Linda S. Pettijohn

Does Salesperson Perception of the Importance of Sales Skills Improve Sales Performance, Customer Orientation, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Commitment, and Reduce Turnover?

This research was designed to determine whether salesperson perceptions regarding the importance of specific sales skills and behaviors relate positively to sales performance, customer orientation, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and lower levels of turnover intentions. The development of the sales skill measure resulted in the creation of two different scales, one focused more on traditional sales skills and the second on more consulting-oriented sales behaviors. The results and conclusions provide support for the concept that skill/behavior development and assessment are worthy pursuits for sales managers and their organizations.

The relationship between effective counseling and effective selling behaviors

Increasingly, attempts to improve the relative status of salespeople are being undertaken by both practitioners and academicians. These attempts have included changes in the ways in which sales personnel are described and changes in the salesperson′s job description and training. Frequently, sales representatives are referred to as sales consultants, sales advisors, and sales counselors; and their job descriptions have been changed to emphasize the consulting, advising, and counseling roles. The research question addressed examines whether effective counseling behavior is related positively and significantly to effective sales performance. Counseling behaviors of 113 automobile sales representatives were measured and their relationship to sales performance assessed. The results indicate that sales performance is positively and significantly related to the sales representative′s congruity, but unrelated to other measures of counseling behavior.

Performance appraisals: usage, criteria and observations

Performance appraisals are often described asthe “job managers love to hate”. A study was designed to provide sales managers with information designed to increase the benefits of engaging in the evaluation process and reduce the negative sentiments often associated with appraisals. To accomplish this objective, 214 salespeople were personally interviewed and asked to provide information regarding their perceptions of their performance appraisals. The results indicate that salespeople have positive perceptions regarding the appraisal process. Findings also indicate that while salespeople are oftenevaluated at least twice annually, the criteria used are not always the ones thatsalespeople view as being the most appropriate. The conclusions derived from the analysis may provide insight to sales managers as they attempt to develop and implement appraisal processes that are viewed as being valid and as they attempt to enhance the benefits that may be obtained from engaging in this process.

The Relationships Between Food Service Wait Staff Skills, Satisfaction, Commitment and Their Levels of Customer Orientation

Abstract Restaurants are in an industry that seems to be one of the most competitivein the nation. The challenges of operating in this particular industry are exacerbated bythe relative similarities that exist between many food service providers. One means that may be used to achieve a degree of differentiation may be through the restaurants customer contact personnel, i.e., its wait staff. The restaurants wait staff is an important factor in determining customer satisfaction and customer satisfaction in turn is an important determinant of the restaurants profitability and longevity. The purpose of this research is to assess the relationships that exist between the wait staffs levels of customer orientation and their sales skills, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The results indicate that the positive relationships exist between the wait staffs customer orientation and their skills, job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Retail Sales Training

The retail environment of the future is likely to be increasingly competitive. Department and specialty stores must provide services which distinguish them from the competition. One method that may be used in attaining a distinctive position entails the development of a well‐trained, skilled retail salesforce. Examines retail sales training from the perspectives of 202 retail salespeople employed by full‐service retailers. Provides insight into the amount of training which should be provided and the topics which should be included in sales training programs.

An Empirical Investigation of the Relationship between Retail Sales Force Performance Appraisals, Performance and Turnover

The perfonnance of a retailer’s sales force has obvious implications for the finn’s profitability. Less obvious, but still significant, is the impact of sales force turnover on the retailer’s level of success. The fact that both sales force perfonnance and turnover can have significant implications has resulted in numerous studies attempting to identify causal relationships between perfonnance, turnover, and various salesperson characteristics and behavior. This study examines the relationship between perfonnance appraisals, a common managerial practice, and retail salesperson perfonnance and turnover. An evaluation of the relationship between perfonnance appraisals and salesperson productivity and turnover seems logical, since perfonnance appraisals are a regular portion of the management control process in many fInns. The responses provided by 185 retail salespeople and their managers leads to the conclusion that “properly” conducted perfonnance appraisals can have positive impacts on both sales force p...

Using Trade Incentives to Promote Customer Relationships in a Retail Setting

Suppliers and retailers use a variety of techniques designed to motivate salespeople to engage in specific selling behaviors that will provide results that will assist in achieving either the suppliers or retailers goals. One method that is commonly applied is the sales incentive. This research examines popular forms of incentives to assess the relationships that exist between the incentives offered and salesperson behaviors. The study also examines the types of incentives commonly used by both suppliers and retailers and salesperson perceptions of these incentives. To accomplish this, 95 salespeople working for a major automotive parts company responded to questions designed to assess their attitudes and behaviors toward incentives. The results provide information which may be valuable to manufacturers, retailers, and academicians as they investigate the use of incentive based compensation programs and sales force behavior.