Selling radical innovations
研究发现销售人员因害怕在客户面前丢脸而抵制销售激进创新，这种恐惧源于预期咨询失败（如提供错误信息、缺乏答案或违背承诺），且在高自我期望、低变革准备和有限经验者中更明显。
Salespeople often resist selling radical innovations. This study identifies a key barrier: salespeople's fear of losing face in customer interactions. Based on a theories-in-use study with 69 experts and two surveys of 190 and 204 industrial salespeople, we show that this fear stems from anticipated consultation failures—such as giving incorrect information, lacking answers, or breaking promises—that may harm their professional image. The fear is most pronounced among those with high self-expectations, low change readiness, and limited experience. Our findings encourage managers to strengthen consultation resources, select or train for change readiness and experience, and realign role expectations to reduce face-related fears and support the successful commercialization of radical innovations.