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Determinants in association with salesperson performance are role variables, skill motivation, personal factors, aptitude and organizational-environmental factors. Prediction and performance categories were determined through the use of customer type, product type and type of dependent measure used variables. Results indicated that the type of product sold by the salesperson directly affects their performance.

A comparison of current practices in business-to-business advertising indicates some divergence from hierarchy-of-effect models. Advertisements entered in the annual Business-Professional Advertising Assn (B-PAA) Gold Key Awards competition were subjected to a content analysis. The best of these ads only partially used the basic objectives of a specific communication task, specific target audience, degree of desired change, and the time period for completion of the change. Although 94 percent of the advertisements specified one of the communication tasks and 68 percent the target audience, none of the entries indicated the degree of change or time period. The first stages in the hierarchy-of-effect were used in less than 30 percent of the result measurements. The objectives and result measurements were not matched by most advertisers.

Forecasting for firms that do projects, make products, or perform services on a to-order basis is quite different from inventory firm forecasting. Three key factors play a vital role in forecasting, namely: probability of winning the contract, determining the frequency distribution, and developing a frequency distribution of probable starting times. The model developed is intended to improve bottom-up sales forecasts in those industries where work and receivables are primarily on a contract basis.

Despite an increasing interest in 'interactive' explanations of salesperson performance, few studies include the buyer's views of salespeople. This article reports the findings of a study of 249 buyers from the electric utility industry. Results suggest that buyers from three functional areas - purchasing, engineering, and operations - vary significantly in their preferences for salesperson behavior. The implications for salesperson role modification are discussed. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

This paper examines the advertising message strategy practices of business-to-business advertisers. An integrated message strategy framework was developed from several managerial models to provide a framework for analysis. Results from this study suggest that guidelines from managerial models for message strategy development are not often used to develop business-to-business advertising message strategies. In addition, suggestions for improving strategy decisions are provided. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Boundary spanners have a unique organizational role which includes receiving and transmitting information across organization-environment interfaces. As a result, the self-monitoring (ability to perceive social cues and adjust behaviors to fit the situation) of boundary spanners may affect their performance and role perceptions. Data from a two-sample investigation of boundary spanners suggest that self-monitoring is not related to objective indicators of performance or role conflict but is positively associated with role ambiguity. Moreover, these results were not contingent on boundary spanners' job tenure.

Although direct mail is one of the largest and fastest-growing components of the advertising industry, its results orientation to decision making may be an obstacle to improvements in its effectiveness. This paper uses the results of a 6–month, single case study to illustrate the gap between industry guidelines and practice. Furthermore, the authors recommend a research orientation to decision making within a problem-solving framework of buyer behavior.