Cross-selling challenges and opportunities: navigating managerial expectations, emotional exhaustion, and sales performance

This study investigates how perceived formal managerial cross-selling expectations impact salesperson emotional exhaustion and performance, with a focus on the moderating effects of perceived managerial customer orientation and customer participation expectations. Rooted in the Job Demands-Resources framework, it treats perceived formal managerial cross-selling and customer-orientation expectations as job demands, and perceived managerial customer participation as a job resource. The study comprises one qualitative and two quantitative studies. Exploratory qualitative interviews with 7 salespeople provided insights provided insights into their perceptions of managerial expectations. Study 1 (237 salespeople) explored relationships between perceived formal managerial cross-selling expectations, emotional exhaustion, and salesperson performance. Study 2 (253 salespeople) investigated the moderating roles of perceived managerial customer orientation and customer participation expectations. Findings highlight emotional exhaustion as a mediator between formal managerial cross-selling expectations and salesperson performance. This mediation effect is contingent on the presence of managerial customer-orientation expectations and customer participation. The research emphasizes the importance for managers to carefully consider heightened customer-orientation expectations, suggesting moderation, especially in cross-selling. This study offers practical insights for professionals in the marketing and sales field navigating the complexities of cross-selling to enhance sales performance.