Why Salespeople Fail?
Why Salespeople
Thomas N. Ingram Charles H. Schwepker, Don Huts06
Factors considered to be most signtficant in contributing to salesperson failure were identtjied by examining the survey responses of 126 sales executives. The six most important factors were (1) poor listening skills; (2) failure to concentrate on top priorities; (3) a lack of sufticient effort; (4) inability to determine customer needs; (5) lack of planning for sales presentations; and (6) inadequate productlservice knowledge. The results suggest that those factors most significant in contributing to salesperson failure may be addressed through training and motivational techniques. Furthermore, deficiencies in these areas may negatively affect relationship selling efforts, thereby severely affecting overall salesforce performance in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Fail
Jr.
INTRODUCTION In today’s competitive marketplace, personal selling is the key to success for many industrial firms. As industrial customers become more demanding and attempt to streamline their own operations, it is not uncommon to observe sales organizations being put under intense pressure to meet elevated customer expectations. For example, Xerox recently cut its list of approved vendors from 5,000 to only 450 [I]. Undoubtedly, the sales orAddress correspondence to Thomas N. Ingram, Department of Marketing, Fogelman College of Business and Economics, Memphis State University, Memphis, TN 38152.
ganizations of the surviving vendors must be able to address Xerox’s expectations with highly competent salesforces. As personal selling becomes more crucial in determining overall success for many organizations, it is important to recognize some of the stark realities which challenge the sales executives charged with developing and sustaining competitive salesforces. First, the costs of recruiting, developing, and deploying a professional sales force are at an all-time high [2]. Second, the chronic problem of
Thomas N. Ingram Charles H. Schwepker, Don Huts06
Factors considered to be most signtficant in contributing to salesperson failure were identtjied by examining the survey responses of 126 sales executives. The six most important factors were (1) poor listening skills; (2) failure to concentrate on top priorities; (3) a lack of sufticient effort; (4) inability to determine customer needs; (5) lack of planning for sales presentations; and (6) inadequate productlservice knowledge. The results suggest that those factors most significant in contributing to salesperson failure may be addressed through training and motivational techniques. Furthermore, deficiencies in these areas may negatively affect relationship selling efforts, thereby severely affecting overall salesforce performance in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Fail
Jr.
INTRODUCTION In today’s competitive marketplace, personal selling is the key to success for many industrial firms. As industrial customers become more demanding and attempt to streamline their own operations, it is not uncommon to observe sales organizations being put under intense pressure to meet elevated customer expectations. For example, Xerox recently cut its list of approved vendors from 5,000 to only 450 [I]. Undoubtedly, the sales orAddress correspondence to Thomas N. Ingram, Department of Marketing, Fogelman College of Business and Economics, Memphis State University, Memphis, TN 38152.
ganizations of the surviving vendors must be able to address Xerox’s expectations with highly competent salesforces. As personal selling becomes more crucial in determining overall success for many organizations, it is important to recognize some of the stark realities which challenge the sales executives charged with developing and sustaining competitive salesforces. First, the costs of recruiting, developing, and deploying a professional sales force are at an all-time high [2]. Second, the chronic problem of
References: (1990). 2 Hey, Where’s My Survey of Selling Costs? Sales and Marketing Management 143, 42-45 (1991). 3 and Sales Managers Disagree on How to Boost Sales, MarketingTimes16, (July-August, 1990) Journal of Marketing Research 22, 103-I I8 ( 1985). Look for in New Sales People. Sales t 1978). I ( 1990). Complete Salesmanship: 59-66 ( 1984). 9, I-8 (1989). Behavior and Human Perjormance 25, 123-138 (1980).