Effect of salesperson personality on sales performance from the customer’s perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 1739-1767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Said Echchakoui
Keyword(s):  
Sales Performance ◽  
Sales Force ◽  
Sales Managers ◽  
Mediation Model ◽  
Salesperson Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Reputation ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Purpose Drawing on socioanalytic theory, this paper aims to explore whether a moderation mediation model can describe the mechanism linking salesperson social reputation (perceived stability and plasticity) and performance (customer share of wallet) in relationship marketing. The mediator is the salesperson’s overall equity, and the moderator is the salesperson-customer congruence. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from 233 customers, served by 44 personal finance advisors at five banking agencies in Canada. Findings A multilevel approach showed that both perceived stability and perceived plasticity predict salesperson equity and performance. In addition, the empirical results indicated that the relationship between perceived stability and salesperson performance is partially mediated by salesperson overall equity. However, equity fully mediated the relationship between perceived plasticity and salesperson performance. Finally, the salesperson-customer congruence moderated the effect of both perceived stability and plastic on the salesperson overall equity. Research limitations/implications This research suggests that the moderation mediation model enables predicting the relationship between the perceived personality and performance. From a managerial perspective, the author encourages sales managers to pay attention to salespersons’ equity development as well as their performance. Notably, the author suggests that sales managers support and monitor salespeople with regard to improving their social status as well as their social popularity in their interactions with customers. Originality/value Previous research in sales force literature focuses on salespersons’ self-personality to predict sales performance. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to show it is important to consider the perceived personality of a salesperson in predicting their performance. This study is also the first to introduce the salesperson reputation concept and its dimensions (perceived stability and plasticity).

Salesperson profitability in relationship marketing

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 306-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Said Echchakoui
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Marketing ◽  
Transaction Cost Economics ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
Sales Force ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Critical Duration ◽  
Sales Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dynamic Exchange ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – This paper aims to answer a prominent question that arises for the manager who wishes to recruit a salesperson to maintain and develop a portfolio–customer relationship: Under which condition is this decision profitable for the firm? Though several authors have underscored the importance of the salesperson's role in the creation of purchaser–salesperson relationships, in the author's knowledge, no study has focused on the salesperson's profitability in the relationship approach. This issue is significant for sales managers because the investment in sales force is greater, and the relationship profitability with customers is not guaranteed. Design/methodology/approach – Econometric model based on transaction cost economics theory and dynamic exchange between firm, salesperson and a customer. Specifically, this model links between customer life value, firm financial value, salesperson cost and relationship time. Findings – Three zones are identified that can characterize the dynamic salesperson profitability. It was shown that only one zone can be profitable to the firm. Research limitations/implications – This result is important because it can solve the equivocal posit between scholars with regard to the success or the failure of relationship marketing. This study also specifies the critical retention rate, the critical duration time in which a salesperson begins to be profitable. Originality/value – In the author's knowledge, this study is the first to use an exchange model to show in which conditions the salesperson will be profitable in relationship marketing.

scholarly journals Does brand-relationships matter? The role of brand attachment in salesperson performance in retailing

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavia Braga Chinelato ◽  
Cid Gonçalves Filho ◽  
Clodoaldo Lopes Nizza Júnior
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Sales Performance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Salesperson Performance ◽  
Brand Attachment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Salesperson performance is accepted as a relevant factor of retailing success. However, scarce studies reveal the relationship between sales performance and brand relationship. The purpose of this study is both, from one side, to empirically demonstrate the impact of salesperson brand attachment (SBA) on sales performance and, on the other side, to identify the mediators of this relationship in small retailing. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted with a sample of 206 small retailers from different sectors of an emerging country. The proposed model was tested using partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS3. Findings The results demonstrated that SBA is relevant to driving sales performance through two relevant paths – one following SBA–satisfaction–performance and one path following the SBA–commitment–performance. The model was able to explain 63% of the outcome performance. Practical implications Regarding small retailers, where the owners, employees and managers have higher levels of interaction than the large national retail chains, the marketing executives must invest in improving the attachment to the brand and create emotional bonds and cognition between marketers and the brand. They must develop strategies to promote job satisfaction and organizational commitment because they determine performance. Originality/value Despite the relevance of small businesses for economies worldwide and the importance of salesperson brand relationships, no study has been developed to demonstrate the impacts of such relationships on salesperson performance in retailing. Furthermore, in addition to the central role of organizational commitment in the sales research, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore how to mediate the relationship between brand attachment and sales performance.

Job insecurity and performance in public and private sectors: a moderated mediation model

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-253
Author(s):  
Antonio Chirumbolo ◽  
Antonino Callea ◽  
Flavio Urbini
Keyword(s):  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Moderated Mediation ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Economic Sector ◽  
Mediation Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moderated Mediation Model ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to extend our knowledge of the relationship between quantitative and qualitative job insecurity and performance. On the basis of stress theories, we hypothesised that qualitative job insecurity (QLJI) would mediate the negative effect of quantitative job insecurity (QTJI) on two different indicators of performance: task performance (TP) and counterproductive work behaviours (CPWBs). In addition, the authors hypothesised that the effect of QTJI on QLJI would be moderated by the economic sector (public vs private) in which employees worked. Therefore, the authors empirically tested a moderated mediation model via PROCESS.Design/methodology/approachParticipants were 431 employees from various Italian organisations. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire measuring QTJI, QLJI, TP and CPWBs.FindingsThe results indicated that economic sector moderated the relationship between quantitative and QLJI. Both quantitative and QLJI were related to performance outcomes. Furthermore, QLJI mediated the effect of QTJI on TP and CPWB. However, this mediation was particularly apparent among employees in the private sector, supporting our hypothesised moderated mediation model.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that managers of private and public organisations need to apply different policies to reduce the impact of job insecurity on CPWBs and increase the TP of their employees.Originality/valueThis study attempted to examine the job insecurity–performance relationship in more depth. For the first time, the effects of both job insecurity dimensions on performance were simultaneously investigated, with economic sector as a moderator and QLJI as a mediator.

Electronic commerce adoption, entrepreneurial orientation and small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) performance

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Abebe
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Sales Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Significant Positive Influence ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Purpose – This study aims to contribute to the literature by addressing two research questions: is there a relationship between e-commerce adoption and performance of SMEs? And, more importantly, does the degree of entrepreneurial orientation moderate the relationship between e-commerce adoption and SME performance? Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from a sample of 55 manufacturing and service SMEs located in the state of Texas, USA, between 2008 and 2009 using a structured questionnaire. Customized questionnaires were mailed out to the owner-managers of 55 SMEs. A moderated regression analysis was conducted to test the two hypotheses. Findings – The results suggest that e-commerce adoption has a significant, positive influence on SMEs' average sales growth rate and that adopters of e-commerce technology have significantly higher average sales growth rate than non-adopters. The results also indicate that e-commerce adoption positively affects SMEs' annual sales growth rate even more when the sample firms have higher level of entrepreneurial orientation. Overall, the results of this analysis indicate the importance of e-commerce adoption as well as SMEs' entrepreneurial orientation on the performance of SMEs. Research limitations/implications – The findings of this study can be useful for SMEs in general as a means of understanding how e-commerce adoption positively affects the firm's performance. Such a relationship suggests that e-commerce adoption is an important factor that can enhance firm's internal processes and ultimately performance. Therefore, e-commerce adopters should continue to utilize this technology while non-adopters should consider harnessing the potential of this technology to further streamline their operations and effectiveness. Originality/value – This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the role of e-commerce adoption and entrepreneurial orientation in small firm performance.

Does network building improve sales performance? The stabilizing role of job embeddedness

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-133
Author(s):  
Chia-Yi Cheng ◽  
Jung-Nung Chang
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Sales Performance ◽  
Job Embeddedness ◽  
Sales Force ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Network Building ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to combine the concepts of network building (NB) and job embeddedness (JE; both on-the-job and off-the-job embeddedness (ON and OFF)) and examines how to improve sales performance (SP) by effectively stabilizing the sales force. Design/methodology/approach – Sales practices were examined to establish the measures of overall sales performance. A factor analysis was conducted to extract two performance dimensions: customer relationship performance (CRP) and product selling performance (PSP). Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized model by analyzing survey data collected from 445 salespeople who work for the top five insurance firms in Taiwan. Findings – The results show that the NB of salespeople has a direct positive effect on ON and OFF; JE plays a critical role in mediating the relationship between NB and SP; and NB contributes directly only to CRP. However, it does not have a positive effect on PSP until JE is introduced as a mediator to generate CRP. Practical implications – In developing the NB of salespeople, managers should be provided with clear indicators about on-the-job and off-the-job-embeddedness for manpower stability. Moreover, in addition to seeking product sales, managers should direct salespeople to embed in sales work by providing performance measures involving customer relationship. Originality/value – This study highlights the need for a viable and integrated model of sales performance. The results indicate that the career achievement of field service employees relies primarily on whether they could effectively build social relationships. Theoretically, this investigation introduces NB into the JE theory, clarifies the relationship among NB, JE, and SP, and proposes a superior mechanism (CRP) for improving sales performance in the financial and insurance industries. Moreover, this study provides additional support for the relationship between ON and OFF.

scholarly journals The relationship of facets of salesperson job satisfaction with affective organizational commitment

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 311-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Boles ◽  
Ramana Madupalli ◽  
Brian Rutherford ◽  
John Andy Wood
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Sales Force ◽  
Sales Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Propensity To Leave ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Business To Business

PurposeThis paper aims to examines the relationships between various facets of salesperson job satisfaction as assessed by the INDSALES measure and salesperson organizational commitment. The paper also seeks to explore salesperson gender as a moderator of the relationship between facets of job satisfaction and organizational commitment.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses survey research of one firm's business‐to‐business salespeople to examine the relationships between facets of salesperson job satisfaction and salesperson organizational commitment.FindingsStudy results indicate that various facets of job satisfaction are more strongly related to organizational commitment. Findings also indicate that these relationships are not the same for male and female salespeople.Practical implicationsFindings demonstrate to sales managers that not all types of satisfaction are related to organizational commitment, which has been strongly linked to a salesperson's propensity to leave an organization. Further, various facets of satisfaction such as pay and promotion are more important to men than to women. Women find that satisfaction with co‐workers is more closely related to organizational commitment than it is for men. These findings have significant relevance to sales managers.Originality/valueThe relationship between facets of job satisfaction and organizational commitment has not been extensively researched. This is true even though these are two very important issues when dealing with sales force management. Likewise, the issue of men and women valuing different types of satisfaction to varying degrees has not been thoroughly examined in the business‐to‐business sales force literature.

Getting stellar sales performance: why sales managers’ mentoring, coaching and technology capabilities make the difference

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 13-16
Author(s):  
Komal Khandelwal Das ◽  
Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay ◽  
Subrata Das
Keyword(s):  
Sales Force ◽  
Organizational Sustainability ◽  
Role Clarity ◽  
Sales Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sales Training ◽  
Sales Organization ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Strategic Relationships ◽  
And Performance

Purpose – The aim of this viewpoint is to distinguish the importance of sales managers’ attitude and role clarity in the context of mentoring, coaching and technology capabilities to achieve stellar sales force operations and performance. Design/methodology/approach – This report reviews the sales training literature to highlight how managerial interventions enhance competencies, behaviours and advanced level of selling orientation by mentoring and coaching construct. The concept of manager’s creativity and imagination is brought out to explain why it should be adapted and carried out in an era of vibrant and dynamic selling paradigm. Findings – Adapting and implementing the concept of mentoring and coaching in a personal or industrial selling context may provide sales organization and academicians a better reason of how leadership and personality traits of manager enhance learning transfer. Practical implications – Sales managers could develop appropriate new metrics based on market orientation for building strategic relationships, thereby eliminates ambiguity in sales-force function. Social implications – Increased sales result in sales force retention, organizational sustainability and economic growth. Originality/value – This paper introduces the concept of mentoring and coaching touch as improvement tactics to transform average salespeople into exceptional performers in contemporary selling to surpass productivity records.

Roles of supply chain network centralities on firm performance: an explorative study on Tokyo manufacturing industries

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio K.W_ Lau ◽  
An Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Data Bank ◽  
Sales Performance ◽  
Supply Networks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to explore the impact of supply chain centralities on sales performance moderated by reputation and stock listing. Design/methodology/approach Empirical data on supply chain relationships were drawn from the context of electronics and electrical appliance industries in Tokyo, sourced from Teikoku Data Bank in year 2017–2018. On average, the authors analyzed an industrial network of 4,181 focal firms with 3.6 and 3.8 supplier and customer ties, respectively, using social networks and moderated regression analyses. Findings The authors find that in-(out-)degree, closeness and betweenness centralities are positively related to the focal firm’s annual sales performance. Hubs and authorities as ways of measuring reputation are found to not directly affect performance; hubs negatively moderate the relationship between betweenness and performance. Stock-listing was also found to negatively moderate the relationship between in-degree centrality and performance. Originality/value This study adds to existing literature by conducting a supply network analysis in a new industrial context, introducing a new method for assessing firm reputation in supply networks and showing how the structural characteristics of supply networks influence business performance.

Linking improvisational behavior, adaptive selling behavior and sales performance

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peerayuth Charoensukmongkol ◽  
Pornprom Suthatorn
Keyword(s):  
Causal Effect ◽  
Sales Performance ◽  
Sales Force ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Product Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adaptive Selling ◽  
Adaptive Selling Behavior ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis research examined the relationships between improvisational behavior, adaptive selling behavior and sales performance of direct sellers in Thailand. This research also investigated whether these relationships are moderated by the degree of challenge orientation and sellers' knowledge about the products.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through a survey with sellers from a subsidiary of a multinational corporation located in Bangkok, Thailand (n = 172). Partial least squares–structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.FindingsResults from data analysis revealed positive relationships between improvisational behavior, adaptive selling behavior and sales performance. The relationship between improvisational behavior and adaptive selling behavior, as well as the relationship between adaptive selling behavior and sales performance, significantly depended on the degree of challenge orientation and the sellers' knowledge about the products.Research limitations/implicationsThe data were collected using self-report measures; the sample was sellers from a single sales organization, and cross-sectional data were used for the analysis. Overall, this study is the exploratory research that does not intend to prove the causal effect of improvisational behavior, but rather to provide new insight on some conditional factors that influence its effectiveness.Practical implicationsIt is essential for sales organizations to ensure that their sales force has adequate improvisational skills to handle sales adaptations effectively during unexpected sales situations. Some training may be offered to the sales force to develop these imperative improvisational skills.Originality/valueThe results regarding the moderating effect of challenge orientation and product knowledge provided additional insight to prior research about the potential conditions that influence the effectiveness of improvisational behavior and adaptive selling behaviors.

scholarly journals Indices of Heart Rate Variability and Performance During a Response-Conflict Task Are Differently Associated With ADHD and Autism

2021 ◽  
pp. 108705472097279
Author(s):  
Alessio Bellato ◽  
Iti Arora ◽  
Puja Kochhar ◽  
Chris Hollis ◽  
Madeleine J. Groom
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Response Conflict ◽  
Mediation Model ◽  
Conflict Task ◽  
Accurate Performance ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Comorbid Adhd ◽  
The Relationship

We investigated autonomic arousal, attention and response conflict, in ADHD and autism. Heart rate variability (HRV), and behavioral/electrophysiological indices of performance, were recorded during a task with low and high levels of response conflict in 78 children/adolescents (7–15 years old) with ADHD, autism, comorbid ADHD+autism, or neurotypical. ANOVA models were used to investigate effects of ADHD and autism, while a mediation model was tested to clarify the relationship between ADHD and slower performance. Slower and less accurate performance characterized ADHD and autism; however, atypical electrophysiological indices differently characterized these conditions. The relationship between ADHD and slower task performance was mediated by reduced HRV in response to the cue stimulus. Autonomic hypo-arousal and difficulties in mobilizing energetic resources in response to sensory information (associated with ADHD), and atypical electrophysiological indices of information processing (associated with autism), might negatively affect cognitive performance in those with ADHD+autism.

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