Diagnosis of Mismatches in B2B Technical Sales: Analysis of Gaps between Perception and Commercial Practice

Cleberson Alves dos Santos; Bruno Lopes Silva

DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-202602786

Article derived from a Final Course Work (TCC), with content based on the student’s original work and adapted to the editorial format of the E&S Magazine with the support of the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by Instituto Pecege for textual synthesis and organization.

Abstract

The B2B technical sales environment has become complex, requiring professionals not only technical mastery but also advanced commercial skills. The main competency gaps in technical salespeople were investigated, seeking to identify factors that impact performance in complex negotiations. The research was conducted through a structured questionnaire, applied to 34 professionals, which used Likert scales and open-ended questions. The sample predominantly included industry professionals. The results indicated challenges in conducting negotiations, demonstrating financial value, and sustaining margins. Possible inconsistencies were observed between the perception of a consultative approach and commercial behavior in negotiation. The findings suggested that the main mismatch was not in the lack of technical knowledge, but in the ability to transform this knowledge into commercial and financial value. It was concluded that training programs for technical salespeople should integrate existing technical knowledge with skills in investigation, value communication, negotiation, and demonstration of financial return, aiming for a greater balance between technical training and the development of commercial skills.

Keywords: Commercial training; Negotiation; ROI; B2B sales; Technical sales.

1. Introduction

The business-to-business (B2B) sales environment, especially in the industrial and technological sectors, has undergone significant transformations in recent decades. The growing complexity of the solutions offered, the presence of multiple decision-makers, and the high financial impact of purchasing decisions require sales professionals to act more strategically, consultatively, and value-generation oriented (Kotler; Pfoertsch, 2008).

In this scenario, the role of the technical salesperson gains relevance, as this professional is expected to be capable not only of presenting product features and specifications but also of deeply understanding the client’s needs, contributing to process improvement, project optimization, and financial results generation (Weitz; Bradford, 1999). Technical knowledge becomes an important element in building credibility and trust in the commercial relationship. The literature on value-based selling highlights the importance of connecting client needs to the economic benefits and results provided by the solution (Haas; Sjödin; Parida, 2012; Terho et al., 2012; Keränen et al., 2023; Liu; Zhao; Wang, 2023).

However, literature indicates that technical expertise, in isolation, is not sufficient to guarantee superior performance in complex sales. Commercial skills, such as the ability to investigate needs, conduct negotiations, and communicate value effectively, are equally decisive for success (Rackham, 2001; Dixon; Adamson, 2013). The absence of these competencies can result in difficulties in converting opportunities and sustaining margins, especially in scenarios with high price pressure. Recent studies in the context of B2B technical sales reinforce the need to integrate technical knowledge and commercial skills (Funada; Barbosa, 2026; Paschen et al., 2023).

In market practice, it is observed that many professionals face difficulties in balancing the technical and commercial pillars. In some cases, technical knowledge is not fully converted into value arguments, while in others, limitations in conducting negotiations lead to granting discounts and reducing the profitability of operations (Cespedes, 2014). This scenario highlights the existence of possible mismatches between professionals’ perception and their practical performance in the sales process. Additionally, discount requests may be associated with habitual negotiation behaviors or a lack of clear value perception, rather than necessarily a budgetary limitation (Rackham, 2001).

Given this context, it becomes relevant to investigate the main competence gaps present in B2B technical sales professionals. Understanding these gaps can contribute to the more effective direction of training and development programs, in addition to supporting organizations in improving their commercial results. This study contributes to the B2B sales literature by offering evidence on the nature of technical sales competence gaps, with implications for sales training and sales force management. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate and map the main difficulties faced by technical sales professionals, seeking to identify whether these difficulties are more associated with technical knowledge, commercial skills, or how these elements are applied in practice.

2. Material and Methods

This research was characterized as applied in nature, with a predominantly quantitative approach, complemented by qualitative analysis. The study had a descriptive-exploratory character, according to the classification proposed by Gil (2008). Its objective was to identify possible discrepancies between the professionals’ perception and their commercial practice in the context of business-to-business (B2B) technical sales.

The unit of analysis consisted of professionals working in B2B technical sales. The sample was composed of 34 participants, selected by convenience, considering the researcher’s accessibility through their professional network. The participants belonged to different organizations and economic segments, with a predominance of professionals inserted in the industrial context. Because it is a non-probabilistic sample, the results were interpreted considering the specific context of the researched sample, without the objective of making generalizations to the entire population of technical salespeople.

Data collection was carried out through a structured questionnaire, developed based on consolidated constructs in the literature on consultative selling. The SPIN Selling (Rackham, 2001) and Challenger Sale (Dixon; Adamson, 2013) models were used as a reference. The instrument was developed to assess competencies related to customer needs investigation, consultative posture, negotiation, value communication, technical confidence, and professional development needs.

The questionnaire consisted of closed-ended questions on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from one (Strongly Disagree) to five (Strongly Agree). Additionally, an open-ended question was included to identify the main difficulties and development needs perceived by the participants. The questions were organized into thematic blocks addressing respondent profiles, SPIN Selling competencies, Challenger Sale competencies, technical versus commercial confidence, and training needs, in addition to the qualitative analysis of the open-ended responses.

The quantitative data collected were organized and analyzed with the aid of electronic spreadsheets. Descriptive statistics techniques were used for the treatment of this data. For each question on the Likert scale, absolute frequencies, relative frequencies (percentages), arithmetic means, and standard deviations were calculated. These calculations allowed for the identification of the central tendency and dispersion of the participants’ responses.

The arithmetic mean was calculated by summing the scores assigned by the respondents, divided by the number of valid responses for each question. The standard deviation was determined for each analyzed variable, with the aim of evaluating the degree of dispersion of the responses in relation to the mean. Reduced standard deviation values indicated greater homogeneity among the responses, while higher values suggested greater variability of opinions.

The answers obtained in the open-ended question were submitted to the Content Analysis technique, as proposed by Bardin (2011). Initially, a full reading of the answers was performed, followed by the identification of recurring themes. Subsequently, the information was organized into thematic categories. As a complementary visualization resource, a word cloud was created to represent the terms most frequently mentioned by the participants.

Respondents’ participation was voluntary, and the anonymity and confidentiality of the collected information were guaranteed. No data that would allow for individual identification of participants was requested, ensuring the secrecy of the responses and their exclusive use for academic purposes.

3. Results and Discussion

The research sought to understand the competency gaps in B2B technical sales professionals, revealing patterns and mismatches between technical knowledge and commercial skills. The results indicated that, although participants demonstrate a high self-perception of confidence in the technical domain, there are significant challenges in applying this knowledge to generate commercial and financial value, especially in complex negotiations. The analysis of quantitative data, collected through a structured questionnaire, was complemented by a qualitative approach, allowing for an in-depth understanding of professionals’ perceptions of their difficulties and development needs.

The study sample consisted of 34 professionals working in B2B technical sales, predominantly from the industrial sector. It was observed that 61.8% of the participants had more than six years of experience in the field, indicating a group with considerable market experience. However, despite their experience, an expressive portion, also 61.8%, had undergone a maximum of two training sessions in the last year, suggesting a possible gap in continuous skills development. This characteristic of the sample is relevant for the interpretation of the results, as it allows for the analysis of perceptions of professionals with different levels of maturity and exposure to training.

The distribution of participants by age group showed that 58.8% were between 26 and 45 years old, while the gender division was relatively balanced, with 55.9% men and 44.1% women. Regarding company size, 47.1% worked in micro or small companies and 35.3% in large organizations, demonstrating the diversity of the respondents’ work context. The Metallurgical Industry represented the largest segment, with 38.2% of participants, reinforcing the study’s relevance for this specific sector, although the findings may have broader implications for B2B technical sales.

The intersections between time of action and the averages of the competence blocks did not reveal a consistent linear relationship, indicating that professional experience, in isolation, does not guarantee superior performance in all evaluated dimensions. On the other hand, the frequency of training in the last year showed more evident differences. Professionals with more than five training sessions presented higher averages in investigation and diagnosis (4.00), challenging attitude (4.71), and technical and commercial confidence (3.38), suggesting a descriptive association between exposure to training and better perceptions of competence, although without establishing causality.

Investigation and Diagnosis – SPIN Selling

In the dimension of research and diagnosis, based on the principles of SPIN Selling (Rackham, 2001), the research assessed professionals’ ability to understand client needs. The statement “Before presenting my product’s specifications, I spend most of my time asking questions about the client’s process problems” obtained an average of 3.68, with 64.7% of participants fully or partially agreeing. This result indicates a favorable trend towards initial problem investigation, aligned with the problem question stage of the SPIN model.

However, the ability to assist the client in calculating the financial cost of existing failures or problems showed a slightly lower average, of 3.50, with 58.8% of positive responses. This difference is significant because, in the SPIN model, the investigation goes beyond problem identification, exploring its financial consequences and the impact of its persistence (Rackham, 2001). The lower score in this question suggests that, although professionals initiate the investigative approach, the economic deepening of the diagnosis may represent a development opportunity.

The third question in this block, “I find it difficult to delay the product presentation; I prefer to show the technical solution right at the beginning of the meeting”, obtained an average of 3.15, with 41.2% of participants agreeing and 41.2% disagreeing. This result, with high dispersion, indicates that a considerable portion of professionals still faces challenges in postponing the presentation of the technical solution, which can limit the depth of needs investigation and value construction before discussing the product itself. The literature on value-based selling emphasizes the importance of connecting customer needs to the economic benefits and outcomes of the solution (Haas; Sjödin; Parida, 2012).

The results, therefore, do not point to a complete absence of the application of research principles, but rather to a point of attention in deepening the diagnosis. The transformation of the technical problem into an economic consequence clearly perceived by the client is a challenge, which reinforces the need to develop the technical salesperson not only as a product specialist, but as a professional capable of investigating, deepening, and translating technical problems into relevant consequences for the client’s business, bringing technical knowledge closer to the creation and communication of value (Haas; Sjödin; Parida, 2012).

Commercial Posture – Challenger Sale

The dimension of commercial posture, inspired by the Challenger Sale model (Dixon; Adamson, 2013), assessed how professionals use technical knowledge to influence the client and conduct the sales conversation. The statement “I use my technical knowledge to teach the client a new perspective on their business that they hadn’t considered” obtained the highest average in this block, at 4.35, with 88.2% positive responses. This demonstrates a high self-perception of the ability to use technical knowledge as a tool for guidance and influence, aligned with the “teach” principle of Challenger Sale.

Similarly, the statement “I feel comfortable politely disagreeing with the client when I perceive that their technical request is not the best solution” achieved an average of 4.26, with 82.4% of positive responses. This result suggests a high level of confidence among professionals in questioning client decisions, a behavior compatible with the assertive stance proposed by Challenger Sale (Dixon; Adamson, 2013). The ability to challenge the client, when necessary, is crucial for conducting the sales conversation and presenting more effective solutions.

However, the statement “During the sale, focus more on maintaining a friendly relationship than on pressuring the client to change their point of view” obtained an average of 4.06, with 79.4% of positive responses. Although this is a high result, the prioritization of a friendly relationship deserves attention. Maintaining a positive relationship is important in B2B sales, but it can conflict with the need to defend the value of the solution or maintain assertiveness during a negotiation, especially when the salesperson needs to lead the client to a new perspective (Dixon; Adamson, 2013).

Together, these results indicate a strong self-perception of a consultative and challenging stance, with professionals seeing themselves as active in technical discussions and solution building. They demonstrate characteristics compatible with the Challenger Sale approach, such as teaching and questioning. However, this perception needs to be analyzed in conjunction with the results on negotiation, as excessive valuation of the relationship can, in certain situations, compromise assertiveness in defending the solution’s value, a fundamental aspect in complex B2B sales (Halinen; Haas, 2023).

Technical Trust versus Commercial

The third dimension investigated professionals’ perception of their security in the technical domain compared to commercial aspects, such as value negotiation and communication of financial benefits. The statement “I feel much safer discussing technical specifications and datasheets than negotiating values and closing” obtained an average of 3.56, with 61.8% of participants agreeing. This data reveals that a significant portion of professionals feel more comfortable in technical discussions than in value negotiation situations, indicating a mismatch between technical and commercial security.

Regarding the difficulty of translating technical features into clear financial benefits for the client’s business, the statement “I have difficulty translating my product’s technical features into clear financial benefits for the client’s business” presented an average of 2.82. Although this average is below the neutral point, indicating that most do not perceive this difficulty as predominant, 29.4% of participants agreed to some extent. The existence of this portion suggests that the ability to connect solution features to specific economic outcomes for the client is still a relevant development point (Haas; Sjödin; Parida, 2012).

The reaction to discount requests was evaluated by the statement “When the customer asks for a discount, my first reaction is to try to technically defend the product, but I end up giving in on the price to avoid losing the sale”, which obtained an average of 3.06. With 47.1% of participants agreeing to some extent, and 38.2% disagreeing, the result shows a high dispersion of opinions. This suggests that professionals do not have a homogeneous perception of their ability to sustain the price, and that granting discounts may be a common practice for part of the sample, even after the technical defense of the product.

These findings highlight a mismatch between confidence in technical knowledge and variability in commercial behavior, especially in sustaining value during negotiation. Professionals demonstrate greater confidence in their technical expertise but face challenges in converting this knowledge into commercial arguments that defend the price and return on investment (ROI) for the client. The value-based sales literature emphasizes that B2B salespeople must be able to connect solution features to specific client outcomes and benefits (Haas; Sjödin; Parida, 2012; Halinen; Haas, 2023).

Training Needs

The analysis of training needs revealed the competencies that professionals consider priorities for their development. Among the four themes evaluated, “Transforming technical knowledge into financial value (ROI)” presented the highest average perceived need, with 3.41, and 52.9% of participants indicated a high or urgent need. This result is crucial, as it reinforces the interpretation that the main challenge is not the absence of technical knowledge, but the ability to translate it into tangible economic benefits for the client (Liu; Zhao; Wang, 2023).

Secondly, “Negotiation and Closing Techniques” obtained an average of 3.32, with 50.0% of participants indicating a high or urgent need for development. This data is consistent with the mismatch observed in the technical versus commercial confidence dimension, where many professionals feel less secure when negotiating values. Negotiation is a critical stage in B2B sales, and a lack of competence in this area can lead to reduced margins and lost opportunities.

“Product technical knowledge” showed an average training need of 3.00, with the most divided responses (44.1% high/urgent need and 44.1% no/low need). Although still relevant, this competence does not appear as the main demand, especially when compared to the high technical confidence observed previously. This suggests that professionals already have a solid technical foundation, and the greatest development opportunities lie in the commercial application of this knowledge.

Finally, the “SPIN Selling Techniques” presented the lowest average training need, with 2.91, and 32.4% of participants indicated a high or urgent need. This result, combined with the higher score in the initial problem investigation, suggests that the gap is not in the basic identification of problems, but in the ability to deepen the investigation to build and communicate the economic value of the solution. The convergence of these results indicates that the main development needs perceived by the professionals themselves are related to commercial skills that connect technical knowledge to the sales process.

Qualitative Analysis of the Open-Ended Question

The open question, which invited participants to indicate a topic for their next sales training, corroborated and deepened the quantitative findings. The 33 valid responses revealed recurring themes such as “ROI”, “Negotiation”, “Consultative Selling”, “Objections”, “Argumentation”, and “Understanding customer needs”. These terms reinforce the perception that the greatest development demands lie in commercial competencies and the ability to transform technical knowledge into financial value.

Beyond directly commercial topics, more specific needs were mentioned, such as “understanding how the industrial customer makes their purchasing decisions”, “relating the technical part to the client’s real needs”, and “generating value before discussing price”. These spontaneous expressions from the participants reinforce the diagnosis that the main challenge lies not in the absence of technical product knowledge, but in integrating this knowledge with the skills of investigation, value communication, and negotiation, for a more strategic and effective commercial performance.

The qualitative analysis, therefore, strengthens the interpretation that the professional development desired by the participants should not be understood as a choice between technical and commercial knowledge, but rather as an integration between these two dimensions. The content of the responses indicates a demand for training programs that allow technical salespeople to use their expertise to understand problems, build value arguments, and demonstrate the economic impact of solutions, aligning with the literature on value-based selling (Liu; Zhao; Wang, 2023).

In summary, the results obtained in the different dimensions of the research allow us to identify a common pattern among B2B technical sales professionals. High confidence was observed related to technical knowledge and its use during customer interaction, at the same time that development opportunities arise in the skills that connect this knowledge to the commercial process. The main mismatch identified is not in the absence of technical knowledge, but in the ability to convert this knowledge into perceived and sustained value throughout the commercial process, especially in negotiations and in demonstrating financial return.

4. Conclusion

This research sought to investigate the main difficulties faced by B2B technical sales professionals, with the aim of identifying whether these gaps were more associated with technical knowledge, commercial skills, or the practical application of these elements. It was found that professionals demonstrated high confidence in their technical domain and in the ability to use it to teach new perspectives to clients and question inadequate solutions. However, a significant disconnect was observed in converting this technical knowledge into commercial and financial value, especially in contexts of negotiation and margin sustainment. The main gap was identified not as an absence of technical knowledge, but in the ability to translate technical characteristics into clear economic benefits for the client and to conduct negotiations assertively, as evidenced by greater confidence in technical discussions than in value negotiations. The contribution of this study lies in offering a detailed diagnosis of these gaps, suggesting that commercial excellence in B2B technical sales depends on a deeper integration between technical expertise and commercial competencies.

The study’s limitations include the descriptive nature of the research and the convenience sampling method, which prevents the generalization of results to all technical salespeople and the inference of causal relationships between training and performance. Despite this, the findings have relevant managerial implications, indicating that training programs for technical salespeople should focus on integrating existing technical knowledge with in-depth investigation skills, value communication, negotiation, and demonstration of return on investment (ROI). This approach aims to equip professionals with the necessary tools to transform their expertise into persuasive commercial arguments, strengthening their ability to sustain the solution’s value and optimize results in complex B2B sales.

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Article originating from the Final Course Work of the Specialization in Business Management of the MBA USP/Esalq

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