Selling and Sales Management for Successful Servitization: A Systematic Review and Future Directions
(A2025-125767)

AUTHORS

Christian Kowalkowski, Linköping University; Victoria Kramer, University of Münster; Sertan Eravci, University of Münster; Anna Salonen, University of Jyväskylä; Wolfgang Ulaga, INSEAD

ABSTRACT

The strategic shift from a product-centric to a service-centric business model—known as servitization—has garnered significant attention from both academia and industry. However, best practices for effectively selling services and solutions remain ambiguous. This study addresses this gap by systematically reviewing the literature on selling and sales management for servitization. It identifies three key themes: customer engagement across the purchase journey, sales personnel skills and abilities, and organizational support provided by sales management. An integrative framework highlights how effective service and solution sales rely on a collaborative, cross-functional approach that facilitates solution co-creation to solve customer problems by engaging stakeholders at various stages of the purchase journey. Ideally, this approach fosters loyalty loops by proactively managing customer success. Finally, the study offers a comprehensive agenda for future research.