Sales Performance Research Articles

Salespeople’s sales performance skills in B2B of services firms – a cross-industrial study

PurposeThis study aims to examine the role of salespeople’s skills in relative and absolute SP in business-to-business (B2B) settings of services firms. This conceptual logic reported in meta-analytical works, that salespeople’s skills relate directly to their sales performance (SP), is questioned.Design/methodology/approachhis research relies on existing theory and previous studies on SP drivers and SP measures. The literature identifies a set of common denominators on the role of salespeople’s skills regarding their SP, all of which are tested in this study. Based on a deductive approach and questionnaire survey, 732 service firms in Norway were targeted. A total of 389 questionnaires were returned, generating a response rate of 53.1%.FindingsA total of 10 out of 12 hypothesized relationships in the research model dealing with the relationship between SP drivers and SP turn out to be non-significant. The hypothesized relationship in the research model between relative and absolute SP is also supported.Research limitations/implicationsThe results reported in this study, based on a large sample of service firms, empirically confirm that the direct effect is generally overestimated. Empirical evidence is provided that sheds additional light on the role of salespeople’s skills in relative and absolute SP in B2B settings of services firms.Practical implicationsThis study offers meaningful and relevant insights into the monitoring of SP drivers to practitioners in B2B sales settings of services firms. Salespeople need to learn about gathering knowledge in training programs about each customer and their specific situation. Firms should strive to recruit salespeople who possess the appropriate skills, taking into consideration their customers and specific situations related to them, such as experiences from competitors. Salespeople may be organized around similar customers and similar customer situations, rather than geographical assignments.Originality/valueOverall, this research contributes insights into the role played by salespeople’s skills in relative and absolute SP in B2B settings of services firms. In particular, the research contributes additional insights into the non-existent role of interpersonal presentation and communication skills, adaptiveness of sales approach and sales behavior skills and product/technology-related knowledge skills in salespeople’s relative and absolute SP in B2B settings of services firms.

User Experience Design Sales Performance and Sales Person Productivity Application MTFSales Using Human Centered Design Method (Case Study: PT Mandiri Tunas Finance)

PT Mandiri Tunas Finance is a company engaged in financing new or used cars, motorcycles, and commercial vehicles, with a network of 102 branches spread throughout Indonesia. In its business process, sales performance monitoring is still considered ineffective, because the information about sales performance is in the form of an excel calculated manually. The salesperson could not monitor it directly. This study aims to produce a MTFSales application design using Human Centered Design. The prototype was tested using the user testing method and the SUPR-Q questionnaire. The results of the test using user testing are positive results with some suggestions from users. The test results using the SUPR-Q method for sales officers are 88.19%, sales heads are 88.65% and branch managers are 83.81%. All three are in the excellent and acceptable categories so it can be said that the design can be accepted by the users.

THE IMPACT OF THE E-COMMERCE BY-PRODUCTS SALES ON THE COMPANIES’ DEVELOPMENT

The aim of this study was to identify the impact of by-products that are sold through e-commerce on the companies’ development. The research focuses on the behavior of end consumers (individuals)within the online shopping industry, for instance e-commerce, game production companies. The research objectives were to provide information about by-products of the existing e-commerce companies that will make new startups in the future, about online game producers and similar products, which are the main subject for all kinds of shopping on the internet. The authors also discussed the sales performance of the treatment store that shifted to a substitute-based assortment organization. The authors studied the experience of scientists, who used a virtual reality experiment to explore the moderating impact of the shopping goal specificity on consumer purchases.

Customer segmentation analysis for improving sales using clustering

Customer segmentation analysis, a vital component of marketing strategy, involves the categorization of a diverse customer base into distinct segments, each with unique characteristics and preferences. This process enables businesses to tailor their marketing efforts, create personalized experiences, and ultimately enhance sales performance. Clustering, a powerful data analysis technique plays a pivotal role in identifying these customer segments. By applying clustering algorithms to customer data, businesses gain valuable insights that facilitate the development of targeted strategies. This abstract explores the significance of customer segmentation analysis through clustering in the context of sales improvement. It highlights the benefits of clustering, such as resource optimization, customer retention, and the creation of more effective marketing campaigns. This research emphasizes the practical applications of clustering in identifying customer segments, allowing businesses to allocate resources efficiently, foster customer loyalty, and drive revenue growth. The abstract underscores the importance of data-driven customer segmentation as a strategic tool for businesses aiming to thrive in competitive markets, ultimately leading to improved sales outcomes.

Reclaiming the contingent nature of the determinants of salesperson performance: an extended meta-analysis

Professional selling has been transformed over the last decade and is in constant flux. Fundamental changes have occurred in how best to achieve salesperson performance and how to measure it. In this article, we present a meta-analysis of the determinants of salesperson performance using 150 studies, 936 raw effects, and ten moderating variables captured from 2009 to 2020. Our findings enable us to identify 19 key determinants of performance and to classify these within a sales determinant continuum, ranging from universal, to context-specific to necessary but insufficient predictors of performance. Our results show the significant influence the operationalization of salesperson performance has on the relationship between sales determinants and performance outcomes. Our study offers more nuanced guidelines for sales management practice than previous studies and suggests a greater alignment between research sampling and performance measurement methods to further our understanding of sales performance going forward.

Social media in response to COVID-19: how increased social media usage affects the performance of B2B salespeople in the “new normal”

External shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic can fundamentally change the working conditions of salespeople and their customer interactions. This paper examines whether and how a change in social media usage by B2B salespeople following the first wave of lockdowns in response to COVID-19 in 2020 affected their sales performance. The results of a survey of 568 B2B salespeople show that an increase in social media usage following this external shock can lead to an increase in salespeople’s performance under certain conditions: This effect is contingent on the salespeople’s level of training in social media and their customer focus in social media usage. If these conditions are not met, an increase in social media usage following this external shock may even decrease salespeople’s performance. These findings provide insights into how firms can better understand what helps to be prepared for a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic and successfully further embed social media in the functioning of their sales organizations.

PERANCANGAN DASHBOARD PERFOMA SALES DI CV MIRKO SEJAHTERA ABADI

Dashboard is design for CV Mirko Sejahtera Abadi aims to improve the sales performance of CV Mirko Sejahtera Abadi. Making the dashboard can make CV Mirko Sejahtera Abadi easier to know their sales every month and also, they sales performance every month. The design of this dashboard uses the Waterfall model System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) development methodology. The database used in this application is MySQL. The programming languages used are HTML and PHP.

Genes and Sales

This paper presents one of the first marketing applications of molecular genetics. We report evidence that salespeople’s genetic variants linked to educational attainment predict sales performance. Both genetics and selling effort contribute to sales performance, whereas genetics contribute more than personality traits. We further show that adaptive learning, as captured in salespeople’s customer orientation and opportunity recognition skills, may explain the gene-sales relationship. We discuss the implications of these findings for sales management and the value of genetic research for the marketing field. This paper was accepted by Matthew Shum, marketing. Funding: S. Gong acknowledges financial support from the NSFC [Grant 71972040] and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [2022NTSS43]. Q. Li acknowledges financial support from the NSFC [Grant 72072014] and Young Talent Program of Beijing Foreign Studies University. S. Su acknowledges financial support from the NSFC [Grant 71872016]. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4879 .

Linking social media marketing to restaurant performance – the moderating role of advertising expenditure

PurposeBuilt upon customer engagement marketing theory and uses and gratification theory, this study examines the link between individual social media marketing (SMM) performance indicators and restaurant sales performance at the firm level. Moreover, the study investigates the moderating effect of advertising expenditure on this proposed relationship.Design/methodology/approachRandom effect regression models were developed in Stata to examine the associations between SMM performance indicators, advertising expenditure, and restaurant firm revenue. Twelve years of SMM data from brands' Facebook pages were collected with a web scraper built in Python. Natural language processing was used to analyze the sentiment of user-generated content (UGC).FindingsThe results suggest that restaurant annual sales revenue increases as the volume of brand posts, “like”s, “share”s and positive comments on restaurants' Facebook pages increase. However, the total number of comments and the number of negative comments show non-significant associations with revenue. Firm advertising expenditure negatively moderates the relationships between sales revenue and the number of “like”s, “share”s, total comments and positive comments.Practical implicationsRestaurants benefit from making frequent posts on SNSs. Promotions that motivate online users to “like”, share, and comment on brand posts should be implemented. Firms with limited advertising budgets are encouraged to actively create buzz on SNSs due to evidenced stronger effects of UGC on sales performance than large advertisers.Originality/valueThis research bridges the gap by studying the effects of individual SMM performance indicators on restaurant financial outcomes. The findings support the effectiveness of SMM; and, for the first time, demonstrate that SMM could generate a more profound impact for firms with low advertising budgets.

Information System Design at FGH Stores with Unified Modelling Language

This project aims to develop and execute a proficient information system at FGH Stores, to enhance sales performance and improve customer satisfaction. This study centers on incorporating information technology into routine business activities, intending to devise strategies that facilitate seamless consumer interactions and aid store management in effectively handling inventory and customer data. The research process includes the examination of business needs, the formulation of system architecture, the creation of user interfaces that prioritize ease of use, and the integration of databases. The resultant information system facilitates consumer registration as members, reduces browsing of product catalogs, and enables efficient execution of purchases. Furthermore, implementing shop management systems enables enhanced inventory monitoring, efficient customer data management, and improved responsiveness to consumer requests. This study assesses the effects of information systems on enhancing sales and operational efficiency by conducting data collection and analysis before and after deployment. The findings indicated that implementing information systems effectively enhanced the efficiency of the sales process and improved the customer experience, yielding substantial advantages for the growth of retail establishments. This study offers valuable insights into the possible utilization of information technology within the retail industry while also contributing to the comprehension of the favorable effects that information systems integration may have on corporate expansion and customer satisfaction.

How Innovation Affects Users’ Emotional Responses: Implications for Product Success and Business Sustainability

The market is experiencing an expanding range of products, prompting manufacturing companies to differentiate themselves from competitors by moving away from conventional concepts. However, these innovations often fail to meet consumer expectations, leading to product failure, and consequently, an unsustainable evolution of the market and the business. This unsustainability requires designers to adapt innovations to align with consumer needs and desires. Understanding and validating these adaptations can be achieved by examining users’ emotional responses to innovative products. The objective of this study is to assess the influence of innovation in the development of new successful products, sales performance, and, therefore, business sustainability. This evaluation is based on the perceptions of potential consumers through the analysis of users’ emotional responses to various new product concepts at different design stages. A case study presents the evaluation of 48 new interactive lamp concepts categorized into relaxation, study, and leisure topics. The target audience for these concepts is consumers aged 18 to 24. The designs were developed by 12 teams of final-year industrial design students using insights from a prior psychographic study involving over 800 potential consumers. The findings highlight differences in users’ perceptions of innovative and traditional products across topics. These differences relate to users’ interest, intuitiveness, and desirability toward a product. Generally, traditional product concepts are perceived as more intuitive, but users show greater interest and desire for innovative concepts, with some variations among the analyzed topics. The business environment is encouraged to share these data with new product-development teams to achieve sustainable market and business growth.

Inside sales managers’ utilization of cultural controls as part of a sales control portfolio to enhance overall sales performance

Purpose The purpose of this study is to extend sales control research to inside sales. Aside from a few notable exceptions (Conde et al., 2022) much of the sales control literature has focused on a single control mechanism rather than a sales control portfolio perspective. The authors add multiple layers to Conde et al. (2022) by capturing secondary operational data and manager interviews to access sales control theory in practice. Design/methodology/approach With operational data from a Fortune 100 financial services company and sales manager interviews, the authors present evidence that managers apply a portfolio of controls to ensure sales agents’ overall performance. Findings Findings support that cultural controls have a greater influence on overall performance than a focus solely on process and outcome controls. Inside sales managers can generate better results when they focus on creating an employee-centric culture rather than controlling sales agents with formal sales controls. Originality/value This study extends sales control research by examining inside sales managers’ formal and informal sales controls. Historically, inside sales had sales leaders balance a myriad of sales controls grounded in strict oversight. With a few notable exceptions, the limited inside sales control research provides the opportunity to display an inside sales manager’s need to jointly focus on operational results and sales outcomes, illustrating the importance of cultural controls compared to other sales process and outcome controls. This research considerably extends sales controls research by focusing on inside sales.

Examining the Antecedents and Consequences of Adaptive Selling Capability: Study from Microfinance Institutions in Indonesia

In the heated business competition of today’s financial services sector, small conventional banks such as microfinance institutions (MFIs) must maintain superior salespeople with adaptive selling capabilities to increase sales performance. Therefore, it is critical to investigate the determinant factor and consequences of salespeople’s adaptive selling capability. This study proposed to examine the effect of psychological empowerment dimensions, namely: meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact, on adaptive selling capability. In addition, this research also scrutinises the link between adaptive selling capability and sales performance by examining innovative selling behavior as a mediating variable. A total of 205 salespeople from 34 MFIs in Central Java, Indonesia, participated in the survey. Based on structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analyses, this study found that psychological empowerment dimensions significantly affect adaptive selling capability. Findings also demonstrate that adaptive selling capability positively influences innovative selling behaviour. Finally, the results revealed that innovative selling behaviour mediates the relationship between adaptive selling capability and sales performance. This research provides insight for MFI managers to improve sales performance by cultivating employee psychological empowerment, which impacts adaptive selling capability and innovative selling behavior.

SALES MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING

This comprehensive book aims to provide readers with an in-depth understanding of sales management, covering analysis and decision-making for developing effective sales strategies and tactics. It also delves into various concepts, techniques, and tools used in sales management and how to apply them in practice. The book covers topics such as personal selling, organizational strategies, sales organization structure, salesforce deployment, recruitment and selection, sales training, sales leadership, motivation and reward systems, evaluating organizational effectiveness, and evaluating salesperson performance. Additionally, it explores the role of personal selling in marketing, highlighting the difference between trust-based selling and transactional selling. The book emphasizes the importance of customer value in sales strategy and adaptive selling. Current trends in sales professionalism, such as complexity, collaboration, and accountability, are also discussed. Organizational strategy's impact on the sales function is examined, along with the allocation of sales efforts and territory design. The importance of recruiting the right sales talent and the significance of sales training for both newly recruited and existing sales force members are emphasized. Sales leadership and management are explored, considering situational factors influencing effective leadership approaches. The book also delves into motivation management and reward systems, detailing various financial and non-financial rewards that motivate salespeople. Evaluating the effectiveness of sales organizations and salesperson performance are also discussed, along with various evaluation methods. Overall, this book provides valuable insights and practical guidance for sales managers, sales management students, and anyone seeking to enhance their sales performance. Ingram et al. have skillfully written this book, offering a comprehensive resource for navigating the complexities of sales management.

Fast-talking, Loud-voiced and Silver-tongued: Patterns of Prosody and Sales Performance

Fast-talking, Loud-voiced and Silver-tongued: Patterns of Prosody and Sales Performance

Inclusion of Women and Older Employees in Telecom Sales Teams and Sales Performance

Inclusion of Women and Older Employees in Telecom Sales Teams and Sales Performance

Influence of Sustainability Marketing Performance on Organisational Sales Performance in the Food and Beverage Companies in Nigeria

The study investigated sustainability marketing and organisational sales results in the food and beverage companies based on a study of Nigerian Bottling Company Plc in Lagos State. The study adopted a quantitative research method in terms of a descriptive research strategy using a survey method. A sample of 337 respondents was chosen through purposive sampling technique and convenience sampling technique to select respondents from the Nigerian Bottling Company Plc headquarters in Ebute Metta and Agidingbi areas of Lagos State. Data collection was done through a designed questionnaire and was analysed through the utilisation and employment of frequency distribution, simple percentages, means, standard deviations and regressionre analysis. The findings and outcomes from the data analysis indicated that social responsibility, economic responsibility and environmental responsibility have a significant positive influence on the sales performance of the Nigerian Bottling Company Plc in Lagos State. It was therefore concluded that sustainability marketing has a significant positive influence on organisational sales performance in the Nigerian Bottling Company Plc in Lagos State. In consensus with the results and conclusion of this work, it was recommended among other things that sustainability marketing strategy should be done in a meaningful manner that creates value for the communities and society, shareholders and investors as well as the environment in which the Nigerian Bottling Company in Lagos State operates.

Visualisasi Data Penjualan Barang Retail di Seluruh Dunia Menggunakan Tableau

In recent years, electronic commerce or e-commerce has experienced significant growth worldwide. Retail companies utilize e-commerce platforms to sell their products to customers in various countries. In this context, a good understanding of sales data and trends in the global market becomes crucial for optimizing marketing strategies and improving sales performance. Data visualization plays a vital role in transforming complex sales data into easily understandable graphs, charts, and tables. Tableau, as a popular data visualization tool, aids retail companies in creating appealing and informative dashboards, understanding global sales trends, identifying business opportunities, and making evidence-based decisions. In this research, descriptive analysis is used to provide a concise and detailed overview of sales data in the global retail industry. The visualization results using Tableau reveal that New Zealand is the country with the highest sales, the year 2014 had the highest sales, and personal care products are the most purchased items by consumers. This research provides valuable insights for retail companies to optimize their marketing strategies and make better-informed decisions based on a deeper understanding of their sales data.

Can fiscal decentralizationand farmers' use of internent be the route to the digitalization performance in China? A novel approach towards unlocking the role of online marketing behavior and performance ofagricultural products.

It is believed that the respondents' disadvantageous positions and the information asymmetry that exists between them are the bottlenecks that contribute to the stagnation of trades and the poor revenue that respondents receive from agro-products. Digitalization and fiscal decentralization both play an important part in helping to increase the information literacy of respondents who live in rural areas. The purpose of this study is to investigate the theoretical effects that the digital revolution has had on environmental behavior and performance, and it also analyzes the part that digitalization plays in the process of fiscal decentralization. This study investigates the impact that farmers' usage of the Internet has on their information literacy, online sales behavior, and online sales performance using research data collected from 1338 farmers in China primarily produce pears. Primarydata was collected andutilized to develop a structural equation model, using the partial least squares (PLS) and bootstrapping methods; according to the findings, the use of the Internet by farmers has a significant positive effect on the improvement of their information literacy, and it will promote their online sales of pear through the improvement of their information literacy. The results show that the use of the Internet by farmers will improve the online sales performance of pear due to the improvement of farmers' information literacy.

High Involvement Team Creativity and Continuous Improvement on Sales Performance: A Study on Metal Industry

Managers and company strategies endeavors on varied tactics, which ensures that they meet the demand of the customers at all time. Thus, the need to address this concern. The study aimed to conduct the impact of team creativity and continuous improvement on sales Performance in car and metal industry. Using the three significant section of the title, namely team creativity, continuous improvement, and sales performance, the researcher was then able to design not only the study model but also come up with the theoretical framework. On the methodology, the design of this study was empirical-based quantitative research. The chosen design further uses the exploratory and descriptive approach. The total number of sample participants in this study were 159. Pearson correlation analysis indicates that team creativity, continuous improvement, and sales performances have a significant association. However, the level of correlation between continuous improvement relative significance with sales performances. The regression table above indicates that the predictors are positive and vital to the dependent variable, which is sales performance at 0.000b. In conclusion, the researcher found out that there is a close relation between team creativity and continuous improvement with sale performance. Whereas, team creativity and continuous improvement are instrumental in enhancing sales performance in the metal industry. By fostering a creative environment and encouraging innovative thinking, organizations can develop unique solutions that meet customer demands.