• 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.

• 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
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.1-21
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• 2023

Purpose - The study investigates the role of authenticity of B2B salespersons has on their consultative selling competence. The study also examines the mediating effect of customer orientation between the authenticity of B2B salespersons and their consultative selling competence, as well as the moderating role of trust in the buyer-seller exchange. Design/methodology/approach - This research utilized a covariance-based structural equation model technique. The study assessed the research model's moderation effects through a stepwise approach, which allowed for an examination of the moderating effect of trust in the buyer-seller relationship. Findings - As a result of structural equation analysis, this study found that the authenticity of B2B salespersons influences their consultative selling competence by mediating their customer orientation significantly. In addition, trust in the buyer-seller exchange plays a significant role as a moderating variable between customer orientation and competitive selling competence, but it is not significant as a moderating variable between the authenticity and customer orientation of B2B salespersons. Research implications or Originality - This research proposed the role of authenticity of the B2B salesperson as a key factor in the trust-based relationship and a key variable of consultative selling competence. The study has taken the research on the authenticity of the B2B salesperson one step further from the study of authenticity of the brand and the company's leadership.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.205-221
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• 2022

In this study, the authors investigated the effect of salesperson's Selling Influence Tactics (SIT) on customers' psychological obligation, trust in salespersons and repurchase intentions in the offline cosmetics purchase channel. In addition, we examined the moderating effect of service quality perceived by customers. To this end, a survey was conducted on 298 customers who had purchased cosmetics through the offline sales channel, and the authors conducted hypothesis testing through a structural equation model. As a result of the study, first, among salesperson's sales influence tactics, emotional appeal tactics (H1a), customer ingratiation tactics (H1d), and personal appeal tactics (H1e) were found to affect the psychological obligation of customers, and emotional appeal tactics (H2a), rational persuasion tactics (H2b), information provision tactics (H2c), and customer ingratiation tactics (H2d) were found to affect trust in salespeople. Third, it was found that the psychological obligation did not have a positive (+) effect on the customer's repurchase intention, and the customer's trust in the salesperson had a positive (+) effect on the repurchase intention. Third, perceived service quality showed a significant moderating effect between psychological obligation and repurchase intention, trust in salesperson and repurchase intention. In previous studies on salesperson's Selling Influence Tactics (SIT), many studies examined salesperson's Selling Influence Tactics (SIT) by specifying sub-variables in a limited way, and studies confirming marketing factors such as repurchase intention were also insufficient. Therefore, the results of the empirical research confirmed based on this study are expected to help the standard or direction of the salesperson's Selling Influence Tactics (SIT) in future studies. In addition, this study describes implications for providing help in employee education and management for small business owners who manage and operate offline cosmetics stores, and sales strategies that should be strategically established to improve perceived service quality for customers.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.92-99
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• 2021

In this research, it was investigated the competence of Korean salesmen in the insurance business(B2C, consumer goods marketing) and information communication industry(B2B, industrial goods marketing) at the individual level rather than the organizational level. The salesperson's Guanxi ability means the salesperson's ability to create, maintain, develop the Guanxi ability. Namely, it was investigated whether the Korean salesman's Guanxi ability is the effective and persuasive concept in explaining the sales performance(company performance, business performance). The purpose of this paper was to verify which variables, among Guanxi ability and customer orientation, better explain the sales performance of salespeople. The Western concept of marketing that is closest to Guanxi is the concept of the customer-orientation that is based on the theory of relationship exchange. Confucian culture in the East is the construct concept, Guanxi is the measurement. The relational exchange theory in the West is the construct concept, customer orientation is the measurement. As the result of the analysis, we found that the Guanxi proved a greater correlation with sales performance than customer orientation. In the information technology industry, there was a big difference compared to insurance industry, whereas Guanxi and customer orientation had a similar level of correlation with sales performance. In the case of the insurance industry, we found that the Guanxi and sales performance were significant but the customer orientation and sales performance were not. This means that sales performance can be accurately and sufficiently explained only by adding the Guanxi ability in addition to customer orientation. The result of analyzing the mediating effect of the Guanxi ability between customer orientation and company performance, customer orientation was significant with Guanxi, and customer orientation and company performance were also significant. But, when the Guanxi was used as the parameter, the Guanxi was significant with company performance, but the customer orientation was not. Even when the dependent variable was business performance, when the Guanxi was used as the parameter, we found that the Guanxi was significant with the business performance, but the customer orientation was not. Namely, it proved Guanxi ability and customer orientation are completely independent concepts. In addition, we found that the information technology industry, unlike the insurance industry, mediated the Guanxi ability between customer orientation and sales performance. We confirmed that in the future, salespeople should not only rely on rational methods to maintain and reinforce customer relationships, but must consider the emotional factors through empathy with customers.

• 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.

• 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.