Abstract
Many sales management problems could be eliminated or at least mitigated if a successful sales type could be found. This would imply that successful salespeople are born, have acquired the necessary skills or possibly have been self- taught by experience. The sales manager’s task is to find such people. In this chapter the aim is:
-
to review previous work on the desirable characteristics of salespeople
-
to separate reality from myth in the ideal sales type
-
to identify personality, knowledge and skills required in different selling jobs
-
to evaluate the status position and role conflicts inherent in sales jobs
-
to make assessments of the key determinants in higher sales performers.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bettger, F. (1949) How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Buzzotta, V.R., Lefton, R.E. and Sherberg, M. (1982) Effective Selling Through Psychology,. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger.
Churchill, G.A., Ford, N.M., Hartley, S.W. and Walker, O.C. (1985) The determinants of salesperson performance: a meta-analysis, Journal of Marketing Research, XXII, (May): 103–18.
Crosby, L.A., Evens, R.K. and Cowles, D. (1990) Relationship quality in service selling: an interpersonal influence perspective, Journal of Marketing, 54, (Jul): 68–81.
Derose, L.J. (1988) What the buyer-seller partnership requires, Purchasing World, 32, (5): 74–5. Ditz, G.W. (1967) Status problems of the salesman, MSU Business Topics, Winter: 68–77. Donaldson, B. (1997) The importance of financial incentives in motivating salespeople. Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Selling and Major Account Management,. Southampton: Southampton Institute.
Donaldson, B. and Thomson, C. (1991) Recruiting graduates into sales. Preparing Marketing for the New Millenium. Proceedings of the 1991 Marketing Education Group, Cardiff, pp. 340–53.
Donaldson, B., Tzokas, N. and Saren, M. (1997) Project RELATOR: assessing the relationship orientation of salespeople. Proceedings of 31st Annual Conference of the Academy of Marketing, Manchester.
Dunkeld, S.B. and Cashin, M.R. (1979) Sales Force Practice Today, Cookham: Institute of Marketing.
Dwyer, F.R., Schurr, P.H. and Oh, S. (1987) Developing buyer-seller relationships, Journal of Marketing, 51, (2): 11–27.
Gillan, A. (1982) The Principles and Practice of Selling,. London: Heinemann.
Greenberg, J. and Greenberg, H. (1976) Predicting sales success: myths and reality, Personnel Journal, Dec: 621–7.
Hakansson, H. (ed.) (1982) International Marketing and Purchasing of Industrial Goods – An Interaction Approach,. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Dubinsky, A.J. and Ingram, T.N. (1987) From selling to sales management: a development model, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 2, (2): 27–36.
Lamont, L. M. and Lundstrom, W. J. (1977) Identifying successful industrial salesmen by personality and personal characteristics, Journal of Marketing Research, XIV, (Nov): 517–29.
Levitt, T. (1967) Communications and industrial selling, Journal of Marketing, 31, (Apr): 15–21.
Mason, J.L. (1965) The low prestige of personal selling, Journal of Marketing, 29 (4): 7–10.
Mayer, D. and Greenberg, H. M. (1964) What makes a good salesman, Harvard Business Review, Jul-Aug: 119–25.
Morrill, J.E. (1970) Industrial advertising pays off, Harvard Business Review, Mar-Apr: 4–14.
Morris, M.H. and Holman, J.L. (1988) Source loyalty in organisational markets: a dyactic perspective, Journal of Business Research, 16, (2): 117–31.
Plank, R.E. and Reid, D.A. (1994) The mediation role of sales behaviors: an alternative perspective on sales performance and effectiveness, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 14, (3): 43–56.
Rackham, N. (1987) Making Major Sales,. Aldershot: Gower.
Ramsey, R., Lassk, F.G and Marshall, G.W. (1995) A critical evaluation of a measure of job involvement: the use of the LODAHL and KEJNER (1965) scale with salespeople, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, XV, (Summer): 65–74.
Rochford, L. and Wotruba, T.R. (1993) New product development under changing economic conditions: the role of the salesforce, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 8, (3): 4–12.
Sigaw, J.A. and Honeycutt, E.D. (1995) An examination of gender differences in selling behaviours and job attitudes, Industrial Marketing Management, 24,: 45–52.
Spiro, R.L. and Weitz, B.A. (1990) Adaptive selling: conceptualisation, measurement and nomological validity, Journal of Marketing Research, 28 (Feb): 61–9.
Spekeman, R.E. (1988) Strategic supplier selection: understanding long-term buyer relationships, Business Horizons, 31, (Jul-Aug): 75–81.
Walker, O.C., Churchill, G.A. and Ford, N.M. (1977) Motivation and performance in industrial selling: present knowledge and needed research, Journal of Marketing Research, XIV, (May): 156–68.
Weitz, B.A. (1978) Relationship between salesperson performance and understanding of customer decision-making, Journal of Marketing Research, XV, (Nov): 501–16.
Weitz, B.A., Sujan, H. and Sujan, M. (1986) Knowledge, motivation and adaptive behaviour: a framework for improving selling effectiveness, Journal of Marketing, 50 (Oct): 174–91.
Copyright information
© 1998 Bill Donaldson
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Donaldson, B. (1998). Characteristics of Salespeople. In: Sales Management. Studies in Marketing Management. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-26354-7_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-26354-7_3
Publisher Name: Palgrave, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-71044-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-26354-7
eBook Packages: Palgrave Business & Management CollectionBusiness and Management (R0)