Why Salespeople Fear Pitching Radical Innovation
Abstract
When selling radical innovations, salespeople often worry that they’ll appear incompetent, which undermines their confidence and stalls sales pipelines. New products’ complexity can get in the way of knowledge transfer via traditional training approaches. Companies should instead reframe the salesperson’s role from expert to orchestrator, provide consultation support through expert tandems and fast-response channels, and foster a culture that values curiosity and collaboration over perfection.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Innovation and Knowledge Management
Employee Performance and Motivation
Marketing and Advertising Strategies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- MIT Sloan Management Review
- Volume
- 67
- Issue
- 3
- Publication date
- 12 February 2026
- Language
- EN