scholarly journals Empowerment of the Sales Forces in 2000s

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslier Maureen Valenzuela Fernández ◽  
Francisco Javier Villegas Pinuer
Keyword(s):  
Sales Forces

The business-to-business inside sales force: roles, configurations and research agenda

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 1025-1060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Sleep ◽  
Andrea L. Dixon ◽  
Thomas DeCarlo ◽  
Son K. Lam
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Structure ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Sales Force ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Sales Forces ◽  
Business To Business

Purpose This study aims to explore the changing nature of the inside sales role and the individual capabilities required for success. Additionally, it examines the influence of organizational structure on inside sales force capabilities. Although business-to-business firms are investing heavily in inside sales forces, academic research lags behind this evolution. Design/methodology/approach Using a two-study qualitative approach, the authors examine contemporary inside sales forces’ responsibilities and operational configurations. Study 1 uses a cross-industry sample of sales leaders and professionals to examine roles and responsibilities. Study 2 used the second sample of sales leaders and professionals to explore the impact of various organizational configurations. Findings The study identifies important differences between inside and outside salespeople in terms of job demands and resources; inside salespeople’s greater reliance on sales technology and analytics than outside counterparts; and existing control systems’ failure to provide resources and incentives to match with inside salespeople’s increasing strategic benefits and job demands. The study also explores four distinct inside–outside configurations. The differences among these configurations help to explain the distinct benefits and costs of each configuration regarding the company, customer and intra sales force processes, which, in turn, determine inside salespeople’s strategic benefits and job demands. Research limitations/implications The authors discuss the theoretical implications of these findings for research on the evolving roles and capabilities of the inside sales force; antecedents and consequences of firms’ choice of inside–outside sales force configurations; and the impact of technology and the inside sales force. They propose a research agenda that includes a series of specific future research questions. Practical implications This study informs managers of the unique role of the inside sales force and how it differs from their outside counterpart. The results inform managers of the issues inherent to various inside sales configurations, helping them determine, which configuration best addresses their customers’ needs. Originality/value This research provides a detailed, updated account of the differences between inside and outside sales forces and the benefits/costs of major inside–outside sales force configurations. Drawing from job demands-resources, organizational structure and strategy-context fit theories, the authors develop research propositions about the underlying structural differences of inside-outside sales force configurations; how these differences drive the inside sales force’s increasing strategic benefits and job demands; and organizational choice of inside sales force configurations. A research agenda is then presented.

The differing effects of technology on inside vs. outside sales forces to facilitate enhanced customer orientation and interfunctional coordination

2012 ◽  
Vol 65 (7) ◽  
pp. 929-936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Rapp ◽  
Lauren Skinner Beitelspacher ◽  
Niels Schillewaert ◽  
Thomas L. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Customer Orientation ◽  
Sales Forces

Job Performance Related to Management Control Systems for Pharmaceutical Salesmen

1976 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles M. Futrell ◽  
John E. Swan ◽  
John T. Todd
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Job Performance ◽  
Control Systems ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Marketing Management ◽  
Management Control Systems ◽  
Sales Forces ◽  
System Characteristics

Conceptualization and empirical investigation of marketing management control systems have not developed to the point where terms, concepts, and methods are clear enough to provide reliable guidelines for managers of sales forces. Three national firms’ salesmen's perceptions of their control system were related to the salesmen's performance to identify the most important control system characteristics.

Recent Issues and Concerns about Pharmaceutical Industry Promotional Efforts

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Bleidt
Keyword(s):  
Information Exchange ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Exchange Programs ◽  
The Past ◽  
News Releases ◽  
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers ◽  
Promotional Efforts ◽  
Realistic View ◽  
Sales Forces ◽  
Regulatory Actions

Promotional efforts put forth by pharmaceutical manufacturers have accomplished their intended purposes — greatly expanding demand. The strategies and tactics employed are ethical, in most circumstances; however, questions are frequently raised about the possible unscrupulous nature of some methods. Inquiries have been made recently about just how moral some of these activities are and regulatory actions taken against those found to be unacceptable. The drug industry uses many unique promotional techniques that have been evolving over the past several decades. Discussed in this article are such powerful tools as video news releases, “pseudo-scientific” sessions, information exchange programs, using multiple sales forces, and self-competition, among others. The resulting furor over these operations has brought about changes in order to counter the abuses that have occurred. In the realistic view, though, due to the high stakes involved, promotional evolution will continue and new approaches developed, raising different, yet similar, questions. The answer lies within the target markets, prescribers and other practitioners through questioning and maintaining the normal adversarial nature expected in a fiduciary relationship.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document