Sales Force Activities and Marketing Strategies in Industrial Firms: Relationships and Implications

James CrossJames Cross (Ph.D., University of Minnesota) is Professor of Marketing at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He chaired the UNLV Marketing Department for seven years and also served as MBA Director at UNLV. He was formerly on the faculty at Arizona State University. He currently teaches Strategic Marketing, Marketing Channels, Business Marketing, and Sales Management. His research has appeared in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Business Horizons, the Transportation Journal, and the Journal of Consumer Marketing.

Steven W. HartleySteven W. Hartley (Ph.D., University of Minnesota) is Professor of Marketing in the Daniels College Business at the University of Denver. He currently teaches Marketing Planning, Marketing Research, and Principles of Marketing, and supervises graduate field-study projects. His publications have appeared in the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of Business Research, the Journal of Advertising Research, and Industrial Marketing Management, and he is a co-author of Marketing, Sixth Edition, published by Irwin/McGraw-Hill.

William RudeliusWilliam Rudelius (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania) holds the Endowed Chair in Global Marketing at the Graduate School of Business of the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. He holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA in Marketing and a Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. During the past 10 years, he has taught extensively in eight European countries including France, Bulgaria, Poland, and the Ukraine. Professor Rudelius has co-authored two textbooks, including Marketing, Sixth Edition. Adaptations of Marketing are now published in Canada and Poland. His articles have appeared in various academic journals, including Journal of Marketing, Sloan Management Review, Harvard Business Review, and Business Horizons.

Michael J. VasseyMichael J. Vessey is president of Stewardship Marketing, Inc., Mpls. MN, a marketing research consulting firm serving both business and nonprofit clients.

Abstract

This study explores the role of the sales force in formulating and executing marketing strategies. Specifically, the relationships between sales force activities such as providing information about customer needs, hiring and training salespeople, and assessing new market segments and four marketing strategies (market penetration, product development, market development, diversification) are examined. Results indicate that the use of sales force activities is related to a firm's strategic choices, and that the relationships vary by firm size and type of offering.

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Sales Force Activities and Marketing Strategies in Industrial Firms: Relationships and Implications

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