Robert M. Peterson

Social Media’s Influence on Business-to-Business Sales Performance

The implementation of social media technology in a firm’s marketing strategy has been adopted by some forward-thinking sales forces. Sharing content and building a network of contacts are the principles behind social media. The utilization of social media (e.g., LinkedIn and Twitter) for reaching business-to-business clients is a relatively new phenomenon with performance outcomes essentially unknown. Data were collected from 1,699 business-to-business salespeople from over 25 different industries. Using structural equation modeling, the findings support that social media has a positive relationship with sales processes (creating opportunities and relationship management) and relationship sales performance.

Business-to-Business Selling Determinants of Quality

Abstract With the recent growing interest in service relationships in the industrial sector, a need exists to investigate the underlying determinants for service quality for business-to-business service encounters. An overview of the relevent literature dealing with service quality is given that provides theoretical grounding for an exploratory study. This project evaluates the efficacy of SERVQUAL’s underlying determinants in an industrial setting, explores other salient variables germane to industrial settings not originally found in the SERVQUAL model, and analyzes cross-industrial differences along these salient variables. Finally, practical suggestions are offered to assist managers providing services to businesses.

CRM/Social Media Technology: Impact on Customer Orientation Process and Organizational Sales Performance

The importance of technology in managing relationships with customers has grown significantly, especially with the advent of innovations such as cloud computing and web-based technology. One of the more popular topics in both academic research and business discussions has been the use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology to increase business and sales productivity through the ongoing development of relationships with buyers. A new phenomenon in understanding buyers’ needs and reaching new customers is social media. Organizations are capturing data from tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook and blogs, and attempting to integrate this information into their sales process. In order to extract value from technology, organizations need to build a framework and processes to deliver value to the customer.

Running a Micro Business in Marketing Class: Experiential Learning Right out of the Gate

This teaching and learning innovation introduces an organizing framework, the project management plan (PMP), that provides structure to team processes and guides effective team outcomes in marketing course projects. Using basic principles of project management, the PMP incorporates process issues not commonly discussed in the marketing classroom, demonstrates instructor commitment to student learning, creates excellent project outcomes, and provides a system that can be transferred to other courses and the workplace. While the design of the PMP is straightforward, it also requires the instructor to take a more active and supportive role in team process and performance.

Social Media in Large Sales Forces: An Empirical Study of the Impact of Sales Process Capability and Relationship Performance

Using a resource-based view of the firm as a foundation, the research investigates antecedents and outcomes of social media used in organizations with large sales forces (500 or more). This study specifically investigates sales process capability as a moderator and relationship performance as a mediator. The results, based on 184 sales professionals, indicate upper management support and sales personnel capabilities having positive effects on social media usage. Using partial least squares path modeling, the study reveals that sales process capability moderates the relationship between social media and sales performance. Moreover, relationship-based performance mediated the connection between social media use and sales-based performance. Research and managerial implications of the findings are then discussed.

Building Student Networks with LinkedIn: The Potential for Connections, Internships, and Jobs.

Networking is a chance to interact with people, build friendships or business partners, identify opportunities, and create value. Technology has made this process easier, since individuals can readily contact others who were previously unknown. In the professional world, LinkedIn has become the standard way to build virtual and personal networks. One innovative class exercise had students building profiles, garnering connections, joining groups, posting comments, and obtaining and writing letters of recommendations. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with students exceeding the required mandates, but more important, they learned how to use networking tools to improve their knowledge and access to experts, and secured job offers based on their LinkedIn profile and presence.

The role of social CRM and its potential impact on lead generation in business-to-business marketing

The implementation of social media technology into a firm’s marketing strategy has been a significant discussion for many sales organisations. Currently, only a fraction of business-to-business (B2B) organisations are using social media (e.g., Linked-In and Twitter), for reaching potential consumers. Thus, these media tools are underutilised in the sales and marketing process or often non-existent. With the evolution of the internet and Web 2.0, adding a social media strategy, also known as social CRM, to a company’s marketing initiatives may provide a competitive advantage to firms who are able to cultivate the benefits. In this paper, we review how social CRM can be utilised in the prospecting process and customer engagement strategy. Also noted are some best practises for implementing social CRM in a B2B marketing environment by analysing current companies’ integration of this new method for interacting with prospective clients.

Examining the use of sales force management practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand what sales management practices (SMPs) are being used by managers in the current market place, changes over time, insights that can be gained and future research needs. Design/methodology/approach Data for this paper were collected via a cross-sectional internet-based survey using a sampling frame provided by a professional sales publication. ANOVA was used to analyze 159 sales manager respondents. Findings Empirical results indicate that several differences are evident across the 68 SMPs items gathered, especially in terms of the size of the sales force and establish some data on using technology in sales management. However, in spite of significant changes in the sales environment, many SMPs have had limited change. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this paper include a sample frame drawn from a single source and via the internet and, thus, may have excluded some possible respondents from participation and somewhat limit generalizability. Practical implications The results of this paper raise a number of important issues for sales managers to consider. First, which SMPs should they be using? Managers need to give serious thought as to which practices they choose to use. Second, why are so many of them not making more extensive use of sales force technology? Third, is it wise for sales managers to be relying on executive opinion as their most extensively used forecasting method or should they be emphasizing another approach? A fourth issue is the continued heavy emphasis on generating sales volume as opposed to profits. Originality/value The data provide a rare and updated understanding of the use of SMPs by sales managers.

The Effect of Sales People, Processes, and Provisions on Performance: The 4P-Sales Management Model

In this paper the authors develop and empirically test a comprehensive 4-P Sales Management Model. The model simultaneously considers the affect sales People, sales Processes and sales Provisions (how the firm equips sales representatives, in this case technology support, specifically CRM) have on firm Performance. By simultaneously examining the relative effect these various characteristics have on firm performance this research presents a holistic approach to understanding the antecedents of sales performance. The development of the 4-P Sales Management Model offers important theoretical and substantive contributions. A brief overview of the model is outlined here.

Impact of CRM technology on sales process behaviors: empirical results from US, Europe, and Asia

ABSTRACT Purpose: The diffusion of customer relationship management (CRM) systems across the globe, over the last decade, has created a need to improve the understanding of the impact of technology on the sales process from a global perspective. The authors examine how CRM technology impacts the sales process (creating opportunity, managing opportunity, and managing relationships) in three regions of the world (US, Europe, and Asia). Methodology/Approach: The differences among US respondents (n = 789), European respondents (n = 327), and Asian respondents (n = 91) were explored. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted on creating opportunity, managing opportunity, and managing relationships, with dichotomized CRM effectiveness and geography (US/Europe/Asia) as factors. Findings: The MANOVA revealed a significant influence of CRM effectiveness, but a non-significance for geography and a non-significance for the interaction between CRM effectiveness and geography. This pattern of results suggests that CRM effectiveness leads to significant differences in sales processes; however, these influences are not qualified by the geography to which the firm belongs. Ensuing univariate Analysis of Varirances (ANOVAs) revealed a significant influence of CRM effectiveness on creating opportunity, managing opportunity, and managing relationships, but not for firm–geography or its interaction with CRM effectiveness. Post hoc tests revealed that firms high on CRM effectiveness were better at creating opportunity, managing opportunity, and managing relationships. Differences in CRM effectiveness lead to significant differences in sales processes; however, these influences once again are not qualified by the geography to which the firms belong. Originality/Value Contribution: This study provides several contributions to the stream of research focused on CRM globally. First, due to globalization, CRM use and process can be more standardized across regions and cultures. With the evolution of technology such as Web 2.0 and cloud computing, barriers to communicating and exchanging information, regardless of time zone or location, have been decreased. A US firm’s use of a CRM platform can essentially capture the same information on a client that a firm in Europe or Asia also manages. CRM’s ultimate measure of success is for the buyer–seller relationship process to positively impact the level of business conducted.