Approaches for Building Credibility, Trust and Relationships in B2B Inside Sales

Abstract

This thesis investigates how B2B inside sales professionals can build trust, credibility and relationships without face-to-face interactions. Nowadays, B2B companies increasingly adopt inside sales models, where sales are conducted remotely through digital channels. This shift is driven by technological advancements and the need for cost-effective and timeefficient solutions. The key challenge here is the replacement of the traditional strategy of establishing trust, which was done in face-to-face meetings, with a completely new one for remote selling. The goal of this research is to identify concrete approaches and effective strategies, which inside sales professionals can use to establish and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with clients in fully virtual environments, while also exploring the role and impact of digital tools in this process. To achieve this, the study combines a literature review with qualitative research based on semi-structured interviews. Specifically, six salespeople from B2B companies in Austria’s IT sector were interviewed. The results show that through integrating human-centric practices, such as active listening, empathy, transparency and responsiveness, in combination with effective utilization of digital tools, trust can be developed remotely. In addition, social media platforms and CRM systems help in personalizing outreach and maintaining continuity across long sales cycles. Video conferencing is crucial because it replicates human interaction. Nevertheless, remote selling also presents challenges, such as reduced emotional connection, risks of miscommunication and technical limitations. In order to overcome these, inside salespeople purposefully humanize digital contacts, choose the appropriate communication channel for each situation and create a balance between automation and human engagement. The study concludes that a combined high-tech, high-touch approach is essential, meaning that while digital tools enhance efficiency and reach, human factors remain central to building credibility and trust. The findings offer practical recommendations for sales managers and professionals and provide a valuable foundation for future research on relationshipbuilding in the evolving landscape of B2B inside sales.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Supervisor	Robert Füreder (Supervisor)