Future Themes in Sales and Sales Management: Complexity, Collaboration, and Accountability

AbstractThe world of selling and sales management has changed dramatically in the past decade. Sales organizations face amore complex work environment marked by increasing customer expectations, frequent significant change, increasingly complex buying situations, and more diversity in their customer bases. Collaboration, both internal and external, is crucial in today's sales environment More than ever, sales organizations, sales managers, and salespeople are accountable for their behavior and performance outcomes. Using the three themes of complexity, collaboration, and accountability, this paper discusses related managerial responses and future research opportunities. Additional informationNotes on contributorsThomas N. IngramThomas N. Ingram (Ph.D., Georgia State University) is professor of Marketing and First Bank Professor of Business Administration at Colorado State University. Tom's primary research is in personal selling and sales management. His work has appeared in Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, among others.