Toward a contextualized understanding of inside sales: the role of sales development in effective lead funnel management

Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide a contextualized understanding of how business-to-business (B2B) firms use the sales development function for efficient and effective lead funnel management. Design/methodology/approach The authors adopted a qualitative field-study approach and interviewed 13 people from eight firms. While software as a service (SaaS) firms are the most prevalent application context for the sales development function, the authors also included respondents from non-SaaS firms to develop an in-depth understanding of the contextualized nature of the sales development process. Findings Sales development processes can be applied in outbound prospect-focused, outbo…