Sales funnel structures in B2B digital platforms: dynamic effects of online sentiment and sales strategies on marketing performance

Abstract

B2B digital platforms are virtual spaces where industrial companies showcase their products through online marketplaces, integrating data from buyers and sellers who continuously interact for commercial purposes. Industrial buyers often navigate these platform-driven online sales funnels through diverse journeys, engaging with lower, middle, and higher funnel stages. The existing literature on sales funnels often focuses on isolated or (classic) simultaneous stages rather than providing a holistic view of the funnel structure. Our study contrasts traditional simultaneous models with a novel dynamic non-simultaneous framework, to unravel the sequence (or simultaneity) of marketing efforts driving marketing performance. We further evaluate the cumulative impact of product bundling, cross-selling, and up-selling strategies across funnel stages for industrial buyers on B2B digital platforms. Our key findings reveal: (1) an asymmetrical relationship between cross-selling and up-selling within the funnel, (2) the influence of sales agent sentiment on sales strategy adoption, and (3) the context-dependent suitability of simultaneous versus non-simultaneous structures. Specifically, a 1 % increase in up-selling efforts leads to a 0.70 % increase in sales conversions, underscoring the cumulative effect of targeted strategies. These insights advance research on B2B digital platforms by clarifying the dynamic effects of online sentiment and sales strategies within online sales funnel frameworks.