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The impact of sales contests on customer listening: an empirical study in a telesales context

Author

Listed:
  • Maryse Koehl
  • Juliet F. Poujol

    (MRM - Montpellier Research in Management - UPVM - Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) - Montpellier Business School - UM - Université de Montpellier)

  • John F. Tanner Jr

Abstract

Companies often use sales contests to achieve short-term objectives to motivate salespeople and to boost sales. However, sales contests also may encourage salespeople to adopt less relational behaviors and limit their ability to manage customer relationships, as manifested in their customer listening practices. Therefore, this study, based on a natural field experiment, examines the effects of a sales contest on customer listening. In so doing, four dimensions of customer listening (passive, active, adaptive, and assertive listening), associated with a process of listening (Hearing, Processing, and Responding), were identified. The study helps clarify the effect of a sales contest on these four dimensions of customer listening by telesales agents. The results reveal that this sales contest exerts negative effects only on the active and passive customer listening, not on the adaptive and assertive customer listening. The study sheds light on how sales contests influence important behaviors such as customer listening, as well as on the nature of customer listening itself.

Suggested Citation

  • Maryse Koehl & Juliet F. Poujol & John F. Tanner Jr, 2016. "The impact of sales contests on customer listening: an empirical study in a telesales context," Post-Print hal-02013750, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02013750
    DOI: 10.1080/08853134.2016.1186556
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-02013750
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sunil Singh & Detelina Marinova & Jagdip Singh & Kenneth R. Evans, 2018. "Customer query handling in sales interactions," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 46(5), pages 837-856, September.

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