M.Com. (Sales Management) / This study emphasizes that the sales effort is linked to the sales opportunities in the most profitable way. To make this possible, the sales potential of a sales area must first be analysed scientifically. Only then can the allocation of sales personnel to a sales area be made in the best possible way. The consumer, rather than the sales area, is the starting-point. In other words, the emphasis is on the satisfaction of needs in the sales area. The role of sales potential and forecasting in sales quota allotment is also analysed, since these contribute to the most effective allocation of sales personnel to the sales area. Optimum allocation of sales personnel to the sales area takes place, based on information from the sales area (market needs).

The marketing of personnel assessment services by a variety of individuals and groups has developed into a highly competitive, somewhat unstable, and unusually controversial major American merchandising effort. This study contains a review of the promotional materials and activities of several commercial assessment organizations. Emphasis has been placed upon various "scientific breakthroughs" in the field, including, when possible, the descriptive as well as the predictive utilities that are claimed to result from their use. Three procedures were studied under actual industrial conditions, using tenure and productivity measures as criteria. None of the procedures was found to be significantly predictive in this instance.

The study employed 206 entry-level, retail sales associates working for a large telecommunications company across 70 store sites. The purpose of the study was to discriminate successful performers from those with little sales potential via a valid, fair, and practical selection procedure. The experimental test set consisted of the General Ability Battery, Sales Attitude Checklist, Wonderlic Personnel Test, SRA Verbal Form, School and College Ability Test Verbal, SPA Arithmetic Index, and SRA Reading Index. Supervisory ratings and percent revenue data were used as measures of sales performance. Based on the multiple regression results, the SPA Reading Index and SRA Verbal Form were chosen to compose the final selection system for the retail sales position.