Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Business Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Business

Are Lonely Salespeople Costing You Customers?, Valerie Good, Lisa Earle Mcleod May 2022

Are Lonely Salespeople Costing You Customers?, Valerie Good, Lisa Earle Mcleod

Other Faculty Publications

As customer interactions have shifted to Zoom, sales jobs have become increasingly transactional and lonely. Recent research suggests this is a costly problem that goes beyond a hit to morale: It’s actually causing three problematic behaviors — social awkwardness, impaired memory, and conspicuous overspending on customers — that could damage business performance. The authors offer eight strategies managers can implement to help salespeople feel less lonely and ensure your team is approaching customers with confidence.


More Than Money: Establishing The Importance Of A Sense Of Purpose For Salespeople, Valerie Good, Douglas E. Hughes, Hao Wang Aug 2021

More Than Money: Establishing The Importance Of A Sense Of Purpose For Salespeople, Valerie Good, Douglas E. Hughes, Hao Wang

Peer Reviewed Articles

Much of the current research on salesperson motivation focuses on extrinsic reward expectancy related to compensation, contests, incentives, and quotas. We find that while salespeople want to make money, they also want to make a difference and contribute to society through their work. In Study 1, the qualitative findings reveal that a sense of purpose–the belief that one is making a contribution to a cause greater and more enduring than oneself–is a significant motivator for salespeople. Hence, in Study 2 we develop a measure for sense of purpose and distinguish it from related constructs. Finally, in Study 3 we use …