Exploring the Impact of Sales Technology on Salesperson Performance: A Task-Base d Approach

Abstract

Drawing on a qualitative study in the pharmaceutical industry, this research suggests that sales technology can support both externally focused tasks toward managing customer relationships and internal administrative tasks. Partial least squares path modeling reveals that sales technology has a direct effect on salesperson performance when used as a customer relationship tool and a perfectly mediated effect when used for internal coordination. While the customer relationship dimension is driven by factors that trigger voluntary usage, the internal coordination dimension is explained by factors imposed from outside. Consequently, sales technology should be designed to enable customer relationships rather than being perceived as a cost-cutting tool. In addition, sales managers should not impose technology usage. Rather, they should support self-initiating factors that stimulate technology usage for improving customer relationships.