Digital sales automation and buyer engagement: investigating the mediating role of perceived value in B2B exchanges

This study investigates how digital sales automation (DSA) enhances buyer engagement (BE) through the lenses of the Resource-Based View and value theory. We propose that DSA’s effect on BE operates partly via buyers’ perceived value (PV) of B2B exchanges. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 211 B2B professionals working in information technology and related services in Pakistan. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using the PROCESS macro in SPSS to test the hypothesized relationships. Results indicate that greater adoption of DSA is associated with significantly higher BE. Moreover, PV emerges as a meaningful mediator, clarifying how automated tools strengthen buyer relationships by signaling efficiency, responsiveness, and reliability. The findings offer actionable implications for B2B practitioners: investments in DSA should be paired with value-communicating practices to maximize engagement outcomes. The study also underscores the growing importance of value-based approaches to technology adoption in digital selling. Addressing a documented gap at the intersection of automation technologies and BE in B2B markets, this research contributes by demonstrating a mechanism through which DSA supports customer-centric outcomes. Future work could validate these relationships longitudinally and across industries, and explore boundary conditions such as firm size, market turbulence, salesforce capability, and regulatory context.