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Article
Publication date: 1 March 2000

Erik Jan Hultink, Kwaku Atuahene‐Gima and Iris Lebbink

Although several studies have suggested that the salesforce is a major contributing factor to new product success, few studies have focused on the role of sales managers and…

2024

Abstract

Although several studies have suggested that the salesforce is a major contributing factor to new product success, few studies have focused on the role of sales managers and salespeople in new product launch, particularly with respect to its relation with performance in new product selling. This article decribes the results of an empirical investigation into the determinants of new product selling performance. The results show that product newness to the firm, market volatility, resource inadequacy and behavior reward are related inversely to new product selling performance, whereas feedback provided by the sales manager, new product complexity, salesforce new product selling experience and output reward are related positively to sales performance.

Details

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 June 2023

Archana Sharma and Mahim Sagar

The study aims to identify salespeople’s challenges while selling newly launched products in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector by examining the holistic environment in…

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to identify salespeople’s challenges while selling newly launched products in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector by examining the holistic environment in which they perform their selling tasks. Furthermore, it develops a hierarchical model mapping the interrelationships between identified challenges to explore their dependence and driving power through qualitative research techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study is exploratory and inductive in its research design. It used focus-group discussion (FGD), semistructured interviews and thematic content analysis (TCA) to identify new-product selling challenges in the FMCG sector. The identified factors were then worked into a hierarchical model using total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) to analyze their relationship. The factors were further classified into clusters based on their driving and dependence power, with the help of the Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) technique

Findings

The TISM and MICMAC results identified salespeople’s most critical new-product selling challenges in the FMCG sector: product innovation, product differentiation, customer perception and market turbulence. An enhanced organizational focus on these factors will ensure that salespeople get adequate input to tackle the challenges they face while selling newly launched FMCG products.

Research limitations/implications

The study was confined to identifying challenges in the FMCG sector alone but offered scope for application in other sectors.

Practical implications

This study will help organizations to identify and close gaps in the new-product selling process, thereby improving the performance of salespeople and contributing to a new product’s success. The study findings have a bearing on various stages of product development, management and life cycle. They also highlight the need for greater synergy between an organization’s sales force and other departments.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is unique in identifying new-product selling challenges in the FMCG sector. It also delineates the complex Web of interrelationships between them and classifies the identified factors based on their driving and dependence on power. The research results can help in organizational decision-making and sales practices, empowering salespeople in their new-product selling tasks.

Details

Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol. 26 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-2752

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 February 2018

Archana Sharma and Mahim Sagar

The purpose of this study is to identify crucial and new product selling challenges in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector for the companies operating in…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify crucial and new product selling challenges in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector for the companies operating in Business to Business (B2B) sales setting.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses qualitative techniques of focus group discussion, semi-structure interviews and thematic content analysis to explore crucial and new product selling challenges. Total interpretive structuring modeling (TISM) is used to create a hierarchy amongst the factors and interpret the relationships amongst them.

Findings

This study identifies crucial challenges for the ICT sector. The TISM framework helped in identifying variables and explained the relationship between the identified variables.

Research limitations/implications

The findings may have been affected by the small size of the sample, the research was restricted to Indian market only and the result would have varied across cultures and different domains.

Practical implications

Companies in the ICT sector are eager to develop new products but fail to sell it. Salespeople play a crucial role in diffusing the new product in the market. Addressing the challenges faced by salespeople will improve not only the sales of the new product but also the overall the operational efficiency of the sales force.

Social implications

Although several studies have suggested that sales force is the major contributing factor to new product success, few studies have focused on the role of salespeople in new product launch, particularly with respect to challenges in new product selling.

Originality/value

This is the first study to identify new product selling challenges in the ICT sector.

Details

Journal of Indian Business Research, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-4195

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 September 2015

Annie Chen, Norman Peng and Kuang-peng Hung

The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of salespeople when selling new products (namely, electronic goods) in a business-to-business context by incorporating the…

1590

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of salespeople when selling new products (namely, electronic goods) in a business-to-business context by incorporating the organizations’ perceived psychological climate into goal orientation theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study uses the goal orientation theory to examine the performance of 158 salespeople based on new electronic product sales. Organizational psychological climate perceptions (i.e. customer orientation, sales supportiveness and sales innovativeness) are included as variables that can moderate salespeople’s performance. This study used partial least squares to examine its proposed model.

Findings

This study found that the learning goal orientation and the performance-prove goal orientation positively affect salespeople’s self-efficacy to sell new products, whereas a performance-avoid goal orientation negatively affects efficacy. In addition, new product selling self-efficacy itself has a positive influence on new product sales performance. As for the moderator, sales supportiveness and customer orientation have the ability to moderate the relationship between self-efficacy and performance.

Practical implications

This study has implications for sales managers or product managers who are responsible for promoting new products. First, this study’s findings suggest that managers should consider employing performance-prove goal-oriented staff and learning goal oriented staff to sell new products. Second, management can attempt to develop a more supportive climate for the sales team, such as assisting the team in obtaining needed resources from other departments. Finally, management needs to let salespeople know that they are doing their best to understand what new products existing and potential customers will need in the near future.

Originality/value

This current research is one of the first to examine how the perceived psychological climates of organizations (i.e. sales supportiveness, sales innovativeness and customer orientation) may moderate salespeople’s performance when selling new products. Second, this research examines how different types of goal orientation affect salespeople’s self-efficacy when selling new products. Previous results have not always been consistent regarding the influence of a performance-prove goal orientation. Last but not least, this study tests how new product selling self-efficacy mediates the relationships between goal orientations and new product sales performance as scholars have suggested that more research into the mediating role of self-efficacy is needed.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 49 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1988

John Cheese, Abby Day and Gordon Wills

An updated version of the original (1985) text, the book covers all aspects of marketing and selling bank services: the role of marketing; behaviour of customers; intelligence…

3603

Abstract

An updated version of the original (1985) text, the book covers all aspects of marketing and selling bank services: the role of marketing; behaviour of customers; intelligence, planning and organisation; product decisions; promotion decisions; place decisions; price decisions; achieving sales. Application questions help to focus the readers' minds on key issues affecting practice.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 6 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 1990

Kenneth Andrew

This monograph covers a number of key articlesand presentations by the author over the lastdecade. The points contained in them reflect aclear belief based on experience of…

Abstract

This monograph covers a number of key articles and presentations by the author over the last decade. The points contained in them reflect a clear belief based on experience of creating significant cultural change so that banks become more market‐driven and customer‐orientated. Many of the forecasts made in the articles have become a reality in the marketplace. This monograph begins with a description of changes over the last decade: the introduction of the marketing function into banks, consumer responses, new competitors, technological developments, and the impact of Government. Marketing has faced many difficulties in the banking industry and competitive breakthroughs have not been easy to achieve. Many leaders in the industry believe in business/marketing strategy evolving in close association with IT planning – this is the second topic, IT support may be crucial. The importance of advertising and management of agency relationships is the subject of Chapter 3 – how can it be effectively used? Chapter 4 looks at the ways in which the consumer is presently getting a better deal; Chapter 5 describes the marketing success of the NatWest Piggy Bank within the context of a changing marketing culture. A wider repertoire of marketing techniques are used in the USA (Chapter 6) but if they are to be used in the same way here then the situation will need to approximate more closely to that of the USA – credit and credit cards are the particular focus and the US market is more aggressive. Chapters 7‐9 look at the future of financial services marketing from the retailer′s perspective – the retailer′s detailed approach to a possible new business has distinctive strengths, but their actual opportunities in this market may be restricted to an extent by, for example, inexperience and so lower credibility as vendors of some specialised services like investment management. Chapter 10 appraises the value and strategic nature of market research. Chapter 11 considers the movement of building societies into the wider personal financial services marketplace, the product′s role in the marketing mix, and the impact of the Single Market in Europe. Chapter 12 singles out the cost‐effective technique of automated vetting of customers′ creditworthiness from the special viewpoint of the building society. The monograph concludes with a discussion of the changing market and future prospects: the world of finance is no longer simple; money is no longer the common denominator; the consumer is now the focus; competition to provide services is fierce; the future is exciting!

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 8 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 1998

Kwaku Atuahene‐Gima

To ensure diffusion of new products among buyers’ firms need to ensure their acceptance by the salesforce. Few studies have, however, examined the satisfaction and performance of…

2427

Abstract

To ensure diffusion of new products among buyers’ firms need to ensure their acceptance by the salesforce. Few studies have, however, examined the satisfaction and performance of the salesforce in new product selling. This article reports the results of an empirical study of the effect of salesperson’s effort in new product selling on satisfaction and performance, and the potential moderators of the linkages. The results suggest that effort leads to greater satisfaction and performance. However, the strength of the relationship with respect to satisfaction is decreased by perceived self advantage in selling the new product and salesperson’s experience, but enhanced by customer role ambiguity and competitive intensity. With respect to performance, the findings indicate that the positive effects of effort are buffered by intensity of market competition and salesperson’s experience.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 32 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2023

Wen Zhang and Mingzhuo Dai

The purpose of this study is to explore the interplay between the selection of selling formats of remanufactured products for a third-party remanufacturer (TPR) and the quality…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the interplay between the selection of selling formats of remanufactured products for a third-party remanufacturer (TPR) and the quality decision of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

Design/methodology/approach

This study considers a remanufacturing supply chain, where the OEM sells new products through a platform retailer, but the products remanufactured by the TPR can be sold via a direct or indirect channel. The authors model a Stackelberg game and explore the optimal quality decision of the OEM and selling format choice of the TPR.

Findings

The OEM's optimal decision depends mainly on consumers' discounted utility coefficient and cost-scale factor of remanufactured products. A higher consumers' valuation of the remanufactured product will not result in a higher retail price, but may lead to an increase in new product's sales. Given the cost-scale factor, the TPR prefers to sell directly no matter what the value of consumers' discounted utility coefficient is. An all-win situation is achieved with selling directly when consumers' discounted utility coefficient is sufficiently large.

Practical implications

These results provide some support to the operational strategies of the OEM and TPR.

Originality/value

This study firstly endogenizes the quality decision and combines the selling format selection of the TPR and the quality decision of the OEM to explore the interplay between these two important decisions.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1993

An overview of all the elements that go into formulating a businessstrategy – including received wisdom from the gurus, vision andvalues, ideas on growth, forecasting…

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Abstract

An overview of all the elements that go into formulating a business strategy – including received wisdom from the gurus, vision and values, ideas on growth, forecasting, information, objectives, audits, customers, markets, competition, finances, structure, training – with the focus on how to make it happen. Directed at practising managers whose task this is. Making strategic plans is the easy bit; enacting them requires changing things, getting things done through people. Discusses learning, training and development, culture, quality, with the emphasis on real people in real businesses. Underpinned by the philosophy of “action learning”.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 31 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 30 July 2018

Abstract

Details

Marketing Management in Turkey
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78714-558-0

1 – 10 of over 78000