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Department of Business and Economics
Studierende sitzt am Arbeitsplatz und schaut auf den Laptop. © Aliona Kardash​/​TU Dortmund

The role of marketing and sales in B2B high-tech start-ups

Technology-oriented B2B start-ups face considerable challenges, particularly in their early development phase: They are often still unknown on the market and at the same time have to communicate complex innovations that require explanation. This so-called "liability of newness" makes it difficult to build trust and develop sustainable customer relationships.

In a recent study, Prof. Dr. Sascha Alavi and international research partners examined the importance of marketing and personal sales in B2B high-tech start-ups and how their impact changes over the course of the company's life cycle.

The study shows that it is not individual measures, but above all their coordinated use that is decisive for a company's success. In the early phase, personal sales prove to be particularly effective: the direct exchange with potential customers makes it easier to communicate innovations that require explanation and to establish initial business relationships. This proximity to the market can have a clearly positive effect on sales development.

However, as the company becomes more established, the success factors shift. As soon as products and processes are established, investments in mass marketing play an increasingly important role. Broader marketing activities then make it possible to reach new target groups efficiently and generate further growth.

The empirical basis of the study is a long-term study of more than 300 B2B high-tech start-ups from sectors such as IT, software, cybersecurity and biotechnology. Over a period of 20 months, founders and managers were repeatedly interviewed about their marketing and sales measures as well as company development. This data was then linked with additional company and market data and analyzed.

The study"The Different Effects of Mass-Media Marketing and Personal Sales Budgets Across the Life Cycle of B2B High-Tech Start-Ups" by Arnd Vomberg (HEC Paris), Maximilian Friess (Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences / LMU Munich), Sascha Alavi (TU Dortmund University), Verena Maag and Jan Wieseke (Ruhr University Bochum) has been published in the Journal of Marketing Research.

Link to the journal article