Michael L. Mallin

A re‐examination of B2B sales performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of sales performance measurement by developing an organizing framework for classifying sales performance measures based on the various performance criteria used by researchers. Subsequently, the results of both a focus group and in‐depth interviews with sales managers and salespeople will be presented using the classification framework developed. The objective is to determine whether gaps exist between how researchers and practitioners view and classify salesperson performance measures as well as to provide insights to effective sales management practices in areas such as salesperson skill development, goal attainment, resource allocation, and customer relationship management.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study, using in‐depth interviews, explores the relationship between sales managers and salespersons and their respective views on sales performance measurement. The interview questions were developed using information...

Why Did I Lose? A Conservation of Resources View of Salesperson Failure Attributions

Hobfoll’s conservation of resource (COR) theory is used to predict how net resource loss (defined in this study as “sales failure impact”) influences the type of attributions used by salespeople to account for a sales setback. Partial support for the theory was found where salespeople employed external attributions to conserve resources following a loss perceived as having high sales failure impact. The role of self-efficacy and internal locus of control are also used to explain when salespeople choose internal attributions or to “spend” resources as predicted from COR. Implications for both sales research and sales management are discussed.

Social entrepreneurship and direct marketing

Purpose – To assist the social entrepreneur with direct marketing decision, the authors examine the relationship between the risks and costs associated with direct marketing for non‐profit organizations. This is done by developing and presenting a framework centered on two uncertainty factors – the cost to implement a direct marketing solution and control over (e.g. ability to manage) resources. A transaction cost analysis (economic) argument is used to rationalize the importance for entrepreneurs to effectively manage these two uncertainty factors when implementing a direct marketing program. This is illustrated using a perceptual mapping of each direct marketing channel relative to the two uncertainty dimensions.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is organized by first presenting a brief description of each direct marketing strategy relative to its use by entrepreneurs in a non‐profit business environment. These strategies include: online, direct mail, catalogue, direct response, telephone marketing...

How Do Unethical Salespeople Sleep at Night? The Role of Neutralizations in the Justification of Unethical Sales Intentions

The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a model illustrating the direct effects of five techniques of neutralizations (denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of victim, appeal to higher loyalties, and condemning the condemner) on the ethical intentions of salespeople. A sample consisting of 157 salespeople responded to an ethical case scenario survey to reveal that two neutralizations were predominant in influencing ethical intentions: denial of injury and appeal to higher loyalties. These relationships were tested in three sales behavioral settings: sales promoting, customer relationship building and maintenance, and sales organization. A post hoc test of moderation effects were included to shed additional light onhow some of the neutralizations interact with ethical judgment to impact salesperson ethical intentions. Implicationsfor research and practice are discussed as well as directions for further research.

The Impact of Learning Context on Intent to Use Marketing and Sales Technology: A Comparison of Scenario-Based and Task-Based Approaches

With firms focused on increasing efficiency and effectiveness in today’s marketing and sales environment, it is crucial that salesforce training methods facilitate greater adoption of salesforce automation technology. Given the growth in sales education at colleges and universities, firms are looking to recruit their frontline marketing and sales personnel direct from college. Thus, there is an opportunity for marketing educators to influence these future marketing and sales professionals’ attitudes toward technology via course instruction. This study combines technology-mediated learning and technology acceptance theories in the marketing sales education domain to show how two different contextual learning modes affected marketing and sales students’ perceptions of technology. A total of 252 marketing/sales students from an Account and Territory Management class were taught to use a salesforce automation tool using two different contextual learning approaches. Findings showed that when students were taught using an approach involving a realistic sales scenario, their perceptions of technology usefulness were greater than if the course instruction was delivered using a systematic task-based learning approach. This supports the view that the learning context of technology training matters. For students of marketing and sales, the implication is the development of perceptions that make them more willing to use technology in the workplace.

The role of uncertainty and sales control in the development of sales manager trust

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend previous research on trust and sales control to develop and test an argument that links informational uncertainty to the development of managerial trust in the salesperson.Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses are developed suggesting that shared goals and length of attachment reduces uncertainty, which has the effect of promoting managerial trust in the salesperson. In addition, it is hypothesized that sales control will have a (negative) moderating effect on these uncertainty‐trust relationships. Data were collected from 100 sales managers to measure their: sales control strategies, degree of trust, goal congruence, and the relationship tenure with three of their salespeople. An ordinary least squares regression analysis was used to test a model of hypothesized relationships.Findings – The results supported a direct and positive relationship between lower uncertainty (via goal congruence and relationship tenure) and managerial trust in the salesperson....

How salespeople deal with intergenerational relationship selling

Purpose – The Millennial generation (born after 1981) of salespeople is projected to become the apparent heir to replace top‐end Baby Boomers expected to retire at an alarming rate over the next five years. This problem poses a significant challenge in that buyer‐seller relationships will need to form between members of different generations.Design/methodology/approach – Through a grounded theory style approach, the paper explores this intergenerational selling relationship development problem.Findings – In addition to confirming that Millennial salespeople feel challenged by differences stemming from their age‐group, several strategies were identified for Millennial salespeople to overcome these challenges and effectively build relationships with their (older) customers.Research limitations/implications – The study is qualitative and based on a limited convenience sample, but reveals the need to further pursue study in this area.Practical implications – Managers can help younger salespeople develop strat...

Salesforce automation tool selectivity: an agency theory perspective

Purpose – A strong and repeating theme in sales force automation (SFA) tool research is perceived usefulness. When salespeople perceived high levels of SFA tool usefulness, they report higher intent and actual use. The authors aim to apply agency theory to the concept of perceived usefulness (from the technology acceptance model) to explain why salespeople adopt some forms of SFA and reject still others. A set of hypotheses are proposed and tested revealing that salespeople will decide to use a SFA tool because they perceive it to be useful to themselves (i.e. PUsp) and to their management (PUsm).Design/methodology/approach – Based on responses from 105 salespeople, the SFA tools they used were categorized as either outcome‐based (i.e. helping salespeople achieve their selling outcome goals) or activity‐based tools (i.e. helping management monitor selling activities/behaviors). Regression analyses were used to test six hypotheses relating salespeoples usage of each category of tools (the dependent variab...

The Proactive Behavior of Younger Salespeople: Antecedents and Outcomes

The purpose of this study is to model and test some of the antecedents (individual characteristics) and outcomes (selling performance) of proactive behavior among younger salespeople. Using social cognitive theory agency perspective, we extend the existing proactive behavior literature into the sales domain. We sampled 278 industrial salespeople and tested a model to confirm that younger salespeople tend to engage in proactive behaviors when they are intrinsically motivated, confident in the tasks of selling, and willing to take risks. Proactive behavior, in turn, resulted in our salesperson sample demonstrating high levels of behavior performance and job involvement. Our findings may help sales channel managers begin to assess the potential role of proactive salespeople within their sales organization. Understanding that proactivity (both directly and indirectly) impacts selling performance, managers might specifically attempt to identify salesperson proactive behavior characteristics during the interview process.

Antecedents and anticipated outcomes of superstitious behavior among professional salespeople

Purpose – The present study is a “first look” at sales superstitions with the purpose of establishing its prevalence among professional salespeople and examining the subsequent effects on sales person expected confidence, motivation, sales call behavioral intentions, and anticipated performance outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Data was collected from 234 industrial (business to business) salespeople. SmartPLS path modeling was used to test a model consisting of three antecedents and three outcomes of salesperson superstitious behavior intensity. Findings – The findings reveal that salespeople are more likely to behave superstitiously when they believe in personal good luck and experience higher levels of role ambiguity. For these salespeople, outcomes such as expected increase in confidence and motivation, positive sales behavioral intentions, and performance outcomes were anticipated as a result of their superstitions. Research limitations/implications – Social cognitive theory is used as an organ...