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The article discusses the usage and implementation of statistical packages in sales and marketing. SPSS Inc. has introduced an add-on module to the basic SPSS package. Special features of this module is procedures for developing and producing the actual documents to be used in a conjoint study, four different models for conjoint analysis, graphic summaries of the conjoint results, and optimal scaling techniques that cover multiway contingency tables and the ability to mix levels of measurement. The conjoint procedure performs conjoint analysis using ordinary least squares. It allows for three methods of data collection, rating, ranking, and sorting. This package is definitely a high-level statistical package designed for the sophisticated and knowledgeable use. Standard canonical correlation analysis produces a linear combination of coefficients for two sets of variables so that the two sets of variables are maximally correlated. It can be set up to produce results that are comparable to multiple regression analysis and discriminant analysis with mixed levels of measurement. It is easy to imagine a number of potential sales and marketing applications for this procedure.

This article focuses on an electronic bulletin board system for the dales profession. This article briefly discusses the nature of contemporary personal computer communications on bulletin board systems (BBS). In the spirit of professional development in personal selling and sales management, it is recommended that a national BBS be created and sponsored by Pi Sigma Epsilon and the Direct Selling Education Foundation to enhance professional communications between the sales representative (SR) and others interested in sales. The article also briefly identifies several communications programs and operating systems appropriate for BBS use and catalogues numerous opportunities to apply computer communications to the sales field. When one considers information exchange in an organization, we usually think in terms of person-to-person, telephone, and memo. One seldom considers the company bulletin board except for legal notices, internal job postings, and personal notices. For information exchange, bulletin boards have the advantages of being very inexpensive, relatively simple to use, and particularly useful when one does not know which organizational members might be interested in the information and does not want to transmit the information via memo to all members.

This article aims to help small businessmen make critical decision concerning their representatives and provides guidelines for managing the sales function. Many times, the owners of small businesses face the problem of securing adequate sales coverage for their product line on a regional or national basis. When the business is just starting out, managing the sales function is easy. As business increases, small businessmen find that more and more of their time and energy has to be devoted to managing an increasing complex business, leaving less and less time for selling the product. At some point in time, expansion forces the manager to face the decision of adding specialized sales personnel. In most cases, this decision becomes a question whether to hire a direct sales force or to contract out the sales function to one or more manufacturers' representatives.

This article reports that the "Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management" is pleased to announce the start of an experimental new section "Microcomputer Applications in Selling and Sales Management." This section will focus on innovative applications of microcomputer technology to the field of professional selling and sales management. The interest in microcomputers shown by sales and marketing professionals has been dramatic. Most academic conferences have included one or more sessions on the topic. Executive development consultants and training organizations such as the American Management Association are conducting seminars on the topic, and these are well attended. As one looks at common business uses of microcomputers, there are six basic areas where sales and marketing applications are usually found: word processing, database management, spreadsheets, graphics, communications, and specialized applications. Many of the more exciting applications of microcomputers have occurred in the area of database management. Database management systems are used to construct, manipulate, and manage large numeric and character information files.

The article discusses several issues on marketingl. The issue focuses on personal selling and sales management. The author expresses his appreciation to Dan Weilbaker, including his team of reviewers, for providing the necessary leadership as a guest editor for this issue. Bruce Stern of Portland State University, Oregon has been appointed the editor for this publication Craig Kelley of California State University, Sacramento, has been appointed to the created position of associate editor.