Liu, Q (2025) The impact of funnel sales management on sales performance in engineering construction companies: An empirical study based on CE company data. DBA thesis, Arizona State University, USA.
Abstract
The sales funnel is a sales model that visualizes the customer conversion process, from initial contact to the final sale. As a key strategic management mode, funnel-style sales management plays a crucial role in the operation of the engineering bidding business. This study focuses on "CE Company", closely tracking the impact of its full implementation of the funnel-style marketing policy in 2018. The purpose is to evaluate the comprehensive effects of the funnel-style sales management model on the company's bidding business. By analyzing CE Company's case and its operational data, we find that funnel-style sales management significantly enhances sales performance, drives rapid turnover growth, and substantially increases the bid-winning rate. Moreover, this model effectively reduces sales costs, improving the company's financial benefits while also motivating businesses to engage more actively in market competition. In addition, this study utilized a questionnaire survey to explore the mechanism through which sales funnel management impacts sales performance. The findings indicate that this model positively influences sales effectiveness, market responsiveness, team collaboration and execution, project management capabilities, and overall sales system synergy particularly in data-driven decision-making and customer relationship management. Respondents generally recognized the value of the sales funnel, citing its contributions to enhanced customer insights, optimized sales processes, and improved efficiency. However, the survey also highlights several areas needing further optimization and improvement, including data entry, functional practicality, adaptability to customer needs, system integration, user engagement, interdepartmental collaboration, competitive analysis, customer experience, and training support.This scholarly research unveils the significant potential of the funnel-style sales management mode in the bidding business. Through an in-depth study of CE Company, it provides valuable practical insights, offering inestimable reference value for the domestic bidding industry. Beyond serving as a powerful reference, this model has the potential to pioneer a new management trend, benefiting a wider range of companies and industries. Drawing from CE Company's success, businesses seeking to enhance sales performance and reduce costs in the bidding process should carefully evaluate and actively implement the funnel-style sales management model to gain a competitive advantage and drive performance breakthroughs.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Yin, R and Wu, F |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | bidding; collaboration; competition; competitive advantage; integration; market; marketing; optimization; policy; questionnaire survey; strategic management; training |
| Index terms: | turnover, team collaboration, drawing, construction company, survey, collaboration, strategic management, system integration, integration, competition, questionnaire, adaptability, bidding, data-driven decision-making, competitive advantage, conversion, efficiency, user engagement, empirical study, effectiveness, marketing, implementation, project management, synergy, customer relationship management |
| Subjects: | project management theory and practice, management, performance management, organizational analysis, partnership management, decision analysis, design methods, data collection methods, business, technical documentation, organizational theory, manufacturing engineering, research methods, collaborative management, market analysis, strategic management, user focus, organization, contractual arrangements, business management, bidding |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Organizational Design, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Stakeholder Management, Quality Management, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Procurement, Risk Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here