Sales Content Platforms and Opportunity Conversion

Abstract

To improve sales and operational processes that support business outcomes, such as converting sales opportunities and the revenue from these conversions, firms invest in sales content platforms—shared digital warehouses for storing, managing, and distributing information required for sales activities. However, the effectiveness of such digital sales operations investments remains unclear. To investigate, this study explores the effects of salespeople accessing sales content platforms across two studies. First, a qualitative study reveals that access to sales content platforms helps salespeople learn valuable information and adapt their behaviors throughout the sales process. Salespeople with extensive tenure benefit disproportionately from sales content platform access, especially when it is unclear which information to rely on and how best to act on it. These insights inform the quantitative analysis in our second study, which utilizes a unique dataset from a global business-to-business firm specializing in advanced technologies. The results confirm that access to sales content platforms helps salespeople convert sales opportunities, but this effect depends on the type of content accessed, the sales process phase, and salesperson tenure. Furthermore, the benefits of sales content platform access do not always lead to increased revenue from converted opportunities. These findings offer actionable guidance for managers seeking to maximize returns on their investments in sales content platforms.