Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Who are your successful salespeople?

  • Published:
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Utilizing a systematic sample of 200 sales managers selected from manufacturing and wholesaling firms listed in the Dun and BradstreetMillion-Dollar Directory, a survey was conducted to determine whether or not a general profile of “successful” salespersons and another profile of “unsuccessful” salespersons could be constructed. A seven-point semantic differential scale was used to obtain ratings by sales managers of salespeople on each of twenty-four personal attributes. Profiles of “successful” and “unsuccessful” salespersons were found which showed large differences in ratings on the twenty-four personal attributes. Using factor analysis, a reduced set of personal characteristics was determined to predict “successful” and “unsuccessful” salespersons.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Cotham, James, C. III. “Selecting Salesmen: Approaches and Problems,”Michigan State University Business Topics, Winter 1970.

  • Cravens, David W. and Robert B. Woodruff, “An Approach for Determining Criteria of Sales Performance,”Journal of Applied Psychology, June 1973.

  • Greenberg, Jeanne and Herbert Greenberg. “Predicting Sales Success—Myths and Reality,”Personnel Journal, December 1976.

  • Lamont, Lawrence M. and William J. Lundstrom. “Identifying Successful Industrial Salesmen by Personality and Personal Characteristics,”Journal of Marketing Research, November 1977.

  • Mayer, David and Herbert M. Greenberg. “What Makes a Good Salesman,Harvard Business Review, July–August 1964.

  • McMurry, Robert N. and James S. Arnold,How to Build a Dynamic Sales Organization. (New York: McGraw-Hill Co., 1968), p. 3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanton, William J. and Richard H. Buskirk.Management of the Sales Force. Homewood, Ill.: Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, Orville C., Gilbert A. Churchill, and Neil M. Ford. “Motivation and Performance in Industrial Selling: Present Knowledge and Needed Research,”Journal of Marketing Research, May 1977.

  • Webster, Frederick. “Interpersonal Communication and Salesman Effectiveness.”Journal of Marketing, July 1968.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Idaho, Moscow, USA

    Bradley D. Lockeman Ph.D. & John H. Hallaq Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Bradley D. Lockeman Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John H. Hallaq Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lockeman, B.D., Hallaq, J.H. Who are your successful salespeople?. JAMS 10, 457–472 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02729347

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02729347

Keywords

Search

Navigation