Enhancing International B2B Sales Training in the Wine Sector Through Collaborative Virtual Reality: A Case Study from Marchesi Antinori

The purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate essential design features, strengths, and limitations of a Virtual Reality (VR) application developed to effectively train the international sales force of a premium global wine brand, emphasizing stakeholder-driven iterative development and systematic evaluation. The research adopted a case study methodology centered on a VR training application developed for the Marchesi Antinori, employing the Scrum framework to facilitate iterative stake-holder collaboration. A qualitative evaluation using focus groups comprising market-ing, communication, and sales representatives was conducted. Natural Language Pro-cessing (NLP) embedding techniques and recursive clustering analyses (UMAP, k-means clustering) were systematically applied to interpret stakeholder feedback. Findings demonstrate that iterative stakeholder-driven processes significantly en-hanced the VR application's effectiveness by clearly structuring immersive storytelling around terroir characteristics, vineyard operations, and cellar practices. Stakeholders recognized VR's powerful educational advantages for B2B sales training but high-lighted notable limitations, such as user discomfort, authenticity concerns, and varying market receptivity. Alternative immersive technologies, including augmented reality and immersive multimedia environments, emerged as valuable complementary ap-proaches. This research fills a significant gap in literature by examining the application of VR technology specifically for B2B sales training in the premium wine industry, integrat-ing iterative Scrum methodology with advanced NLP analytical techniques to derive nuanced, context-rich insights..