Background: Given the situation that todays’ companies establish deeper relationships with their clients, focusing on long- term collaboration and emphasis on mutual cooperation, the communication with the clients is increasingly based on one-to- one communication. Personal selling is described in literature as one tool of the communication mix. This tool of one-to one communication has become very important. Several companies spend 8-15% of their net sales on personal selling to communicate directly with their clients, supporting them in evaluating specific needs and thus be able to offer the right product. The B2B environment is highly complex in its various characteristics. In regards to personal selling, the characteristics of intercultural aspects, B2B Relationships and Relationship Marketing has been chosen. The usage of personal selling could improve B2B Relationships. Research Question: How companies use and manage personal selling to strengthen B2B relationships? What are the cultural differencesregarding to the country of operation? Purpose: The purpose of this master thesis is to identify how personal selling can influence and strengthen B2B relationships. In this evaluation, the authors like to examine the differences in personal selling management according to the country of operation. The objective is to arrive on implications for B2B companies, especially in the IT sector. Method: The study uses an inductive research approach. The target is to arrive on new insights whether personal selling improves business- to business relations. Within the qualitative research method four case- studies of B2B IT companies from Brazil and Sweden will be evaluated. Through semi- structured personal interviews primary data will be obtained from each company. Through the conduction of the interviews in two countries, the impact of cultural aspects will be evaluated simultaneously. Theoretical Framework: The study evaluates literature about Cultural Aspects, Relationship Marketing, B2B Marketing and Sales Management in order to gain knowledge in accordance to the thesis’ research topics. B2B Markets are characterized by its complexity. The study uses those B2B characteristics which are influences by personal selling. Findings & Conclusion: Through the evaluation of the case studies in two countries, it can be outlined that personal selling has a positive impact on the establishment of long-term business relation, increase market recognition and leads to mutual business cooperation with the customer, that is necessary for future business development and product development according to customer and market demands. Understanding hereby the cultural background of the client is evaluated as an advantage on the direct communication and establishment of business relation.It is thus suggested to focus on personal selling, while providing technical advance solutions that require a high demand on communication.

The thesis aims to describe the current sales climate in the context of complex sales in business-to-business. The purpose is to increase the clients knowledge of sales and test the clients hypothesis that the sales climate is changing from Solution Selling to Insight Selling, further the thesis aims to contribute to the scientific debate of sales. Solution Selling is characterized, as the name suggest, by selling of solution to the customers needs. With Insight Selling the seller has a provocative approach towards the customer and the seller is searching for customers in the need of change. This is a qualitative study conducted with eight interviews and one focus group. The analysis shows that the high availability of information and the digital development have a strong influence on the current sales climate. The customers have higher knowledge that leads to higher pressure on the sales representatives to understand the technology, processes, organization and business of the customer. The analysis also show that the automation of sales increases by e-commerce and CRM-systems, but the personal contact with the seller do play an important part in the customer relationship. In the context of complex sales there is a need for better and increased collaboration and communication within the seller organization. There is some support for a need to change the sales management systems from today’s financial short-term goals, to a management system that supports long-term growth and encourage innovation. The benefits of the short-term goals are that they are clear and specific which serves as a high motivator for some salesmen. The analysis suggests that sellers prefer stable customers with a regular buying behavior prior to customers in the need for change that Insight Selling states. It seems that Solution Selling still are a major part of todays sales, but Insight Selling may be a method of differentiation for new companies or in contact with new customers. / Denna uppsats ämnar till att beskriva nuvarande säljklimat i kontexten av komplex försäljning i business-to-business. Syftet är att bidra med en kunskapsbas om försäljning till uppdragsgivaren samt testa uppdragsgivarens hypotes om att säljklimatet förändras från Solution Selling till Insight Selling, vidare syftar uppsatsen till att bidra till den vetenskapliga debatten om försäljning. Solution Selling karakteriseras av försäljning av lösningar till kunders behov, i Insight Selling antar säljaren en utmanade strategi gentemot kunden och söker efter kunder i behov av förändring. Detta har studerats kvalitativt genom åtta intervjuer och en fokusgrupp. Analysen visar att nuvarande säljklimat är starkt präglat av tillgången på information och den digitala utvecklingen, det har höjt kundernas kunskap och detta ställer nya krav på säljarna att förstå kundernas teknik, processer, organisation, affär etc. Det framgår även att automatiseringen av försäljning genom e-handel, CRM-system och andra lösningar ökar, men att den personliga kontakten med en säljare fortfarande fyller en viktig funktion i kundrelationen. Vidare kan man se att komplex försäljning ställer högre krav på samarbete och ökad kommunikation internt i organisationen samt att detta brister i flera organisationer. Adamson et al. (2012) menar att detta kräver en förändring i säljstyrningen som idag består av kortsiktiga finansiella säljmål, förespråkarna av en förändrad styrning menar att dagens styrning inte gynnar långsiktig utveckling och ökad innovation. Fördelarna med de kortsiktiga målen är att de är tydliga och konkreta vilket motiverar vissa säljare. Analysen tyder på att säljarna föredrar stabila och återkommande kunder framför kunder i förändring vilket tyder på att Solution Selling fortfarande är mycket aktuellt. Insight Selling kan dock vara en metod för att differentiera sig mot nya företag eller i kontakten med nya kunder.

Sales management control and sales force performance has received substantial attention by researchers in the past decades. Researchers have been investigating the construct of sales control, its antecedents and its consequences on both the individual sales person and on sales force performance. This research project analyses how and why the sales control systems are implemented the way they are. The basis for this approach is drawn from the organisational or management control literature which treats behaviour and outcome approaches as dimensions rather than categories. Organisational control also treats the control system as a process which consists of a set of stages or sub processes being objective setting, planning, monitoring, feedback and correcting. With the growing importance of relationship selling and key account management it can no longer be assumed that all the sales people will operate at the same hierarchical level within an organisation nor that they will be subject to one and the same control system. Therefore an in depth analysis of how sales force control processes are implemented for different types of sales functions, ranging from customer acquisition, small to medium account management to strategic and global account management, is needed. The research project included 17 preliminary interviews across different organisations, from which one organisation was selected on the basis that it contains a large international sales force of about 2.500 people consisting of a very wide range of sales functions. The analysis of this organisation included 100 plus interviews of 66 sales managers and sales people across all types of sales functions over a two year period. The findings show that the inability to measure certain inputs and outputs does not deter a sales organisation to adopt their sales control strategy within a functional sales team. When some measures are not available or are unreliable, sales managers find other ways to measure them being it through some locally developed tools or through more qualitative approaches. The method used to obtain certain measures does impact the level of the sophistication of the actual control process or strategy. When there is a need to control sales people who operate as a team of employees from different departments the sales managers can no longer individually develop some local tools to measure inputs and outputs. The findings show that team based selling requires accurate data but also globally agreed rules and procedures in order to operate successfully. This enables us to conclude that the inability to measure certain inputs and outputs is a determining variable for the implementation of client sales teams. With regard to sales force control strategies the research uncovered that within the category of the hybrid sales control approach there are four types of sales control sub approaches. The choice of which control to use is dependent on the size of the customers or opportunities the sales people work with and the selling approach which is either hunting or farming. This shows that while farming can be relabelled as key account management, hunting remains a major sales activity requiring not only different selling approaches it also requires different types of sales control processes than for farming. All of these findings indicate that several types of sales control systems can operate across one single organisation and that the main determining variables are the sales approach and the type of accounts the sales person is managing. This challenges current beliefs or assumptions that all sales people operate at the same hierarchical level within an organisation and that they all operate under one single sales control approach. Future research on sales force control will need to take these findings into account when designing their approach to study control systems within organisations.

Sales management researchers and practitioners give considerable attention to early employment expectations, attitudes, and behaviors primarily because of a desire to specify the cognition process leading to performance and retention of salespeople. While a massive body of literature exists concerning turnover of employees and determinants of employee performance, more empirical study specific to the sales force as a research population is needed to assess the nature of turnover and performance. Because the bulk of salesperson turnover occurs in early employment, particular attention needs to be devoted to the cognitive process of newcomers to the sales force. The present work examines expectation-based and perception-oriented models of performance and retention for sales force new hires. Interests of this investigation focus on the initial expectations of newly hired sales representatives and on how the degree of fulfillment of these expectations relates to subsequent performance and retention behavior. Extant research suggests that the degree to which expectations are met positively influences mediating variables such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and indirectly influences outcomes such as job performance and retention of newcomers. Alternatively, some researchers contend that these results are due to improper measurement of met expectations. A longitudinal research design and alternative measurement methods are employed here to better assess the role of met/unmet expectations. The proposed study is based on theoretical research from a variety of academic disciplines, and the results of the study will have multi-disciplinary implications. Contributions include: (a) replication and extension of theoretical research concerning processes leading to performance and retention of sales force newcomers, (b) a thorough examination of met expectations as a precursor to early sales force outcomes, and (c) methodological advances in the measurement of met expectations.

To meet global competition many companies have reorganized work process systems, eliminated management levels, formed employee work groups and implemented variable compensation systems. This study investigated the effect of group incentives on individual sales performance in two specialty shops located in a large metropolitan hotel. Two questions were addressed: What effect would adding a group bonus plan have on individual employee's sales performance who had previously received hourly wages in one shop; and, what effect would changing an individual incentive plan to a group plan have on the individual employee's sales performance in the other shop. In one shop 5 of 7 employees' productivity increased: in the other, 1 of 3 subjects' productivity increased. Contingencies in both shops are analyzed and suggestions offered for future research.

The objective of this study was to examine whether the factors which constitute the manufacturer/industrial-representative relationship, influence performance as predicted by control theory. In addition, the study evaluated the contribution of selected demographic factors such as size of the firm, and the representative's experience, on performance.

Today’s organisation competes in a fast-moving global marketplace. With technological developments, global communications and demanding customers driving increased competition in most sectors, organisations cannot afford to stand still for long (Holbeche, 2004:32). They exist only when their products and services are sold, and salespeople are usually one of the most important elements of making this happen. Organisations’ fiscal health depends on their ability to drive revenue, but without mastering sales management, revenue can quickly decline. Salespeople need to concentrate on sales, not on responsibilities that pull them in different directions (Bailor, 2004:53). According to Clarke (1998:29), for any company to succeed, the various departments must co-ordinate their efforts and work together. The sales team relies on other departments for support; without sales every other department is worthless. The method of selling has also changed and the days of salespeople carrying briefcases overstuffed with brochures and knocking on every door they can find to drum up interest in their organisations’ products are waning. Today’s professional salespeople co-ordinate the resources of their companies to help solve customers’ problems (Weitz et al, 2004:5). For organisations to succeed in this new environment the right organisational climate is vital to create high performance. This is about making the most of employee talents and accountabilities, and managing performance in ways which unleash, rather than constrain, employee potential (Holbeche, 2004:32). 2 The Long Term Insurance Industry in South Africa had to deal with the changing environment and the introduction of the Financial Advisor Intermediary Service Act of 2002 (FAIS). The traditional principles of successful sales are being challenged in a changing South African insurance industry. Sales managers must rethink their philosophies as the Financial Advisory Intermediary Act (37/2002) regulates the rendering of certain financial advisory and intermediary services to clients and provides for matters incidental thereto. Sales managers can no longer simply motivate financial advisors to achieve targets but should also ensure that all new business is compliant and falls within the new legislation. According to Natenberg (2004:1), sales managers must have a purpose to cope with the added challenges and demands because success comes from purpose. Until a sales manager or financial advisor recognises what needs to be accomplished, there will be a lack of motivation necessary to accomplish anything. Financial advisors burn out easily because they cannot visualise the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Everyone wants a driven, highperformance sales team. However, not all sales leaders know how to achieve that. The problem could be motivation. Many sales managers see money as the answer to their motivational problem but money is not everything. For all their commitment to keep salespeople inspired, sales managers would do well to stop and consider the simple things their financial advisors desire. Only then might sales managers be able to craft programmes or work situations in which sales people can thrive (Gilbert, 2003:30). “Too often people let life pass them by. They try hard to achieve something, but when they do, they ask, “Is this all there is to it?” That is because they never 3 take a moment to enjoy how monumental their achievements are. When you accomplish what you set out to do, be proud” (Natenberg, 2004:1). / Prof. Chris Jooste

This research explores the impact of interactive communication on business-to business (B2B) relationships. In the past decade the internet and especially social media as a mode of communication has grown rapidly in both consumer and business markets. Drawing on marketing channels and communications literature this paper identifies the dimensions of interactive communication and develops a theoretical framework to examine their impact on satisfaction, commitment, and advocacy. Media synchronicity theory and the concept of the internet as an alternative to the real world are used to distinguish between digital and non-digital modes of communication. Relationship marketing is used to identify the dimensions of interactivity: rationality, social interaction, contact density, and reciprocal feedback. The framework developed is usedto explore the influence of face-to-face (F2F), digital, and traditional, impersonalcommunications on the dimensions of interactivity.Hypotheses linking the mode of communication: personal, digital, and impersonal with the dimensions of interactivity and relational outcomes are empirically examined with data from the commercial printing and graphic design industry. Confirmatory Factor Analysis is used to analyze the measurement and structural model. Personal, F2F communication has the greatest impact on social interaction, reciprocal feedback, and number of contacts. Digital communication has a weaker effect on these dimensions and impersonal communication has the weakest effect. Personal and Digital have equal impacts on rationality and rationality is the only dimension of interactivity positively associated with relationship satisfaction. Contact density has a negative impact on relationship satisfaction and this negative impact is greater with personal communication that it is with digital. The study shows that affective commitment leads to advocacy in a B2B channel, but trust and calculative commitment have no impact on advocacy. The findings of the study have implications for both managers and researchers regarding the mode and content of communications in B2B relationships. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.

Devido ao aumento da concorrência no ponto de venda, maior atenção tem sido dedicada aos canais de distribuição. Além disso, é preciso conquistar a preferência do consumidor no momento da compra. Por esse motivo, diversas empresas têm inserido em suas estruturas organizacionais uma área chamada Trade Marketing. O mesmo fenômeno ocorre no setor farmacêutico: os medicamentos genéricos, similares e referencia competem pela preferência dos consumidores. Este fato contribui para a criação de departamentos de Trade Marketing nas indústrias farmacêuticas. O Trade Marketing pode proporcionar a integração entre produtores, atacadistas e varejistas, trabalhando no relacionamento com os canais de distribuição. Entretanto, é ainda um tema recente e pouco estudado na academia e, por isso, existem lacunas a serem exploradas. Dentre os assuntos mais abordados na literatura encontram-se estudos de Trade Marketing no setor alimentício. Assim, restam lacunas a respeito das atividades de Trade Marketing desenvolvidas no setor farmacêutico. Portanto, o objetivo do presente estudo é verificar como ocorre o processo de desenvolvimento das atividades de Trade Marketing na indústria farmacêutica. Para atingir o objetivo proposto, realizou-se uma pesquisa de caráter exploratório e qualitativo. Utilizou-se como método o estudo de casos múltiplos. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada em quatro indústrias farmacêuticas e a principal fonte de informação foi entrevistas com os gestores da área de Trade Marketing. Por meio da pesquisa, foi possível definir as atividades de Trade Marketing desenvolvidas pelas empresas estudadas. Além disso, é perceptível que os departamentos de Trade Marketing mais desenvolvidos são aqueles que trabalham com linhas de produtos com maior concorrência, como os medicamentos genéricos. / Due to the raising competition in point of purchase, more attention has been dedicated to the distribution channels. Moreover, it is necessary to conquer the consumers´ preference while shopping. For this reason, several companies have created Trade Marketing areas in their organizational structure. The same happens in the pharmaceutical sector: drugs companies compete for bigger market share. This fact contributes to the creation of Trade Marketing departments on the pharmaceutical industries. Trade Marketing can help integrate producers, wholesalers and retailers, build relationships in the distributions channels. However, there is a lot of research yet to be done. The academy has only stablished benchmarking studies concerning the food industry. So, there still gaps to be filled about the Trade Marketing activities in the pharmaceutical sector. Therefore, this study´s aim is to verify how the development process of Trade Marketing activities has been happening in the pharmaceutical industry. In order to achieve such objectives, an exploratory and qualitative research has been conducted, applying multiple case study method. The empirical research, which had, as main source of information, interviews with Trade Marketing managers, took place in four pharmaceutical industries. This research made possible to define the Trade Marketing activities developed by the studied companies. Furthermore, was recognisable that the more competitive was the market, the more developed were the Trade Marketing departments, e.g. generic drug companies.

Several Swedish sawmill groups have recently developed product-costing systems to possibly compensate for diminishing production knowledge in recently centralized market organizations. The concept of product costs is challenging in sawmilling, since production is of a joint type – each log typically yields many products. The newly developed costing systems rely on traditional accounting-based methods and are of little use in decision-making because the resulting cost figures do not normally estimate actual cost changes. This thesis develops an alternative, theoretically defendable method based on linear programming, and tests it on a pine sawmill. Computer simulations are compared with traditional methods, and to analyze the effects of managing the salesmen by the product costs of the suggested method. The thesis relies on the joint-cost accounting discourse from the 1980s, which was abandoned before any essential application was found. This application has now been found through changes in the sawmill industry, and the discourse is here revived practically and theoretically. The sawmills are modeled with relative capacity restrictions and with constraints on the flexibility of their timber supply. Sales decisions based on product costs from the suggested method seem to successively improve company profit. To be successful, the product costs have to be recalculated regularly. Analyses indicate that with flexibility in purchasing timber and a low cost difference between buying scarce products and selling surplus products externally, the necessary length of the recalculation period and the usefulness of the suggested method both increase markedly.