From Data to Deals: The Future of Sales
Season 2, Episode 3
In this episode of AMS Illuminations, host Brad Carlson sits down with Dr. Deva Rangarajan, Professor of Marketing, IESEG School of Management, France, to explore how data, psychology, and technology are reshaping the sales profession. From AI’s growing role in B2B relationships to the ethical questions surrounding automation, Deva offers a grounded and global perspective on what modern selling really means.
They dive into:
How digital transformation and AI are redefining customer-facing roles
The evolving meaning of trust and ethics in a data-driven sales world
Why intuition and human judgment still matter—even in an age of intelligent machines
The importance of psychological resourcefulness and employee well-being in sales teams
Emerging research on sales evolution in Africa, DEI across cultures, and the shift to subscription-based business models
Stay tuned until the lightning round, where Deva shares the AI tool he’s most excited about, his biggest ethical concern, and the one myth about sales motivation he’s ready to retire.
Episode Guests:
Deva Rangarajan
Dr. Deva Rangarajan is a Professor of Marketing at IÉSEG School of Management in France, where he also serves as Academic Director of the Master’s program in International Business Negotiation. With a Ph.D. in Marketing and Sales, Deva has taught at business schools across Europe, the U.S., South Africa, and India.
An expert in B2B marketing, sales enablement, and customer success, he has trained executives from more than 30 companies worldwide and collaborates closely with leading global firms such as Siemens, Philips, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic. His research has appeared in top journals including Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Service Research, and California Management Review.
Deva is also a member of Lille Economie Management (LEM), a joint research unit of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), where his work continues to bridge theory and practice in the evolving world of sales and marketing.
Brad D. Carlson, Ph.D., Host
Brad D. Carlson, Ph.D., is a professor and James J. Pierson Endowed Chair in Marketing in the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business at Saint Louis University, as well as the current president of the Academy of Marketing Science. Renowned for his exemplary teaching, research, and service, Brad has earned numerous accolades throughout his career. His research, which has appeared in prominent journals, including the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, focuses on practical and theoretical aspects of marketing that resonate both in academia and industry.
