Redefining Industrial Salesforce Roles in A Changing Environment: Strategic Issues in Selection, Training and Management

Traditional roles of salespeople in industrial markets are highly specific to the context of selling. One of the primary objectives of these roles was to achieve immediate product sales and ultimately to sustain these sales over the long-term. However, ongoing developments in the competitive environment of industrial firms have rendered these traditional roles increasingly less effective in generating loyalty among buyers. This paper examines the nature of these developments and proposes redefmed roles that the industrial salesforce would have to play to generate long-term loyalty among buyers. Implications for the selection, training, and management of the salesforce are also discussed.