Unravelling Criteria for Assessing the Performance of Salespeople: A Causal Analysis

Abstract

In the past, academic research on sales force performance has used either objective performance data or subjective managerial ratings to measure sales performance. Consistent with corporate practices, objective and subjective performance measures were used in this research project. The relationships among three components of performance: specific task behaviors, specific goal achievement and overall performance were examined. A casual analysis suggests that managerial evaluations of overall sales performance are influenced by their perceptions of specific selling behaviors and the degree to which sales people attain specified performance goals.     

It is all in good humor? Examining the impact of salesperson evaluations of leader humor on salesperson job satisfaction and job stress

Abstract

Salesperson job stress and job satisfaction have been identified as critical factors affecting job performance. Academic research suggests that sales managers can influence salesperson job stress and job satisfaction. Interestingly, a review of the sales literature finds very little research on the impact of sales leader humor usage on the stress and satisfaction of salespeople. Consequently, we explore how salespeople’s evaluation of their manager’s use of humor influences their individual levels of job stress and satisfaction. We investigate both the positive and negative roles of humor by analyzing the impact of salesperson evaluations of their managers’ use of affiliative and aggressive humor on their job stress and job satisfaction. Furthermore, we examine the mechanism by which these evaluations affect salesperson stress and satisfaction by identifying two critical mediating variables – social loneliness and willingness to cooperate. Using a sample of 299 professional salespeople, we empirically test this process model to find that affiliative humor usage by sales managers, as evaluated by salespeople, reduces social loneliness and stress for salespeople while also increasing followers’ acceptance of cooperation. Evaluations of aggressive humor, on the other hand, increase stress levels among salespeople. Both social loneliness and acceptance of cooperation, in turn, significantly affect job satisfaction.     

A Classification of Industrial Buyers: Implications for Sales Training

Abstract

Organizational buyer behavior literature, although abundant, tends to provide little help to sales practitioners in the way of identifying what kinds of buyers salespeople might encounter. This information should be especially useful in preparing sales personnel to call on prospects—they could tailor their sales call strategy to the kind of customer they call on. Little published research, however, has explored the kinds of industrial buyers. This paper (a) reports the results of a study that examined industrial buyer types, and (b) discusses sales training implications of dealing with each kind of buyer identified in the investigation.     

Sales Training: Salespeople's Preparedness and Managerial Implications

Abstract

Salespeople use a variety of selling techniques in their jobs. Little published research, however, has examined how adequately sales training programs prepare sales personnel to employ these techniques. This paper reports the results of a survey that focused on salespeople's adequacy of preparation to utilize various sales techniques. The results of the study lead to several managerial implications about how to improve sales training programs.     

The Ingroup Favorability Bias in the Minimal Groups Situation

Abstract

In the present study limits to the ingroup favorability bias in the minimal intergroup situation were examined. A sample of students from the United States received either positive or negative information about either one or both of their ingroups. The amount of information provided about the ingroup was also varied. Consistent with the experimental hypothesis, students were least favorable in their evaluations of the ingroup when negative information was provided and was applicable to both of their ingroups, compared to when the same negative information applied to only one of those ingroups. The findings support Turner's (1975) position that the ingroup favorability bias is motivated by a need to maintain or enhance a positive social identity.     

Gaining Customer Trust: A Conceptual Guide for the Salesperson

Abstract

This article applies what the behavioral sciences know about trust to industrial sales situations. Trust between an industrial buyer and salesperson is defined cognitively and behaviorally. A model of this trust-building process is presented and appropriate behaviors for sales representatives who wish to build trust are discussed. The interactions between experience, general knowledge, and trust building are examined in light of possible situations a sales representative might encounter. The findings suggest that both firm and salesperson can act positively to build and maintain trust with their clients.     

Corporate Culture and Sales Force Management in Japan and America

Abstract

Managers' personal values are a key aspect of corporate culture. Sales representatives' agreement with their managers' values (hereafter “value congruence”) can be expected to influence sales performance, satisfaction, and propensity to quit. These propositions are investigated in two countries. One hundred seventy-five sales representatives and 93 sales managers from a Japanese firm and 146 sales representatives and 21 sales managers from a comparable American firm participated in the study. A questionnaire was distributed to the managers and representatives. Value congruence was found to be weakly related to performance, but strongly related to satisfaction and propensity to quit for both cultural groups. The Japanese group was found to be higher in value congruence and propensity to quit, but lower in satisfaction. Suggested are implications for future research and for managers.     

Self-consciousness,evaluation of physical characteristics,and physical attractiveness

Results from an investigation of the relationship between habitual awareness of oneself as a social object (Public self-consciousness) and speed of processing information about the overt self are reported. Since high public self-consciousness subjects report themselves to be concerned about their physical appearance, they were expected to have more readily retrievable evaluative judgments concerning their physical characteristics. Consistent with this prediction, high compared to low public consciousness subjects required significantly less time to report their evaluations of eleven of their physical features. In a second study, high public self-consciousness was shown to be positively related to judged physical attractiveness in two geographically diverse samples. The quicker evaluations of the high public self-consciousness group were discussed in terms of information processing model recently described by Markus (1977).     

Managing a Sales Territory: A Comparison of Industrial Goods and Consumer Goods Sales Representatives

Abstract

What do the rapid changes in the environment faced by consumer goods marketers portend for their salesforces? They must change as well in order to meet the shifting requirements for successful marketing in the early 1980's. Effective sales territory management can be an important instrument for sales representatives in meeting these challenges. Sales territory management is one area, it would appear, where consumer goods marketers can learn a good deal from their counterparts in industrial goods salesforces.     

Female College Student Interest in a Sales Career: A Comparison

Abstract

Female and male undergraduate students attending three universities were surveyed to determine their comparative interest in a career in sales. In general, females and males agreed on the attributes associated with a selling career. Yet females rated a selling career significantly lower in terms of preference as compared to males. Females were found to have a significantly stronger preference for careers in public relations, advertising, and retail management than their male counterparts. The implications of this negative female bias towards a sales career are discussed, and areas for further research are suggested.     

Symptoms,blood-pressure information and mood effects on symptom recall

Abstract

After completion of an illness symptom checklist (PILL) covering the previous three months, 97 nor-motensives were allocated to either experimental (false pressor feedback, n=42), or information control (accurate pressor feedback, n = 55), groups. The median reported symptom score divided high from low symptom subjects. All were given standard cuff blood pressure (BP) assessment and were normotensive. However, experimental subjects were misinformed that their BP was raised while information control subjects were told their BP was normal. Subsequently, subjects completed the state anxiety form of the State-Trait Personality Inventory, the PILL, and were asked about their belief of the ascribed BP label (normo/hypertensive) and then any perceived causal relationship between their BP and symptoms. Experimental subjects had significantly higher anxiety scores but no change in symptom recall after pressor feedback, whereas control subjects showed lower anxiety scores and decreases in symptom recall.

A post hoc treatment control (no pressor information) group (n = 20) excluded effects of BP labeling on post-BP scores, and a post hoc symptom control group (n = 55) ensured that symptom levels were representative of the normal population. The majority of subjects in both groups rejected any association between BP labels and symptoms. Data are discussed in the light of Leventhal's models of illness representation.     

Calibration processes in a serial talent test

ObjectivesIn the beginning of serial evaluations, raters assess performances without knowledge about following performances. We assume that judges must observe a certain number of performances to calibrate their judgment scale, leading to systematic biases (avoidance of extreme judgments) in the beginning of judgment series. The present experiment investigates how many performance observations are necessary to calibrate internal judgment scales, leading to consistent judgments.DesignA between-group design was used.MethodVideos of a talent-test were presented in different orders. Every performance was presented in early, medium, and late positions. Thirty participants rated these series and we assessed the effect of performance position on performance evaluations.ResultsWe found calibration biases within the first nine performances; after that, evaluations remained stable and consistent.ConclusionCalibration processes are completed after a specific number of judgments; this implies interesting interventions for consistent judgments independent of the position in a series.     

Using the EZ-diffusion model to score a Single-Category Implicit Association Test of physical activity

ObjectiveThe Single-Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT) has been used as a method for assessing automatic evaluations of physical activity, but measurement artifact or consciously-held attitudes could be confounding the outcome scores of these measures. The objective of these two studies was to address these measurement concerns by testing the validity of a novel SC-IAT scoring technique.DesignStudy 1 was a cross-sectional study, and study 2 was a prospective study.MethodIn study 1, undergraduate students (N = 104) completed SC-IATs for physical activity, flowers, and sedentary behavior. In study 2, undergraduate students (N = 91) completed a SC-IAT for physical activity, self-reported affective and instrumental attitudes toward physical activity, physical activity intentions, and wore an accelerometer for two weeks. The EZ-diffusion model was used to decompose the SC-IAT into three process component scores including the information processing efficiency score.ResultsIn study 1, a series of structural equation model comparisons revealed that the information processing score did not share variability across distinct SC-IATs, suggesting it does not represent systematic measurement artifact. In study 2, the information processing efficiency score was shown to be unrelated to self-reported affective and instrumental attitudes toward physical activity, and positively related to physical activity behavior, above and beyond the traditional D-score of the SC-IAT.ConclusionsThe information processing efficiency score is a valid measure of automatic evaluations of physical activity.     

Improving the Public Acceptance of Sales People Through Professionalization

Abstract

The public acceptance of salespeople, in general, is relatively low when compared to occupations that require similar levels of education and ability. The authors present the findings of their study of a widely known sales occupation whose public acceptance has been improved through an indication of professionalization.     

Apparatus to Facilitate the Scoring of the Thurstone Attitude Scales

Summary

One hundred subjects were asked to rate themselves and others whom they had known for at least six months on the possession of four traits: Stinginess, Stubborness, Messiness, and Bashfulness. From these ratings it was determined whether or not the subjects possessed insight into their own personalities, with regard to these four traits. Information was then given to the subjects indicating to them their “true” possession of the traits. For those without insight, this information was dissonant. A second rating showed that those subjects receiving dissonant information responded to the dissonance by increasing their projection of that trait to others. These results supported the hypotheses that projection was due to a lack of insight, and that dissonance is reduced by increases in projection.     

The Role of Personal Selling In Products Liability Litigation

Abstract

The significant cases in which salespersons' statements or actions have resulted in their companies being found liable for product-related injuries are reviewed. The implications of these cases for selling and sales management are presented.     

Increasing Sales Productivity Through Improved Sales Call Allocation Strategies

Abstract

Analytical tools have been found to greatly assist sales managers in making better sales call allocation decisions, but many of these approaches are either too simplified to provide meaningful results or too complex for many sales organizations to use. Recently a grid analysis approach has been suggested as a promising way to increase sales productivity by improving sales call allocations. We present several methodological improvements for developing the grid and report a successful application of grid analysis.     

A Note on the Age of Marriage and Size of Family of two Comparable Vocational Groups

Summary

In a 4 × 2 design the effects of utility and attitudinal-supportiveness of information on message selection were tested. From data obtained in the pretest session, subjects were assigned to one of four Prior Attitude levels (Strongly Anti, Anti, Pro, Strongly Pro), and required to make either a Proabortion or an Antiabortion speech. Statements for and against legalized abortion were reproduced on slides which subjects selected and viewed to prepare their speeches. Unobtrusive measures of the proportion of Proabortion slides viewed and the proportion of time spent viewing Proabortion slides constituted the major dependent variables of the study. A main effect of information utility was hypothesized, and this expectation was strongly supported (p < .001). Within each speech condition subjects were expected to prefer attitudinally supportive information. This hypothesized additivity of supportive and useful information was evident (p < .002) for subjects assigned to make Proabortion speeches, but insignificant differences were obtained for subjects assigned Antiabortion speeches.     

Pendular energy transduction in the different phases of gait cycle in post-stroke subjects

MainTo analyze spatiotemporal gait parameters and the body center of mass (CoM) energy transduction at self-selected speed walking in a group of older patients with stroke.MethodsA cross-sectional study, fifteen subjects with 4.06 years post ̵stroke hemiparesis (eleven men and four women) and fifteen healthy subjects (four men and eleven women) participate in this study. Pendulum-like determining variables; Recovery (R) and Congruity percentage (%Cong) were analyzed in addition to immediate pendular re-conversion (Rint) during the phases in which the gait cycle is usually divided in clinical evaluations.ResultsHealthy subjects walked faster that stroke group (p = 0.001). %Cong was significantly higher in post-stroke respect to healthy subjects (p = 0.05). Rint showed significant differences between the groups for all phases (p = 0.05). The relation between speed and R was confirmed, for healthy (r = 0.67, p = 0.006) and post-stroke subjects (r = 0.851, p = 0.001), %Cong y Rint (r = −0.79, p = 0.001), (r = −0.93, p = 0.001) and periods of double support (r = −0.76, p = 0.001), (r = 0.69, p = 0.004) respectively.ConclusionAlteration of pendular mechanism in subjects post-stroke is associated mainly with energy transduction; mechanical energy recovered during double support phases in healthy and post-stroke subjects follows a different trend, in post-stroke subjects, a longer duration of the double support is associated with less energy loss.