Austrian Sales Partner Management in CEE Countries

Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries are perceived as attractive markets for expansion by their European neighbors. As European companies become increasingly international so too does the challenge of coordinating global business operations. One success factor for competitive entry into CEE is effective sales partner management; thus, Austrian companies in the process of internationalization are challenged to establish and foster good relationships with their CEE sales partners. Cumulating the experience of successful companies already active in CEE countries and discovering critical success factors are the overall aims of a Barometer Study started in 2007 by the department of Global Sales Management at the Upper Austrian University of Applied Sciences in Steyr. The longitudinal study covers important aspects before and during the process of internationalization, including typical patterns of information retrieval and analysis, decisive factors for the selection of target markets, implementation of marketing communications, relationship management with local partners and motivational aspects of sales staff in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Romania. In this contribution, the way Austrian companies select, develop and motivate their sales partners and sales force in CEE countries is investigated, contrasting findings from the 2007 and 2013 Barometer Study and general sales management trends. Moreover, findings from the Barometer Study are interpreted with the aim of providing managerial insight into the changing landscape of CEE markets and sales partner management therein.