Sales Skills Research Articles

Identifying key trends in sales – from a training perspective

PurposeThis paper aims to describe key issues at macro and micro levels which impact – and affect – sales training activities and facilitation for “successful selling” in the contemporary economic climate.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reports presentations from key speakers at the Institute of Sales & Marketing's Successful Selling conference.FindingsAt the macro level, a number of crises are impacting on the economy and, thus, successful selling. However, there is still the opportunity to compete for market share, via brand differentiation. At the micro level, customers must see sellers as “trusted advisors”; successful selling depends on “connecting” with customers' values; ethical selling is important not just in helping people to be successful salespeople but also in helping society to have confidence in its sales professionals, thus enabling buyers to buy with confidence; traditional sales models are becoming superseded by “internet research, internal discussion and the preparation of shortlists, then a decision followed by contacting the vendor”. “E‐selling” is becoming increasingly important, so sellers must have personal branding, create an internet footprint, and engage with social media.Practical implicationsThis paper reveals key issues in sales so L&D professionals can commission, develop, deliver and/or facilitate appropriate activities and resources to develop the sales skills needed for success in the next ten years.Originality/valueArmed with knowledge of the modern trends in successful selling, L&D professionals can source and resource sales‐related training activities to turn their salespeople into star performers in contemporary markets and enable their organisations to maintain/increase their competitive advantage.

A Growing Niche in Corporate America

A Growing Niche in Corporate America

International capacity building: Improving sales skills in a for-profit business in South Africa-part 2

This series shares examples of case studies developed by certified performance technologist (CPT) applicants to demonstrate their proficiency in applying the 10 CPT Performance Standards. Part 1 of this case study appeared in the January 2012 issue of Performance Improvement journal (PIJ) and detailed how the applicant applied the first four ISPI Standards-focus on results, take a systemic approach, add value, and create partnerships (RSVP)-and systematically assessed the need or opportunity (Standard 5). In Part 2, the author relates his project to the remaining five standards.

Customer's preferred real estate brokerage service quality research on factors determining

For this study, real estate brokerage services to customers how to evaluate quality factors and quality factors important for studying about what is preferred. Real estate brokerage service quality factors, the expertise of brokers, dealers sales skills, a sense of responsibility of traders, brokerage firm's position, whether or not participating were chosen franchise. Looking at the findings, and customer service quality factors, the five kinds of real estate brokers a sense of responsibility to be the most important quality factors were analyzed as a favorite, followed by the expertise of brokers, sales skills brokers, brokerage firm's presence, a franchise analysis of whether the order has been participating. As the results of this study, the traders as traders sense of responsibility and expertise and strive to improve, friendly servece and act as an active intermediarv will need to improve sales skills. Continuous promotion of the brokerage firm's position is shown to be critical, franchise affiliated businesses in order to make use of an efficient information network of the Internet is seen to be in need of improvement. This paper, we have experienced a real estate brokerage contracts require customers a service directly to find out whether the data obtained through interviews with the empirical analysis is Therefore, work-related departments of Ministry of Land and brokerage herein with reference to the Association to take measures to Once you have contributed little bit. Brokerage industry and the traders themselves, as well as the competition is to the straight ahead Do not look at a value for the development of brokerage will be constantly working.

International capacity building: Improving sales skills in a for-profit business in South Africa-part 1

How many times do clients ask: What is a CPT? What do CPTs do? Perhaps the best way to answer these questions is to look at some of the case studies submitted by Certified Performance Technologists applicants as part of the CPT application process. The applicants are asked to identify three projects they have done in the past 10 years that demonstrate proficiency in ISPI Standards 1 to 4 and at least three other Standards. In this article, a successful CPT applicant describes one of his projects and aligned his role as a performance improvement consultant with all 10 ISPI Standards. The story begins in this issue as Wessel Van Reede Van Oudtshoorn describes how he focused on results, took a systemic viewpoint, added value, used partnerships, and systematically assessed the need and opportunity. The story will continue in the February 2012 issue of PIJ. Joan Conway Dessinger

Franklin Enterprises: The New Division

Franklin Enterprises, a leading supplier of industry plumbing, heating and cooling equipment, decided to set up an eBusiness division, Franklin Online (FOL), to develop online services for corporate account holders. Cody Lewis, an exemplary inside sales person, was appointed a Regional Business Development Manager (RBDM) for the newly established eBusiness division. With his sales skills, he created a team of sales people in his region that helped increase sales significantly through much quicker market penetration activities. He also worked closely with the other RBDM‟s in order to maximize the success of each territory. The very significant growth of the eBusiness division for corporate accounts led Franklin Enterprises to subsequently extend the service to the non-account consumer market as well.

The garage team—entrepreneurship lessons from DHL international

AbstractWhen you start a venture, you start with yourself: your own personal operating system, or POS. Then, you identify and define your compelling product or service, something you should already know a lot about. You also need to use your sales skills to convince key stakeholders to support you, and to design your venture by putting together a pattern that works. The next step is to put together a team to help you implement the pattern you have designed, the men and women who will make up your garage team. The garage team is made up of the core people in a start‐up, people who help graduate the entrepreneur to the role of leader, because a leader with no followers is a leader of none. This article explores the essential attributes of such a team and how they contribute to the success of entrepreneurial ventures. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Importance of Good Salesmanship

During the course of my career I have heard many biomeds say, “I could never be a salesperson!” But the fact of the matter is you can't lead your department to a higher level of value within your organization without some basic sales skills, and when you are trying to move your department or an initiative forward, particularly when it involves an up-front investment of money or trust from your organization, your sales skills had better be well honed.Being a good “salesman” for most of us started when we were first interviewing and selling ourselves for our past and current positions. Zig Ziglar, a world-renowned motivator and leader in sales training, refers to sales people as professional persuaders. At various points in time, you will need to be persuasive to your boss, your staff, your co-workers, your customers, your administration, your finance officers, etc., so learning these skills will serve you well in any position. Having had the opportunity and the privilege to get to know many excellent “persuaders,” I have learned many of the attributes that have made them successful and can also help you reach new heights.I highly recommend books such as Real World 101 by James Calano and Jeff Salzman, Speak and Get Results by Sandy Linver, and Writing with Precision by Jefferson Bates as good resources to help you develop in all of these areas.Remember, with some projects you may need to make your proposal with several different groups before you can move forward, so tailor your presentations for each specific group. I strongly recommend that even after getting support from the top, you identify all potential parties who might be affected, including your own staff, and “make your sale” to get their support as well. It will make buy-in much easier, and they may have some good ideas to enhance your initiative. Everyone wants to know, “What's in it for me?” Figure out what that is for each group, and make sure they understand the benefits that affect them.Adopt these practices, and very quickly you and your team will find yourselves more valued in your organization. As a result, you'll be more engaged, motivated, and will be establishing goals based on what is most important to making your organization successful, thus further ensuring your own success. Now go out and sell!

Sales management control level and competencies: Antecedents and consequences

The pursuit of superior salesperson performance and higher levels of sales organization effectiveness is a growing management priority. Management control is an important antecedent to several aspects of salesperson performance and organizational effectiveness. However, prior research has neglected two important issues. First, the impact of market orientation on sales manager control approaches has not been previously considered. Second, sales manager competencies in behavior-based control have not been examined, as research has focused on the level and form of control. Market orientation and the critical sales skills required of salespeople have strong antecedent relationships with sales manager control. Also, sales manager control competencies play a significant role in shaping salesperson performance, and the impact of control competencies is larger than control level. Sales manager control competencies play an important mediating role between sales manager control level and salesperson performance and sales organization effectiveness. Our findings are based on a study of British companies in which five hundred sales managers were sent surveys and 300 usable responses (a response rate of 60%) were returned. Three important implications derived from this study include: (1) sales managers need to translate market orientation into sales force behaviors; (2) control strategy should be aligned with sales force priorities; and (3) time and resources should be invested in training sales managers.

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.

Kim Richards, RN

Kim Richards, RN

Development and validation of the salespeople forced choice behavioral style test in the information technology industry

This study aimed to develop a Salespeople Forced Choice Behavioral Style Test (SFBT) to reliably and validly predict sales performance. In Study 1, statements collected from literatures and interviews with salespeople were rated and put into 41 pairs to form the SFBT. In each pair, the two statements have a similar preference, but a different discrimination ability, and only one statement represents better sales skills. In Study 2, 359 information technology salespersons were tested with the SFBT. Results showed that SFBT scores had good reliability and high predictive validity for performance. Implications for identifying salespeople’s behavioral styles and skills and for personnel recruitment are discussed.

Sales presentation skills and salesperson job performance

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to examine the relations between important sales presentation skills and salesperson job performance.Design/methodology/approachData on each construct in the model was gathered and the relations analyzed using LISREL software.FindingsSalesperson experience, and to a lesser degree training, underlie sales presentation skills. Salesperson skill at using adaptive selling techniques and closing are related with increased performance.Research limitations/implicationsAdditional sales skills need to be considered and salespeople other than those in the B‐B environment should be studied.Practical implicationsSales managers are urged to ensure their B‐B salespeople develop their skills in adaptive communication and closing as one means to improve sales performance.Originality/valueThe findings highlight the importance of salesperson experience and training in developing the skills that contribute to sales performance.

Social cues in the store environment and their impact on store image

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the roles that social cues play in affecting patronage behavior and how consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence would moderate the influence of social cues on store image.Design/methodology/approachA two (high vs low socially‐oriented in‐store graphics) by two (high vs low personalized customer service) between subject experimental design was conducted to achieve the research objective. A total of 193 surveys were used for data analysis.FindingsConsumers had a more favorable attitude toward merchandise and service quality and felt more aroused or pleased with a store where more social cues were present. They also had a more favorable perception of store image when high‐personalized service was provided. Consumers perceived that they would be more likely to shop in a store that had more in‐store displays of graphics with social meaning. Consumer susceptibility to informational influence (SII) played a moderating role in some cases.Practical implicationsRetail service needs to be reinvented to create excitement. Consumers may use social cues embedded in the store environment as an information source. Sales skills of staff and in‐store graphics should be especially appealing to low‐SII customer.Originality/valueThis study has added to the retail literature by demonstrating that the social cues in store environment can affect consumers' perception of store image and patronage intention. It provides interesting insights on how retailers can use a socially meaningful environment as a source of competitive advantage.

Table of Contents

Abstract Upsell Current Contributors Build a Habit of Giving Turn One‐time Memorial Contributors Into Regular Contributors Sales Skills Expertise Evaluate and Rejuvenate Your Top Sales Points Community Campaigns Extend Your Campaign Beyond the Business Community Donor Retention Pays Off Hold That Smile Don't Underestimate Emotion Motivating Your Phonathon Callers Point Out Refusals That Turn Into Gifts Educating Internally Key Your Employees Into Development's Mission, Mantra Scheduling Appointments Develop a Process for Setting Prospect Appointments Increasing Website Visits Get E‐newsletter Recipients to Click Through to Website Soliciting Business Support Garner Business Support With ‘WIIFM’ Approach Holiday Card Reminder Closing Technique Tried Segmenting Non‐donors By Age? Push Charitable Bequests Relationship‐building Offer Behind‐the‐Scenes Tours Keeping it Fresh Survey Reveals Need to Retool Direct Mail Appeal Community Campaign Strategies Community Campaigns Do More Than Raise Money Ideas you Can Use ‘Buy A Brick’ Covers Many Types of Projects Create a Virtual Brick Memorial Layout Wish Lists Publicize and Change Your Wish List Periodically Meeting face‐to‐face With Prospects Ask Questions That Measure Understanding, Interest Eight Ways to Nurture a Donor‐friendly Receptionist Advice On Writing Copy Involving Your Board In Fund Developmen Get Board Members to Reach Out to Business Contacts Upgrading Annual Contributors Exercise for Increasing $1,000‐plus Contributors Direct Mail Strategies Why Include a Survey With Your Appeal Letter? Donor Recognition Steps for Creating a ‘Donor Wall’ Using Direct Mail to Renew Memberships Websites of Interest Special Events Restaurant Promotion Raises $14,000 For Community Soup Kitchen Grants Management Procedures Process Helps Coordinate On‐Campus Grant Writing

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

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 restaurant's customer contact personnel, i.e., its wait staff. The restaurant's wait staff is an important factor in determining customer satisfaction and customer satisfaction in turn is an important determinant of the restaurant's profitability and longevity. The purpose of this research is to assess the relationships that exist between the wait staff's levels of customer orientation and their sales skills, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The results indicate that the positive relationships exist between the wait staff's customer orientation and their skills, job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Banking and finance in France and Germany. New regulations of work and working time - a challenge for the trade unions?

In response to the globalisation of financial markets and restructuring of national finance systems, the banks in both countries are pursuing far-reaching strategies for reorganisation in accordance with the ‘lean banking’ model. The organisation of working time, initially neglected, has now moved centre-stage in this process of reorganisation, and flexible working practices have become the order of the day. In spite of these common strategic starting points, however, the models of flexibility adopted in these two countries differ fundamentally from one another. The difference is to some extent attributable to the different institutional arrangements, and above all the training system, which in Germany caters for a broad general training but in France is unilaterally geared to the development of sales skills. The article discusses the implications of these different trends for trade unions in the two countries.

A Measure of Selling Skill: Scale Development and Validation

Selling skills are learned proficiency at performing tasks necessary for a sales job. They are among the most important predictors of sales performance. However, the research into selling skills has been hampered by the lack of an overall scale. To address this shortcoming the present paper identifies a model of sales skills consisting of three components of interpersonal skills, salesmanship skills, and technical skills. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the authors report the development of a Selling Skill scale as a reliable and valid instrument. The authors suggest priorities for future research and potential uses of this instrument.

The knowledge industry

The knowledge industry

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