Sales Force Performance Satisfaction and Aspects of Relational Selling: Implications for Sales Managers

Abstract

Increasingly, sales managers are faced with the challenge of implementing a relational selling effort among their sales force. Unfortunately, many of the individuals comprising a given sales force are “order-getters” whose primary focus is transactional, or closing, oriented. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of four generally accepted aspects of relational selling on individual salesperson’s satisfaction with their personal performance. By better understanding the linkage between these characteristics and performance satisfaction, the sales manager should be placed in a better position to effectively implement a relationship-based sales program.