The Role of Affect in Personal Selling and Sales Management

The term “affect” is generally used to refer to a set of “internal feeling states,” and includes mood and emotion. This paper provides an assessment of the current state of knowledge on affect and other related constructs as they relate to personal selling and sales management. The authors review and reflect on the theoretical frameworks commonly used in the study of affect in the sales literature. The managerial issues related with affect in sales contexts are also highlighted. The authors conclude with an identification of critical gaps that exist in the sales literature and suggest several directions for future research.