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The impact of industry and training influences on salesforce consulting time and consulting effectiveness

Alfred Pelham (The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey, USA)

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing

ISSN: 0885-8624

Article publication date: 9 October 2009

1533

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose if this article is to study the relative impact of industry competitive conditions on salesforce consulting time and consulting effectiveness, relative to the impact of type of sales training.

Design/methodology/approach

Surveys were sent to sales managers and hypotheses were tested in simultaneous equation models.

Findings

Industry product differentiation has the greatest impact on consulting effectiveness. Industry customer segment number has a positive influence. The relationship between consulting time and consulting effectiveness is highest in commodity industries.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies should expand the sampling frame to include all manufacturing industries, service firms, and consumer goods firms. Future studies should include other firm variables such as strategy, structure, and level of market orientation to improve the explanation of variation.

Practical implications

Sales managers in commodity industries have a relatively high opportunity to enhance customer relationships by enhancing the consulting aspects of their sales management programs.

Originality/value

This study furthers our understanding of the contingency nature of sales management practices on salesforce behaviors and the contingency nature of the impact of those behaviors. This study provides managers in commodity industries with an understanding of the potential value of increasing the extent of consulting‐oriented sales training. This study also suggests that managers seeking to increase salesforce consulting should consider restructuring the salesforce by customer group.

Keywords

Citation

Pelham, A. (2009), "The impact of industry and training influences on salesforce consulting time and consulting effectiveness", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 24 No. 8, pp. 575-584. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858620910999448

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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