ABSTRACT Sales management is an integral part of virtually all market exchanges. Marketing team, sales opportunities, salesperson skills, firm sales resources, digital platforms, and sales compensation plan create a marketing-salesperson-firm dynamic underlying the sales prospecting framework. Firm’s managers continuously strive to deal with these manifold elements of such dynamic context. This article offers an overview of the sales prospecting effort and sheds light on how firms generate superior performance by managing three interconnected elements. The marketing team (e.g., generating leads), salesperson competence (e.g., individual and team competence), and the firm being ready to deploy sales structure (e.g., sales platform) result in superior performance. By thinking outside the box, the authors propose the Salespeople Prospecting Framework with multiple associations based on previous marketing, sales, and retail research. The authors discuss implications for managing the sales funnel and offer suggestions for further research investigation.

Resumo Objetivo: Este trabalho busca aprofundar o entendimento do impacto da recomendação gerada pelo boca a boca no desempenho do cliente para empresa de serviço, identificando ainda a relação entre a recomendação e o valor do cliente. Metodologia: Foi elaborado e aplicado aleatoriamente um questionário a uma carteira de clientes de uma instituição financeira. Nessa coleta foram capturados os índices gerais de satisfação e de recomendação, além da citação de nomes para quem foi feita a recomendação. Desses dados foram calculados o Índice de Desempenho de Clientes (IDC) e o Índice de Recomendação Efetiva (IRE). Resultados: Os resultados indicam a existência de uma relação não linear em formato U entre o desempenho dos clientes e sua recomendação efetiva, além de uma relação linear negativa das notas de recomendação e satisfação, demonstrando que nem sempre as maiores notas atribuídas a essas duas questões representam maior volume de indicações efetivas. Pode-se inferir, ainda, que clientes com maior volume realizado e potencial, medido pelo IDC, nem sempre são aqueles promotores da marca. Contribuições: Com base neste estudo, algumas recomendações para gestores de relacionamento com os clientes podem ser seguidas se o objetivo do gestor é expandir a venda de produtos por meio do conceito boca a boca e acompanhar o desempenho dos clientes com foco não só no valor agregado individualmente pelo cliente (i.e. IDC) como também o valor oriundo dos clientes por ele indicados (i.e. IRE).

Abstract Purpose: Our study analyzes the non-linear effect of customer lifetime value (CLV), which accounts for the revenue accumulated over the lifetime of a customer relationship, calculated using a discount rate, on customer referral value (CRV), which accounts for the value created by customers converted to the firm. Design/methodology/approach: We collected data from customers of a financial institution that provides retirement plan products. A random sample of 768 customers provided the full names of individuals to whom they made a recommendation. After these names were elicited, respondents and referrals were identified in the firm’s records, and we calculated the CLV and CRV values. Findings: The results show the existence of a U-shaped effect of CLV on CRV, and a negative linear effect of CLV on recommendation intention. Originality/value: Our study contributes to the body of literature on word of mouth by focusing on a product and business segment with low perceived brand differentiation and low customer involvement. We contribute to the marketing literature by showing a U-shape relationship between CLV and word of mouth activity, represented by CRV.

The buzz agent is any consumer perceived by others as a source of product referral. Previous literature in word of mouth (WOM) has looked into characteristics of individuals who successfully persuade others to choose a brand. While there have been studies in this field, the literature is still scattered and little has been done to profile the consumer playing the buzz-agent role. We aim to deepen our understanding about the consumer who must be recruited as a buzz agent by a firm in a WOM marketing (WOMM) initiative. The proposed profile is comprised of three key characteristics: the consumer's position in the social community, nature of ties in the community and brand attachment. We tested our hypotheses with a survey of 542 consumers from a controlled population. Rather than relying on self-reported questions about referral behavior, we asked respondents in the population to name the individuals to whom the respondents go to obtain information to help pick a brand. This accurately pinpoints which individuals fit the profile of a buzz agent. Results show that buzz agents are popular in their social community (friends and tech experts), carry dissimilar brands as target consumers and are product experts. Our study identifies a profile of consumers that helps firms select buzz agents for WOMM initiatives.

A vaidade influencia a definição de padrões estéticos e de como a beleza corporal é culturalmente construída. Neste trabalho, o objetivo é entender a vaidade feminina e investigar sua relação com a autoestima, envolvimento com a beleza e o consumo de procedimentos estéticos cirúrgicos. Com base em nove hipóteses, busca-se discutir beleza e sua relevância na sociedade. Para testar as hipóteses, 210 mulheres responderam um questionário sobre vaidade e envolvimento, que foi testado em um modelo de equação estrutural para avaliar o efeito sobre tipo e frequência de realização de procedimentos estéticos. Os resultados destacam o impacto significativo do grau de vaidade na propensão para a realização de procedimentos. Além disso, verificou-se que, quanto maior a vaidade, maior a autoestima corporal, havendo impacto negativo da autoestima na realização de procedimentos. Vaidade também influencia positivamente a utilização de cosméticos e a realização de tratamentos. Dessa forma, identificaram-se reflexos no consumo dos produtos oferecidos pela indústria da beleza e procedimentos cirúrgicos estéticos.

This paper aims to understand female vanity and to investigate whether there is any impact of vanity with self-esteem and involvement with beauty and if it reflects in the consumption of aesthetic procedures. A set of 9 hypotheses is developed. The paper includes a discussion about beauty and its relevance for the contemporary society. A survey was conducted with 210 women that responded to a questionnaire containing two scales, vanity and beauty involvement, as well as questions about type and frequency of various aesthetic procedures. Discriminant validity of constructs was tested with a confirmatory factor analysis and analysis of the hypotheses used a structural equation modeling. The results highlight significant impact of vanity on aesthetic procedures. The higher the vanity, the greater the degree of body self-esteem, but there is a negative impact on self-esteem and surgical procedures.

Se observa que la vanidad influye en la definición de estándares estéticos y que el concepto de belleza corporal se construye culturalmente. En este trabajo se tiene como objetivo comprender la vanidad de la mujer y su relación con la autoestima, la conexión con la belleza y el consumo de cosméticos y procedimientos estéticos. Se desarrolla un conjunto de nueve hipótesis y se discute la belleza y su importancia para la sociedad. Se llevó a cabo una encuesta con 210 mujeres que respondieron a un cuestionario sobre vanidad y compromiso. Se aplicó a los datos un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales, con el fin de evaluar el efecto sobre el tipo y la frecuencia de realización de procedimientos estéticos. Los resultados destacan la influencia significativa del grado de vanidad en la propensión a realizar procedimientos estéticos. Además, se observa que cuanto mayor es la vanidad, mayor es la autoestima, y que existe una influencia negativa de la autoestima en la realización de procedimientos. La vanidad también tiene influencia positiva en la utilización de cosméticos y la realización de tratamientos. De esa manera, se identificaron efectos en el consumo de los productos ofrecidos por la industria de la belleza y procedimientos quirúrgicos estéticos.

Consumer complaints affect company market value and common sense suggests that a negative impact is expected. However, do complaints always negatively impact company market value? We hypothesize in this study that complaints may have a non-linear effect on market value. Positive (e.g. avoiding high costs to solve complaints) and negative (e.g. speedy and intense diffusion) tradeoffs may occur given the level of complaints. To test our non-linear hypothesis, a panel data was collected from cell phone service providers from 2005 to 2013. The results supported our tradeoff rationale. Low levels of complaints allow for companies to increase market value, while high levels of complaints cause increasing harm to market value. The sample, model and period considered in this study, indicates a level of 0.49 complaints per thousand consumers as the threshold for a shift in tradeoffs. The effects on market value become increasingly negative when trying to make reductions to move below this level, due to negative tradeoffs.

O objetivo neste artigo é avaliar o impacto de longo prazo que os investimentos em práticas ambientais e sociais têm nas empresas que reportam seus desempenhos em sustentabilidade. Duas hipóteses baseadas na literatura são lançadas: empresas que investem em sustentabilidade de forma estratégica apresentam desempenho melhor após um choque externo; empresas praticam e reportam sustentabilidade com sucesso quando o foco dos investimentos é estratégico. De um painel de 252 empresas, aquelas que investiram em sustentabilidade tiveram resultados melhores no período pós-crise financeira de 2008. Adicionalmente, evidências de uma empresa (Brasil Foods) estudada em um contexto histórico expõem a evolução dos investimentos estratégicos em sustentabilidade e a relação deles com as competências e o negócio central da empresa.

The objective of this paper is to assess the long term impact of sustainability investments in the companies' performance. Two hypotheses are developed based on literature. First, companies that strategically invest in social and environmental projects perform better after an exogenous effect. Second, companies that implement and report sustainability have those investments aligned with the core business and competence. From a panel of 252 companies suggests that those companies reporting that invested in sustainability performed better than others that did not in the post-financial crisis of 2008. Additionally, evidence of a company (Brazil Foods) studied in a historical context expose the evolution of strategic investments in sustainability and their relation with the competences and the core business of the company.

En este artículo el objetivo es evaluar el impacto de largo plazo que tienen las inversiones en prácticas ambientales y sociales en las empresas que informan su desempeño en sostenibilidad. Se presentan dos hipótesis con base en la literatura: empresas que invierten en sostenibilidad en forma estratégica tienen un mejor desempeño tras un choque externo; empresas que practican la sustentabilidad y producen informes lo hacen con éxito cuando el enfoque de la inversión es estratégico. De un conjunto de 252 empresas, aquellas que invirtieron en sostenibilidad tuvieron un mejor resultado en el período posterior a la crisis de 2008. Además, la evidencia ofrecida por el estudio de una empresa (Brasil Foods), en un contexto histórico, expone la evolución de las inversiones estratégicas en materia de sustentabilidad y su relación con las competencias y la actividad principal de la empresa.

This paper examines how relationships with friends moderate the impact of professional networks on sales performance. Based on a sample of 204 sales managers in a professional service company, this study presents evidence that friendship networks amplify the effect of sales forces' professional networks on new product sales as well as on prospecting and converting new deals. Our results offer important insights into the socio-cognitive perspective of sales management literature and suggest that firms should encourage managers to improve their friendships in order to access valuable information that will enhance customer knowledge and support their sales efforts.

Este artigo trata do impacto das redes informais na melhoria no desempenho de vendedores. Redes informais criam uma estrutura que supera a hierarquia formal de uma organização. O foco deste artigo está na rede de aconselhamento e em duas estruturas de rede que têm impacto no desempenho. A pesquisa observou vendedores que desenvolvem uma estrutura coesa, de acordo com a visão de James Coleman, ou uma estrutura que contém buracos estruturais, segundo Ronaldo Burt. Foi incluído também no modelo de análise a questão da força dos laços, de acordo com o trabalho seminal de Mark Granovetter de 1973. Dados censitários de uma organização foram coletados de cerca de 500 funcionários de uma empresa fornecedora de material para a produção agropecuária que conta com 23 filiais. A estimação de uma amostra de 101 vendedores desta empresa mostrou a importância de estruturas coesas, mediante a métrica de centralidade de grau, para as três medidas de desempenho dos vendedores. Laços fortes têm também impacto positivo no desempenho, o que sugere a importância da construção destes laços com membros da rede. Idade, tempo de casa e nível educacional também são suscetíveis de causar impacto no desempenho. Estes resultados implicam que a empresa deve estimular contatos entre colaboradores, para permitir a melhor difusão de informações técnicas e comerciais.

This paper argues that an informal network can itself be a basis for the increase in a sales manager's performance. Informal networks create a structure that surpasses the formal hierarchical structure defined by the firm. We concentrated on the advice network and considered two different views of network structure that claim to have impact on performance. To explore this claim, we examined whether sales managers develop either a highly cohesive network structure (i.e. Coleman's view) or one containing structural holes (i.e. Burt's view) in order to achieve higher sales. We also investigated the matter of tie strength put forward by Granovetter in his seminal 1973 work. Census data was collected from about 500 personnel from an agricultural input retailer having 23 divisions. Estimates from a sample of 101 sales managers showed the importance of a highly cohesive structure (degree centrality) for the three measures of sales manager's performance. The strong ties have a positive impact on performance, suggesting the importance of building up strong bonds with network contacts. Sales managers' age, time within the retailer and education also influence performance. These results imply that firms should stimulate contacts among personnel to spread technical and commercial information.

The objective of this article is to estimate insurance claims from an auto dataset using the Tweedie and zeroadjusted inverse Gaussian (ZAIG) methods. We identify factors that influence claim size and probability, and compare the results of these methods which both forecast outcomes accurately. Vehicle characteristics like territory, age, origin and type distinctly influence claim size and probability. This distinct impact is not always present in the Tweedie estimated model. Auto insurers should consider estimating total claim size using both the Tweedie and ZAIG methods. This allows for an estimation of confidence interval based on empirical quantiles using bootstrap simulation. Furthermore, the fitted models may be useful in developing a strategy to obtain premium pricing.

The aim of this study is to research a sales manager's social network and demonstrate that sales managers who are central in closure structures of an advice network achieve high sales performance. Considering the results obtained and the discussion provided in the hypotheses presentation, we argue that sales managers must have accurate perceptions of their network. Two different networks were analyzed: friendship and advice; and we also considered two different views of network structure that claim to make an impact on performance and, to explore this claim, we examined whether sales managers, in order to improve sales performance, develop either a highly cohesive network or one containing structural holes. Census data was collected from over 500 personnel of an agricultural input retailer with 23 divisions. Estimates from a sample of 101 sales managers demonstrated, in the advice network, how important a highly cohesive structure is to a sales manager's performance. These results suggest that firms should encourage contacts among their personnel to disseminate and share technical and commercial information. By stimulating cohesive structures of contacts for the purpose of receiving advice, firms create an environment for sales managers to develop relationships of trust in which social norms prevail.

There is an ongoing concern among managers and scholars: how can firms develop trust and achieve performance? Our paper aims to review the emerging perspective of trust and propose mechanisms to build trust in channel relationships. In the literature, we identified six mechanisms: calculative, affective, belief, embeddedness, continuity and capability. A central hypothesis focuses on the direct impact of these mechanisms on firm performance. We conducted a survey (n=132) in the Brazilian Distribution Market of agrochemical products. OLS regression estimation was employed to test the hypothesis. Results show the impact of the mechanisms of calculative, affective, belief on performance. The findings highlight that, even though environment leads to suspicion and doubts, managers seek trust relationships and try to develop them using a combination of few mechanisms to overcome difficulties and perform well.

Relationship marketing is essential for success in business. The need to understand better the differences in the strategies buyers and suppliers follow is what has motivated this study. We drew on emerging perspectives on inter-firm governance and networks to develop a theoretical framework to understand the success of long-term relationships. We tested the framework using data from 67 merchant distributors (buyers) and 174 suppliers of theirs in the Dutch potted plant and flower industry. While the most successful distributors tend to take the "hard", tangible strategy using transaction specific investments and fostering joint action, the successful suppliers take the "soft", social approach by emphasizing trust and the norm of flexibility in the relationship.

Estratégias de marketing de relacionamento são essenciais para o sucesso de qualquer negócio. A necessidade de se entender melhor as diferenças entre as estratégias de marketing de compradores e fornecedores foi o principal motivador deste estudo. As perspectivas emergentes de governança inter-organizacional e rede estratégica de negócios são utilizadas no desenvolvimento do modelo teórico que busca entender quais os fatores que caracterizam relacionamentos de sucesso. O modelo teórico foi testado com 67 compradores (distribuidores) e 174 fornecedores de flores e plantas em vaso da Holanda. Enquanto os distribuidores mais prósperos tendem a utilizar uma estratégia focada em elementos tangíveis, através de investimentos em ativos específicos para a transação e encorajamento de ações conjuntas; os fornecedores de sucesso empregam uma estratégia focada em elementos sociais, enfatizando a confiança e a norma de flexibilidade no relacionamento.

Relationship marketing is essential for success in business. The need to understand better the differences in the strategies buyers and suppliers follow is what has motivated this study. We drew on emerging perspectives on inter-firm governance and networks to develop a theoretical framework to understand the success of long-term relationships. We tested the framework using data from 67 merchant distributors (buyers) and 174 suppliers of theirs in the Dutch potted plant and flower industry. While the most successful distributors tend to take the "hard", tangible strategy using transaction specific investments and fostering joint action, the successful suppliers take the "soft", social approach by emphasizing trust and the norm of flexibility in the relationship.

O objetivo deste artigo é discutir a importância da confiança e o efeito dos investimentos em ativos específicos em relacionamentos colaborativos com fornecedores. O artigo ainda discute o efeito moderador da rede de informações sobre as ações colaborativas. Tomaram-se como base teórica as abordagens da economia de custos de transação e os estudos sobre canais de comercialização e redes organizacionais. Para testar as hipóteses formuladas, foram coletadas informações de atacadistas e outros distribuidores do setor de flores e vasos de plantas da Holanda. Os resultados sugerem que as informações obtidas na rede incentivam as ações conjuntas, como proteção para investimentos realizados pelos compradores. Constata-se também que o grau de confiança, os investimentos específicos e as informações obtidas na rede facilitam a coordenação de relacionamentos entre fornecedores e compradores.

The aim of this paper is to discuss the importance of trust and the effect of specific assets investments over collaborative relationships with suppliers, and also to discuss the moderating effect of the information network on such joint actions. As theoretical foundations, we use transaction cost economics, network perspectives and marketing. In order to verify our four hypothesis, we collected information from the wholesalers and other merchant-distributors in the Dutch flower industry. The results suggest that buyers temper their specific investments to the degree of joint action according to the information that is obtained in the network. The degrees of trust, specific investments and the information from the network facilitate the coordination of a buyer-supplier relationship.