Purpose: This paper provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review of the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in business-to-business (B2B) sales. It aims to map the intellectual structure of the research domain, identify key trends, uncover thematic clusters, and outline a robust agenda for future research.

Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. A total of 321 academic articles were extracted from the Scopus database for the period of 2019–2024. The study employs bibliometric analysis to examine publication trends, influential authors, leading journals, and geographical distribution of research. Co-word and co-citation analyses were used to map the conceptual and intellectual structure of the field, complemented by a thematic analysis to synthesize key research streams.

Findings: The analysis reveals a rapid growth in publications, with a compound annual growth rate of 20.86%, indicating a surge of academic interest in AI for sales. Key research themes identified include: (1) the role of AI in enhancing customer relationship management (CRM), (2) the application of AI in sales forecasting, and (3) the use of AI to augment customer service. The conceptual structure analysis highlights the foundational role of technology acceptance models (TAM/UTAUT), while also pointing to the increasing importance of psychological factors like psychological ownership, perceived enjoyment, and cognitive effort.

Practical implications: For B2B sales organizations, this review underscores the need to move beyond a purely technical implementation of AI. To foster adoption, managers must focus on designing AI tools that are not only useful but also enjoyable and easy to use. Cultivating a sense of psychological ownership among salespeople by providing control and customization options is identified as a key strategy. The findings can guide the development of more effective, user-centric AI sales tools and implementation strategies.

Originality/value: This study is one of the first to provide a comprehensive bibliometric overview of the AI in B2B sales literature. It offers a structured map of the research landscape, synthesizes disparate research streams, and proposes an integrated conceptual model that provides a more nuanced understanding of the complex factors driving AI adoption among sales professionals. The paper concludes by identifying critical research gaps and proposing a detailed future research agenda.