Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This Thesis focuses on developing a concept for the “Application Value-Selling (AVS) AI Chatbot” to support sales representatives in creating compelling value propositions and quantifying the economic benefits of using the company's equipment in customers' applications. The case company, a European industrial equipment manufacturer, operates in a highly competitive environment where value-based selling is essential. However, fragmented data, inconsistent application, and late-stage company engagement with a customer in project sales limit the effective execution of the value-selling methodology. The study used the Applied action research approach to design an AI chatbot concept for improving sales processes. Data collection was primarily qualitative, supported by limited quantitative input. The Current state analysis identified key challenges, including scattered sales and marketing data, language barriers, complexity in applying value-based selling in practice, insufficient reinforcement of training, and late-stage involvement in project sales. The theoretical framework was built around the integration of sales and marketing data, the value-based selling methodology, training reinforcement, and the timing of supplier engagement in customer projects. The insights from the case company, combined with ideas from literature on generative AI in enterprise environments, including design principles for domain-specific generative AI assistants, informed the development of a domain-specific AI chatbot concept. The concept includes the architectures for the chatbot, data, and conversational flow. It was further piloted as a minimum viable product (MVP) and validated by stakeholders and a group of sales representatives. Validation through management interviews and a user survey indicates that the AI AVS Chatbot has strong potential to support value-based selling by consolidating fragmented data into accessible knowledge and providing a unified multilingual conversational interface. The AI AVS Chatbot enhances sales productivity, reinforces sales representatives' value-selling skills, and strengthens the company’s ability to communicate differentiated customer value.
Source: Theseus (Ammattikorkeakoulujen)
Author: Shkolnikov, Anton
Institution: Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Language: English
Topic: AI in Service Interactions
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7162166054