Why do salespeople fail?

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
James S. Boles, Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: The article discusses the reasons for the failure of salespeople in selling product, concept or services and also emphasizes on the method of selection criteria so as to match the need of the organization with that of individual's skill. According to the article, characteristics like enthusiasm, good organizational skills, ambition, persuasiveness, previous sales experience, ability to follow Instructions and sociability are required qualities in a sales personnel. Salespeople at the smaller companies consider inadequate product knowledge to be a more important contributor to failure than sales managers. The size of the organization does not appear to have a substantial impact on the salesperson's perceptions of the characteristics which can lead to failure. Salespeople in industrial selling believed that lack of initiative, and lack of personal goals were significantly more important factors in salesperson failure than did sales managers. The article suggests that sales managers need to consider spending more time assessing the personal and professional goals of the sales candidates they seek to hire.

Additional Information

Publication
Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 9 Winter (no. 3, 1989), 53-58
Language: English
Date: 1989
Keywords
failed sales, salespeople, sales managers, hiring

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