Inducing Multiline Salespeople to Adopt House Brands

Abstract

How can multiline providers induce their salespeople to sell house brands? Using both unobtrusive measures (archival data) and direct questions, the authors model the extent to which salespeople adopt house brands, as well as the salesperson's perception that selling house brands can pose contractual hazards and his or her dependence upon the employer. Results indicate that adoption of house brands is most pronounced for salespeople who are habitually successful, are more dependent on the firm, or receive high levels of company training. In contrast, salespeople who resist house brands perceive that selling these products threatens their customer bond, have greater experience as a salesperson, and are more oriented to external than to internal sources of information. The authors discuss implications of the findings in terms of developing ways for multiline providers to manage independent-minded salespeople.