Moumita Das Gyomlai, M. Ahearne, D. Rouziès, J. Kapferer
{"title":"All that glitters is not sold: selling a luxury brand outside a luxury environment","authors":"Moumita Das Gyomlai, M. Ahearne, D. Rouziès, J. Kapferer","doi":"10.1080/08853134.2021.1948341","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.1948341","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract To reach new clientele, luxury brands make strategic extensions into new product categories with more accessible prices resulting in less selective retail strategies that also feature stores not directly operated by the luxury brands (non-DOS). Entering such stores entails challenges as the luxury brand steps outside its luxury environment and loses direct control of the salesperson that interacts with the end consumer. Furthermore, in a less selective non-DOS, a luxury brand’s sales may get impacted due to image discrepancies in the salesperson’s mind, while the luxury brand competes for the salesperson’s attention. This study proposes several motivational levers that direct the efforts of a salesperson in a less selective non-DOS: the salesperson’s perceived fit between the brand and the store, the level of identification with the luxury brand, and luxury sensitivity. With empirical support in a unique dataset, the authors show that a salesperson’s perceived fit increases effort allocation for a luxury brand, and luxury brand identification strengthens it. Counterintuitively, the results show that a salesperson with a high level of luxury sensitivity is not predisposed to sell luxury outside a luxury environment. Finally, suggestions for performance implications are offered to luxury brand managers and retailers selling luxury brands.","PeriodicalId":47537,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2021-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/08853134.2021.1948341","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43995948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How customer perception of dependence on salesperson and customer–salesperson guanxi determine salesperson influence effectiveness","authors":"Wen-Kuei Wu","doi":"10.1080/08853134.2021.1947142","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.1947142","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study examined how customer perception of dependence on salesperson (CPDS) and customer–salesperson guanxi determine salesperson influence tactics (SITs) and salesperson influence effectiveness (SIE) in the context of Confucian-rooted culture. We issued 800 online questionnaires to customers of four Taiwanese life insurance companies and obtained 636 valid responses. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypotheses. The results confirmed that CPDS and customer-salesperson guanxi determine SIT usage and SIE, where CPDS also facilitates close customer-salesperson guanxi. We discovered that SITs contribute to the positive effect of customer-salesperson guanxi on SIE, and customer-salesperson guanxi positively mediates the effect of CPDS on SIT usage and SIE. Customer-salesperson guanxi, CPDS, and information exchange, promise, and encouragement tactics contribute to SIE. This may be the first study to associate CPDS and customer-salesperson guanxi with SIT usage and SIE simultaneously in the context of Confucian-rooted culture. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.1947142 .","PeriodicalId":47537,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2021-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/08853134.2021.1947142","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47510925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Introducing a new, machine learning process, and online tools for conducting sales literature reviews: An application to the forty years of JPSSM","authors":"Hideaki Kitanaka, P. Kwiatek, N. Panagopoulos","doi":"10.1080/08853134.2021.1935976","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.1935976","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are having an immense influence on sales professionals. Unfortunately, prior studies have paid less attention to how these technologies are affecting sales scholars’ work, such as conducting literature reviews. Our study expands the repertoire of inquiry for sales academics in the domain of AI/ML in three novel ways. First, we offer an efficient process to analyzing the sales literature, through an unsupervised ML-based process, which allows the identification of articles/topics based on semantic similarity rather than based on keywords. Second, we validate our process by applying it to scholarly work published in JPSSM as well as to the practitioner’s literature in the past 40 years. We find that the topics and trends uncovered by our autonomous reader are coherent with previous academic reviews, with some topics being entirely new. We also find that academic research published in JPSSM accurately reflects corporate realities, thereby alleviating concerns about the ‘sales academics-practitioners’ gap. Finally, we provide authors and reviewers with an online application, which allows for rapid identification of related JPSSM articles, and a set of ‘do-it-yourself’ (DIY) tools, which can help researchers in quickly producing their own literature reviews of articles published in any journal.","PeriodicalId":47537,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2021-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/08853134.2021.1935976","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48342313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Iracema Medeiros d’Abreu, I. R. Troccoli, João Felipe Rammelt Sauerbronn
{"title":"Rapport building during retail encounters with embarrassed clients","authors":"Iracema Medeiros d’Abreu, I. R. Troccoli, João Felipe Rammelt Sauerbronn","doi":"10.1080/08853134.2021.1925127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.1925127","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In this paper we use qualitative data to identify how pharmacy frontline sales employees try to build rapport toward embarrassed clients using nonverbal interpersonal communication (NVIC). Upon doing so, we build on a conceptual framework where NIVC can create rapport in embarrassing situations, with the client usually preferring the salesperson who, through expressive similarity, connects himself/herself with the client’s emotion and behaves discreetly, preserving the client from unnecessary exposure. Four methods were triangulated, including the critical incident technique. Results show that rapport building on the part of these salespeople by means of NIVC toward embarrassed clients is eminently amateurish, as these employees do not receive any prior training to perform in a more professional way. A relevant academic contribution comes from challenging the preconception that the categories of rapport are mutually exclusive and exhaustive, allowing the initial conceptual framework to be reconfigured as a new category of rapport is included. In practical terms, this research is also distinctive, since it suggests that, as a peculiar locus for embarrassment, pharmacies take these clients’ emotion in a more serious way, searching for ways to mitigate it through better training of salespeople, as this effort may translate into higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.","PeriodicalId":47537,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2021-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/08853134.2021.1925127","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46681231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mark P. Leach, Annie H. Liu, E. Pullins, Sijun Wang
{"title":"Advocates and adversaries: examining the role of supplier advocacy on customer reacquisition","authors":"Mark P. Leach, Annie H. Liu, E. Pullins, Sijun Wang","doi":"10.1080/08853134.2021.1919521","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.1919521","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Reacquiring a lost customer is often easier, faster, and less expensive than acquiring a new customer. Thus, reacquisition activities have become important fundamental aspects of selling. Improving our understanding of the customer reacquisition efforts of business-to-business salespeople is the primary objective of this study. When customers leave, they leave behind a network of personal connections with the supplier. This research examines how assessments of these connections by salespeople relate to salesperson effort and reacquisition success. We distinguish between buying center members who support a salesperson (i.e., advocates) and those who work against the salesperson (i.e., adversaries). A conceptual model is developed and results show that advocates in a customer organization enhance both sales effort and the level of reacquisition while adversaries increase salesperson perceptions of reacquisition difficulty.","PeriodicalId":47537,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2021-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/08853134.2021.1919521","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47372469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Alavi, Bruno Kocher, Sabrina Dörfer, Johannes Habel
{"title":"The role of salesperson communication in luxury selling","authors":"S. Alavi, Bruno Kocher, Sabrina Dörfer, Johannes Habel","doi":"10.1080/08853134.2021.1915794","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.1915794","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This research note provides first insight into the question how salespeople should promote products that customers perceive as luxurious. The authors draw on the well-established finding of prior literature that purchasing luxurious products tends to make customers feel guilty. The authors theorize that informative salesperson communication (i.e., conveying facts about a product) is more effective than emotional salesperson communication (i.e., aiming to arouse positive affect), thereby leading to more favorable product evaluations and purchase intention. Furthermore, the advantageousness of informative salesperson communication for products perceived as luxurious is theorized to be particularly pronounced if these products serve hedonic functions and have relatively high price levels. Two studies, one field study and one scenario experiment, provide evidence supporting these predictions. Thereby, this research note aims to stimulate further research on successful personal selling in luxury contexts.","PeriodicalId":47537,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2021-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/08853134.2021.1915794","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46473808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Commentary: practical insights for sales force digitalization success: the scholar’s perspective","authors":"W. Cron, Artur Baldauf","doi":"10.1080/08853134.2021.1919523","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.1919523","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The Zoltners, Sinha, Sahay, Shastri, and Lorimer (2021) article provides an excellent macro model of how sales digitization is related to organizational success. Additionally, the authors provide recommendations for avoiding pitfalls and achieving success in sales digitization programs. The intent of this article is to facilitate future research on these linkages identified in the Zoltners et al. article by discussing how specific models and theories might inform research on these linkages, including Complexity Leadership Theory, business models and contextual boundary conditions, a resource-based view of the firm, and Transaction Cost Theory.","PeriodicalId":47537,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2021-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/08853134.2021.1919523","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46496641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Zoltners, Prabhakant Sinha, Dharmendra Sahay, Arundhati Shastri, Sally E. Lorimer
{"title":"Practical insights for sales force digitalization success","authors":"A. Zoltners, Prabhakant Sinha, Dharmendra Sahay, Arundhati Shastri, Sally E. Lorimer","doi":"10.1080/08853134.2021.1908144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.1908144","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Sales organizations are actively pursuing digitalization because they see value through greater efficiency and effectiveness. In this paper, we examine the challenges in implementing sales force digitalization and suggest ways in which organizations can overcome these challenges. We present a sales effectiveness framework and discuss how digitalization affects its key components, including customer strategy, organization design, talent management, customer engagement, and the supporting architecture. We propose a conceptual model for digitalization success which considers the digital readiness of the organization, usage and adoption of digital solutions by the sales force, and actions for driving sustained impact. We map three types of digitalization failure to this model, exploring the causes of slow progress, poor adoption, and low impact. Then, we share success factors for overcoming these challenges. These include getting the right team to lead the effort, using an agile approach, and putting the organizational support elements in place to sustain success. We present these success factors in the form of a checklist of critical dimensions that organizations tend to overlook. Finally, we discuss the value for practitioners, share limitations of the work, and propose areas for further research that can enhance our ideas and improve sales digitalization success rates.","PeriodicalId":47537,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2021-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/08853134.2021.1908144","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46741594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Commentary: practical insights to ensure sales force digitalization success: the educator’s perspective","authors":"C. Herman, Craig McAndrews","doi":"10.1080/08853134.2021.1916397","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.1916397","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The authors evaluate the implications of Zoltners and colleagues (2021) for contemporary sales education. They commend Zoltners and colleagues for their unique angle in exploring the path to success for sales digitalization through both common reasons of failure and key success factors. Given the primary objective for sales educators to equip students for future employment in the sales industry, addressing the insights and recommendations Zoltners and colleagues present in the education process is necessary. Digitalization in sales continues to evolve and as a result, many practitioners and academics are in a state of “building the bicycle while riding it.” In light of this shift, we believe academic institutions have an opportunity to incorporate several of the insights from the article into their sales courses. In this commentary, the authors address four areas that this article can influence: (1) course curriculum and the case for new content, (2) experiential education and the role of adaptation in selling, (3) career-framing so students have a broader understanding of future sales roles, and (4) cross-discipline partnering in order to minimize silo-based learning.","PeriodicalId":47537,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2021-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/08853134.2021.1916397","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45607952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}