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Abstract: * In this study, we test the assumption that the way target firm employees respond to a takeover is contingent on their national origin. * The antecedents of target [...]

ABSTRACT In today's hyper-competitive marketplace, understanding what fosters and forwards employee motivation--and, thus, organizational performance--is critical. Based on theories, studies, best practices, case studies and resources about motivation, this solutions-focused [...]

A sample of 312 salespeople from diverse industries was used to develop a model that examined the influence of salesperson need for achievement and sales manager positive leader reward behavior on several key organizational outcomes. The organizational outcome variables examined were goal acceptance, sales performance, and organizational commitment. The results suggest that a salesperson's need for achievement may lead to higher performance, but not necessarily commitment to the organization. However, positive leader reward behavior may strengthen a salesperson's organizational commitment. The findings, along with suggestions for sales managers, are discussed., All too often, organizations fail to develop long-term relationships with their salespeople because of employee perceptions that the organization is not genuinely concerned with the welfare of the salespeople. Consequently, [...]

Normally, Larry Winston would have disregarded a cold call from an executive recruiter; he wasn't looking for a new job. But that day, the recruiter's pitch piqued his interest: He […]

If you take a look at last year's earnings reports, you'll find few companies that reported revenue growth in the double digits. Even industry stalwarts like General Electric and Procter […]

1 RAMPANT GOSSIP Last year Stacy Sanders * and Molly Chernin, * sales managers at an international company that distributes technical equipment, both worked in the same West Coast office. […]

Abstract: The author offers an interesting perspective on agent motivation in the Call Centre environment. She views motivation as the result of consistent and effective management practices and challenges managers [...]

The development of sales and customer relationship management in Greek service industries are discussed.

'When a salesperson fails, it is almost always management's fault.' Failure is measured by the termination (voluntary or otherwise) of the salesperson or by the failure of the salesperson to reach expected goals or standards such as quota, forecast, or other measures of productivity. When a salesperson fails, either the wrong person was hired, or if the right person was hired, he or she was improperly managed. The analyses of several realistic mini-cases illustrate the attachment of managerial blame to each example of salesperson failure. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Bob Van Abel hates junk mail. 'I throw most of it out,' he says. But without missing a beat, the president of Prairie Nursery in Westfield, Wisconsin, adds that he […]

This article, first, synthesizes three theoretical approaches to salesforce control systems and, second, examines the effect of the control mechanisms on key consequence variables. More specifically, the manuscript develops a comprehensive model of salesforce control by integrating key constructs from three alternative theories: organization theory, agency theory, and transaction cost analysis. The constructs are (1) outcome observability from organizational theory, (2) behavior observability from agency theory, (3) transaction-specific assets (TSA) from transaction cost analysis, and (4) task programmability or environmental/task uncertainty, a key construct in all three theories. In addition, the study examines the effects of controls on certain consequence variables: salesperson-customer relationships and salespersons' motivation and organizational commitment. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

The life of a salesperson is not necessarily centered around financial considerations. Other factors come into play such as the intense competitive rivalry that salespeople have with others in their team, the careful building up of client relationships that develops over the long-term, and the satisfaction that comes when salespeople win the deals they so fiercely fight to win. Quite often, the art of salesmanship often turns on the ability of salespeople to stay in control of the one-upmanship game in which they are involved. Moreover, as this selling game often takes up a good amount of emotional exertion, consistent success in the sales arena tends to be linked to the ability of salespeople to rein in their emotions as they go about their daily sales routines. An inside look at the activities of a Xerox Corp. sales team is provided to illustrate the role non-financial considerations play in the selling game.

It's time for Louis Gerstner to reboot IBM's sales force. Bill Gardner once had reason to be proud. For 23 years, he wore the blue suit, the white, button-down shirt, […]

Six months after joining Pilot Pen Corp. as national sales manager in 1975, Ronald G. Shaw decided he wanted to set up his own direct sales force. The primary reason? […]

Like other foodservice distributors, Ritter Food Corp. wants its DSRs to perform at the optimum, and comes through with various incentives designed to maximize their efforts. But, besides the obvious [...]

Many CEOs and division managers hesitate to change their sales strategies for fear of alienating their sales forces. This fear to confront salespeople often stems from top management's realization that the company is totally dependent on the sales force in communicating with customers, and that the real buyer-seller relationship exists between salespeople and their clients. Senior managers are afraid that, if the sales force does not agree to any planned change, it could hinder effective implementation or even sabotage the project. Furthermore, companies could lose customers if highly successful salespeople leave and take their clients with them. Although there are many instances in which the sales force succeeds in keeping a tight control over top management, there are some CEOs and other senior managers who oppose the disproportionate power enjoyed by the sales department and adopt measures to regain it. Two cases illustrating how this can be done are presented.

Profile: Endo Pharmaceuticals Industry: Pharmaceutical product development Challenge -- Create an incentive trip that will inspire its approximately 600 salespeople to exceed sales targets Solution: A Carnival-themed trip to Rio [...]

Byline: CAROL KROL It's practically unheard of: a 22% response rate to good, old-fashioned direct mail. How did IT security software company Symantec Corp. accomplish that? Symantec's salespeople were tasked [...]

Lack of visibility was making life difficult for JT Dove's sales staff until a new solution enabled the company to make much more informed decisions JT Dove, set up in […]

FRUSTRATED ABOUT HOW TO ATTRIBUTE CREDIT FOR SALES AND brand-building success? You're not alone. It's a hot topic given the amount of money spent on digital media and continued media [...]

By Susan Greco What company owner hasn't suspected that all would be right with the world if his or her salespeople weren't so damn lazy? Scott Rosen had those suspicions [...]

Byline: SAMANTHA OLLER Senior associate editor | soller@primediabusiness.com In a scene from the 1999 movie, 'Office Space,' jaded employees gather together for a company meeting called by their office manager. [...]

John Roberts manages a 30-person sales force for Global Industries Corporation that has performed poorly this year. Revenues are down 30 percent from last year and the CEO of the […]

The marketing plan for 2002 was recently released to the sales force of XYZ Corporation. Unfortunately, the company's 30 salespeople are unhappy with what they see. Mary Callaghan, XYZ's vice […]

BEFORE DATABASE MARKETING MANAGER Tom Brockhaus joined the incentive services division of American Express last August, the division lacked a standard procedure for distributing and tracking qualified sales leads among […]

At first blush, Mike Weinbach and Justin Sewell seem to have a lot in common. Mike is 27 and Justin is 29. Both run successful dot-coms, in Boston and Austin, [...]

DAVID TILLINGHAST IS dealing with an interdepartmental crisis. As executive vice president of sales and marketing for DP Electrical Corporation, he has the unfortunate job of overseeing salespeople and marketers […]

Conlon, Ginger (2000), 'Cashing In,' Sales & Marketing Management, 153 (August), 95-102. This article describes the experiences of Salience Associates, Inc., a sales channel outsourcing firm in Massachusetts that has [...]

MICHAEL WILTZ, vice president of sales for Lucky Automotive Products Corporation, is about to introduce a new sales-compensation plan for this year. But he's not quite sure exactly how he […]

Companies should look to their existing sales forces to build Web revenues WHO SAYS TRADITIONAL salespeople can't make the transition to Web selling? At HPC Publications, a subsidiary of Primedia, […]

THIS CAN'T BE happening to me. Tim Starling, vice president of sales for June Software, was experiencing firsthand the turnover that he had read so much about in the business […]

How creative selling helps one manager boost revenues DURING HIS 1997 interview at Catapult Systems, Dean Cormier and Catapult CEO Sam Goodner discovered their mutual love for basketball. So when […]

How DoubleClick aligns its salespeople with its customers INTERNET ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS company DoubleClick Inc. has grown rapidly, with revenues of $258.3 million in 1999, up from $138.7 million in 1998. [...]

PROBLEM: As sources of sales leads, too many databases are static. They don't include the most up-to-date information on new companies--a problem in the dot-com era. Indeed, Wind River Systems […]

ABOUT 10 MONTHS ago Jamie Feldman, Lasertex Industries' vice president of sales, asked her team for recommendations to fill three newly created sales positions. Account executive Kramer Johansen suggested his […]