• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.388-408
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• 2021

Recently, the importance of B2B CSR is being highlighted. Meanwhile, in B2B marketing, salesperson is widely recognized as a key resource influencing supplier firm performance. Therefore, the author paid attention to the role of supplier CSR reputation in customer-salesperson interaction process. So, this study collected dyadic data from 161 B2B purchasing managers and salespersons interacting with them. For customers, a supplier CSR reputation increased customer citizenship behavior and customer long-term orientation. With salespersons, they experienced less burnout due to interacting with customers having higher customer citizenship behavior and long-term orientation. Moreover, the results confirmed that a supplier CSR reputation lowered salespersons' emotional exhaustion through two serial-multiple mediation paths. This research verified that customers' perception and responses to supplier's CSR significantly influence B2B salesperson burnout.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.17-32
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• 2019

Sales representatives of automobile company play a key role in the circulation system. Given the characteristics of the good, consumers demand high-quality information and guides from the salespersons when they decide to purchase an automobile. Sales representatives provide service to the customers in accordance with their needs to help purchase decision-making process. Therefore, a sales representative's personal competence have a significant effect on sales performance. Based on this hypothesis, we assumed that personal competence of a salesperson has a positive correlation with sales performance. An empirical analysis was conducted to test the hypothesis. This study classifies personal competence into 4 independent variables((1) sales technique professionalism (2) salesperson's attitude and relationship with customers (3) emotion utilization (4) emotion control) and measures the correlation with the dependent variable(sales performance). To verify the relationship, we set and modified the hypothesis based on the precedent studies and researches. In addiction, a survey was conducted targeting 300 local salespersons from Gyeonggi-Gangwon region. 268 valid samples were used and analyzed with SPSS WIN24.0 statistical program. As a result of an empirical analysis, it turned out that sales technique professionalism and emotion utilization have positive correlation with sales performance. However, the result failed to support the assumption that sales representative's attitude and relationship with customers and emotion control have positive correlation with sales performance. At last the result revealed that personal competence should be considered as an important determinant of recruitment specification for sales representatives.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.103-115
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• 2016

Purpose - Our research started out with an assumption that a further study about the competency of B2B and B2C salespeople is needed, and has thus focused on enhancing their abilities throughout various fields. It seems that the ability of sales representatives has a positive influence on the image and revenue of the company. Since businesses find it apparent that the role of salespeople will become significant in the future, our research aims to provide a foundation for future research on exploring the necessary competencies for salespeople by conducting an in-depth interview as well as survey. Research design, data, and methodology - The methods of our research can be broken down into four steps - an interview on salespeople, eliciting salespeople's potential competency, surveys, and analysis. First, our research team conducted interviews on forty subjects. Second, we strived to elicit potential competency of salespeople based on data gained from previous studies and in-depth interviews. And Third, we came up with our own survey templates. Last but not least, our research team analyzed the results from the surveys to elicit necessary capabilities for the salespeople. Results - The results of our research show a clear distinction between B2B and B2C salespeople on all categories that we measured such as the character fitness, competence of emotion and sales marketing. As for B2B salespeople, the results indicated openness(M: 3.8265) in character fitness, and self-motivation(M: 4.1887), group cognition(M: 3.8735), teamwork(M: 3.9956) in competence of emotion, and previous research(M: 3.8735), proposal of values(M: 4.3873), cooperation with other team(M: 4.0441) in competence of sales marketing. The difference in capability required between B2B salespeople and B2C salespeople was very pronounced. Conclusions - For future studies, enhanced pool of subjects with various backgrounds is needed in order for our research to reach a wide range of population. The results from our research are advised to be used for eliciting the competency required by salespeople and for a practical application to further enhance their competency. Companies need continuous efforts to develop the skills of salespeople based on competence analysis and research of sales representatives.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.191-203
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• 2020

This study aims to present the differentiating factors of B2B salesperson competency through comparing the suppliers and buyers in Korean steel industry in their perception on the importance and priority of B2B salesperson competency. Based on previous studies, analysis on B2B salesperson competency has been analyzed using the B2B salesperson performance competency measure factors and appropriately reorganizing them for better application to the steel industry. The required performance competencies of B2B salesperson can be categorized into 3 different types, namely social exchange competency, advisory sales competency, and skill & knowledge competency. AHP analysis was performed for analyzing the relative importance of B2B salesperson competency based on the factors of previous studies, in which categorization of the aforementioned types had been done. As the result, first, it has been confirmed that there is a difference in 1st layer main factors between the supplier group and buyer group. The supplier group valued the advisory sales competency, while the buyer group valued skill & knowledge competency. Second, it has been proved that there is same result of relative importance in 2nd detailed factors between the supplier group and buyer group. Both group confirmed that customer member, identify customer needs and communication skill are very important factors. Third, as the result of analysis on the gap between B2B salesperson competency of the suppliers and buyers, the gap in the product knowledge and sales team member need improvement for buyer's satisfaction according to overall results of relative importance and priority. The steel supplier was able to develop B2B salesperson competency according to the buyers' needs based on the result of this study, and furthermore it is expected that this study will be able to contribute to increase in buyer competitiveness through differentiation in B2B salesperson competency.

• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.45-55
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• 2021

Recently, competition in the interior remodeling business is fierce. However, the interior remodeling business is basically B2B, and in this business, sales are basically dictated by the capabilities of salespeople. Therefore, in this study, we intend to develop a model for the core competency of salespeople in the interior remodeling business. To this end, based on the research on the existing competency and competency modeling, the competency model of the salesperson was derived using Dubois' overlay method. A total of 12 core competencies could be defined through the first and second modeling. The subject of this study was focused on LG Hausys, the most representative interior remodeling company in Korea. Based on the core competencies developed in this way, overall sales competencies can be raised through the development of a training course to enhance the sales competencies of salespeople, and a more efficient and objective HR.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.53-63
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• 2016

Purpose - This study examines the effects of the influence strategies on sales representative and headquarter trust, and investigates how sales representative trust plays a mediating role in the relationship between influence strategies and headquarter trust. For these purposes, a structural model which consists of several constructs was developed. In this model, influence strategies that consist of relational influence strategies (information exchange, recommend, promise) and mandatory influence strategies (legal plea, request, threat) were proposed to affect the sales representative trust and in turn, increase the headquarter trust. Thus, this study proposed that sale representative trust plays a core mediating role in the relationship between relational and mandatory influence strategies and headquarter trust in B2B food materials distribution context. Research design, data, and methodology - For these purposes, the authors collected the data from 208 B2B specialized complex agents. We used the 2,200 B2B specialized complex agents which trade with CJ, Ottogi, and Daesang firms and supply food materials to restaurant, school cafeteria, supermarket and traditional market as a sample frame. Once we identified 330 B2B specialized complex agent owners, CEOs, and/or Directors who had agreed to participate in this study, we dropped off a questionnaire at each B2B specialized complex agent and explained the purpose of this study. The survey was conducted from October 1, 2015 to December 15, 2015. A total of 230 questionnaires were collected. Of these collected questionnaires, 28 questionnaires excluded since they had not been fully completed. The data were analyzed using frequency test, reliability test, measurement model analysis, and structural equation modeling with SPSS and SmartPLS 2. Results - First, information exchange, recommendation, and promise of relational influence strategies had positive effects on sales representative trust. The threat of mandatory influence strategies had a negative effect on sales representative trust, but legal plea and request did not have a significant effect on sales representative trust. Second, information exchange and recommendation of relational influence strategies had positive effects on headquarter trust, but promise did not. Also, legal plea, request, and threat of mandatory influence strategies did not have a significant effect on headquarter trust. Third, this findings show that sales representative trust plays a partial mediator between information exchange and headquarter trust, and threat and headquarter trust, and a full mediator between promise and headquarter trust, and recommendation and headquarter trust. Conclusions - The aim of this study was to examine the effects how diverse dimensions of relational and mandatory influence strategies relate to sales representative trust and headquarter trust. To do so, we integrated the influence strategies and the trust transfer theory to hypothesize that various influence strategies increase sales representative and headquarter trust. The findings of this study suggest that headquarter firms should establish and enforce proper influence strategies guidelines to make clear what proper actions sales representatives should implement in relationship with B2B specialized complex agents. Also, relational and mandatory influence strategies must be regarded as a long-term and ongoing strategy that eventually build a long-term orientation with B2B specialized complex agents and guarantee a company's sustainable growth and success.