Drivers of sales performance: a contemporary meta-analysis. Have salespeople become knowledge brokers?

Abstract

It has been 25 years since the publication of a comprehensive review of the full spectrum of salesperformance drivers. This study takes stock of the contemporary field and synthesizes empirical evidence from the period . The authors revise the classification scheme for sales performance determinants devised by Walker et al. (1977) and estimate both the predictive validity of its sub-categories and the impact of a range of moderators on determinant-sales performance relationships. Based on multivariate causal model analysis, the results make two major observations: (1) Five sub-categories demonstrate significant relationships with sales performance: selling-related knowledge (β=.28), degree of adaptiveness (β=.27), role ambiguity (β=−.25), cognitive aptitude (β=.23) and work engagement (β=.23). (2) These sub-categories are moderated by measurement method, research context, and salestype variables. The authors identify managerial implications of the results and offer suggestions for further research, including the conjecture that as the world is moving toward a knowledge-intensive economy, salespeople could be functioning as knowledge-brokers. The results seem to back this supposition and indicate how it might inspire future research in the field of personal selling.Keywords Sales performance . Salespeople . Meta-analysis . Knowledge-economy . Knowledge-brokering An understanding of the factors that drive sales performance and how these vary across different contexts is essential for both managers and researchers in sales and marketing. Twenty-five years ago Churchill et al. (1985) published a seminal paper on the antecedents of sales performance that has shaped academic and managerial thinking on sales management and become one of the most cited articles in marketing research (Leigh et al. 2001). Applying a classification scheme of antecedents of sales performance developed previously by Walker et al. (1977), Churchill et al. (1985) found six predictive categories to explain marginal variance in sales performance (in order of predictive validity): role perceptions, skill levels, aptitude, motivation, personal characteristics, and organizational/ environmental variables. In addition, their meta-analysis demonstrated that the type of products sold moderated the predictive power of these categories for sales performance. Most empirical research thus far had been looking at enduring personal characteristics as determinants for sales performance. The basic message of this meta-analysis was that these variables were not the most important predictors (Churchill et al. 1985, p. 117). Instead, Churchill et al. (1985 suggested that researchers should investigate "influenceable" determinants of sales performance. Another key focus they proposed was the dynamic nature of the sales Mark. Sci. (2011) 39:407-428 DOI 10.1007 conversation that indeed has become a crucial research topic (p. 116). This call sparked a plethora of new research streams on the determinants of sales performance. Twentyfive years have passed ...

A Moderação-Mediada do Sistema de Controle na Ambidestria

“…Ao atuar na área de serviços, o funcionário tem acesso às informações dos clientes disponíveis na organização, facilitando o entendimento das suas necessidades e experiências (Yu et al, 2013). Com as informações em mente, a venda tende a ser adaptativa e orientada ao cliente, oferecendo produtos que sejam congruentes com sua necessidade (Verbeke, Dietz, & Verwaal, 2011). Em outras palavras, ao fazer a adaptação às demandas do cliente, o funcionário cria valor via informação, tornando-se um forte direcionador do volume de vendas por meio do aumento na intenção de compra do cliente (Homburg, Müller, & Klarmann, 2011).…”

“…Como proposto pela teoria da ambidestria (Gibson & Birkinshaw, 2004), o balanceamento entre as atividades simultâneas conduz ao sucesso nos resultados, em detrimento do foco demasiado em apenas um grupo de atividades, o que pode levar a um estado de desequilíbrio e prejudicar o desempenho (March, 1991). Ao manter altos níveis de dedicação nas atividades simultâneas de provisão de serviços e de cross-/up-selling (Junni et al, 2013), é possível, ao funcionário de linha de frente, oferecer um suporte mais orientado ao cliente (Verbeke et al, 2011) e gerar um maior grau de satisfação (Yu et al, 2015) e de comportamento recíproco no cliente (Homburg et al, 2011).…”

Os Efeitos Negativos Da Experiência E Do Controle No Desempenho Do Vendedor

“…Na medida em que os vendedores adquirem experiência, passam a desenvolver maior maturidade profissional, que é importante para as vendas e as tarefas (Stan, Evans, Arnold, & McAmis, 2012 (Stan et al, 2012) e adaptação à necessidade do cliente (Cron & Slocum, 1986;Rapp, Ahearne, Mathieum, & Schillewaert, 2006). A experiência propicia aos vendedores uma bagagem mais adequada para práticas de vendas, como o desenvolvimento de adaptabilidade na abordagem de vendas (Verbeke et al, 2011) e a orientação para o cliente (Franke & Park, 2006). É importante distinguir a experiência em vendas geral da experiência em vendas na empresa.…”

Job Characteristics Model on Role of Employee on Sales Performance and Customer Satisfaction of Retail Stores

“…Churchill et al (1985) suggested that organizational variables are related with salesperson performance and (Verbeke et al, 2011) reported that internally located salespeople are vulnerable to organizational variables. Because of their powerful influence, internal organizational variables are a necessary component of any proposed model of retail employee sales performance which are directly controllable at the store level.…”

“…As a result, the experience of retail salespersons are increased level of role uncertainty. According to role uncertainty which is acknowledged to be a significant and constant part of the sales environment (Babin and Boles, 1996) and it is strongly and consistently related with reduced salesperson (Verbeke et al, 2011) and retail employee sales performance (Arnold et al, 2009) therefore must be accounted for in any attempt to model retail employee sales performance. Singh (1993) claimed that observing role uncertainty as a uni-dimensional construct "Ignored the conceptual thesis" provided by Kahn et al (1964) when they introduced the construct to organizational research and that studies do not explain a significant amount of the variance in employee job outcomes.…”