:

The study underlines why an SVCH certification is proof of leadership maturity. Companies that can demonstrate data-savvy leadership show they are developing the kind of human capital emphasized in the research.

Equally important is a collaborative culture: certifications often look at organizational readiness, and a strong foundation of knowledge-sharing reflects the cross-functional maturity that evaluators seek.

Finally, the framework presented gives companies a practical way to self-assess, aligning their internal processes with SVCH domains. By grounding their certification application in these academically validated pillars, firms can add both rigor and credibility to their transformation journey.