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The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative review of coaching research from different contexts (e.g. athletics, executive coaching, project management and sales), delineate professional sales coaching from other developmental activities and develop a research agenda for stimulating research on professional sales coaching. Professional sales coaching is considered an important sales force developmental program by both sales practitioners and researchers. Yet, research on sales coaching remains fragmented in the extant literature.

An extensive literature review of extant research and theoretical perspectives on coaching as well as insights gathered from exploratory, in-depth interviews of ten sales managers were used to develop the research agenda.

The review and research agenda identify a number of sales coaching-related topics that warrant further research. Specifically, the research agenda addresses salesperson characteristics, sales manager and coach characteristics, selling organization characteristics, sales coaching approaches, nature and effectiveness of the sales coaching process and, finally, outcomes of sales coaching. For each topic, extant research, relevant insights from exploratory interviews and directions for future research are discussed.

This paper is the first integrative review of coaching-related research in the sales literature. It offers an updated conceptualization of sales coaching and identifies opportunities for future research.

The purpose of the study is to test the effect of relationship managerial behavior (i.e. managerial coaching) on frontline employee performance (i.e. sales performance) and the mediating effect of employee's relationship behaviors (i.e. customer orientation and adaptive selling) in a Chinese banking environment.

Data were collected using a survey from 242 frontline employees working at a large commercial bank in Dalian (China). Measures on managerial coaching, customer orientation, adaptive selling and sales performance were adapted from the literature. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling in AMOS 26.

Results indicate that (1) managerial coaching positively affects employee customer orientation, (2) employee customer orientation positively affects employee adaptive selling behavior and (3) adaptive selling behavior positively affects sales performance. Bootstrap analysis confirmed the significance and stability of all the direct paths (suggesting that every mediator fully mediates the effect of its antecedent on the criterion) but none of the indirect paths found support (full mediation model).

The study makes a contribution to the nomological network of managerial coaching by introducing a construct that has not been used previously (i.e. employee adaptive selling behavior) and testing its relevance in a commercial setting.

The results suggest that (1) managerial coaching is a central managerial behavior for companies that would like to implement a relationship marketing strategy because it helps promote specific employee relationship behaviors like customer orientation and adaptive selling, (2) there seems to be little cultural differences in the banking industry between the Chinese and the Western banks, suggesting that coaching and other management tools can be transferable from one culture to the other and (3) that coaching is an effective tool to help employees achieve higher sales performance.

The paper contributes to the literature on the use of managerial coaching in commercial areas to increase frontline employee relationships behaviors. The identification of adaptive selling as a mediator is an original contribution because it has received little attention in scientific research. Additionally, the use of a Chinese sample of bank employees responds to recent call for more research in cross-cultural settings.

The purpose of the study is to confirm a conceptualised framework regarding organizational and environmental indicators of sales performance on sellers in a business-to-business environment. The study is based on the meta-analyses of sales performance by Churchill et al. (1985) and Verbeke et al. (2011).

A research instrument was used to establish whether three categories that were positioned into a framework of six dimensions can be perceived as valid and reliable. These categories related to organization and environmental indicators of sales performance. A wide variety of organization that are representative of different sectors and organizational sizes were included in the study. These industries and sectors are representative of the commercial sector of Norway.

A six-dimensional framework of organizational and environmental indicators was tested with success in the study. The different dimensions encompass a focus on the external environment, market orientation (internal environment), teamwork (internal environment), positive behavioral feedback (supervisory leadership), transformational leadership (supervisory leadership) and positive feedback (supervisory leadership).

A foundation is provided to structure the assessment of sales performance in business-to-business settings through the development of a business-to-business framework of organisational and environmental indicators in sales performance. In addition, a foundation for further studies on sales performance is delivered. Therefore, the study secures a practical orientation to organise and structure the process of business-to-business environmental and organisational planning through verified categories of organisational and environmental indicators, divided into six categories.

This study aims to offer a conceptualization of sales transformation, a phenomenon that is redefining the role of salespeople and the nature of Business-to-Business (B2B) relationships while disrupting the selling logics across a variety of industries.

Through a two-stage approach, the authors propose and test a conceptual model of sales transformation. The authors conducted 20 interviews and two focus groups with sales directors and managers. The authors then surveyed directors, executives and managers in the sales area (n = 190) and tested a reflective–formative hierarchical model using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Sales transformation is a multidimensional construct that includes four higher-order dimensions, namely, people, digitalization, integration and acceleration, and 16 sub-dimensions. These dimensions simultaneously contribute to the sales transformation phenomenon that is conceptualized as a systemic process. This study also offers a measurement tool to assess the degree of sales transformation and enhance the value generated through sales.

Although many companies are facing challenges stemming from the process of sales transformation, most studies have only focused on micro-aspects of this transformation. This study provides a holistic view of sales transformation aimed at understanding the complexity of this phenomenon by adopting a macro-level perspective on the different dimensions that contribute to its occurrence and development.

Through the use of netnography, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the interaction of 192 inside sales agents who collaborate within discussion forums to create communities of practice (CoPs). Drawing on situated learning theory and inside salespersons’ discussion forums, this study showcases how inside sales agents use CoPs to better their sales activity knowledge. This paper discovered how inside sales agents reach outside their organization to seek information within their mesosystem to positively impact sales activity knowledge outcomes.

This study used the use of netnography to follow the online community from afar, observing and capturing the essence of interaction without intruding on the conversation. Data from two inside sales professional discussion forums, 192 inside sales agents, produced nearly 67,161 words or 496 double-spaced pages.

This research demonstrates the power of CoPs. Inside sales agents seek information outside their company, within their mesosystem, to gain knowledge to improve sales activities. As boundary spanners, inside sales agents are not restricted, but rather, proactively find ways to consistently keep learning.

Organizations can and should implement internal CoPs to allow the exchange between sales agents in a more controlled matter. Furthermore, sales managers should proactively seek extern CoPs and introduced them to their organization as supplemental training.

The use of netnography is limited in sales literature. The research provides support for the use of netnography as it provides researchers firsthand access to multiple sales roles. This unadulterated access provides sales researchers the opportunity to study the many facets of sales, with pure, genuine data.

Examines how sales managers can affect and improve salesforce performance. Describes the similarities and differences between high‐ and low‐performance salesforces and the ways in which sales management can create the opportunity for salespeople to perform well. Discusses research implications and offers management guidelines to improve the effectiveness of sales organizations.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework and conceptualization of approaches to salespersons’ negative reactions to performance-improvement coaching. This is done by first depicting “negative reaction to coaching” (such as defensiveness, reluctance, fear, confusion, or apathy) as the manifestation of an underlying psychological “basic issue” held by the salesperson. Next, from the sales coaching and psychology literature, the theoretical underpinnings of the following coaching approaches are introduced: humanistic, behavioral, cognitive, and psychodynamic. Finally, applications of coaching conversations are presented for each “basic issue” and “coaching approach” pairing.

This study is conceptual and is depicted using a framework illustration (table) of how each negative reaction to coaching (i.e. basic issue) maps to a theoretical approach rooted in the psychology and coaching literature.

Dealing with a rep’s negative reaction to performance-improvement coaching should be treated like the process of handling any sales objection, issue, or concern. This process consists of, first, recognizing, clarifying, or attempting to better understand the rep’s negative reaction; and second, responding to the negative reaction using the appropriate psychology-rooted coaching approach to clarify or explain the purpose or rationale for coaching. Examples and sample coaching conversations are presented for each negative reaction–coaching approach pairing.

The conceptual research presented in this paper provides scholars one way to view and understand such negative reactions to performance-improvement coaching from salespeople, as it maps to the underlying psychological basic issues (behind negative reactions) and theoretical basis (to coaching approaches). Using the framework of Argyris and Schon, this paper conceptualizes these negative reactions to coaching as “action strategies” as a rep’s means to protect him/herself psychologically.

For practicing sales managers (coaches), a better understanding of negative reactions to performance-improvement coaching and underlying theoretical approaches to responding to them could better help shape the most constructive coaching conversations with reps. These conversations should follow the same format as responding to a customer objection (e.g. better understand the reaction and then respond to it).

This conceptual paper blends the theory and practice of sales coaching by providing a framework to aid sales managers in overcoming and minimizing the obstacles posed by salespeople when they are not open to coaching conversations.

A great deal has been written about the importance of marketers evolving into more relationship‐oriented selling practices. It is unclear however, the degree to which this evolution has impacted on the coaching practices of sales managers. Reports a survey of 143 sales managers engaged in business‐to‐business sales which indicates that coaching activities have been influenced by the need to build relationships with customers. In turn, this orientation will affect a number of new organizational concerns.