ERIC Number: EJ1273521
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Dec
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0273-4753
EISSN: N/A
Do Technology-Based Sales Support Materials Make a Difference in Personal Selling? The Impact of Technology Usage by Gender in the Personal Selling Process
Lee, Youngsu; Heinze, Timothy
Journal of Marketing Education, v42 n3 p272-283 Dec 2020
Technology usage is widespread across most fields of business. In sales, "back-end" technologies, such as customer relationship management or salesforce automation, offer a foundation for effective and efficient "front-line" interactions in the personal selling process (PSP). In many instances, "front-line" technology applications have replaced traditional, hard-copy sales support materials. However, do these technology-based sales support materials (TSSM) offer meaningful utility in the PSP? Using a randomized field experiment, the current study answers the question through examining the use of TSSM within the PSP and across genders. Results indicate that the use of TSSM offers utility during the presentation and objection-handling stages of the PSP. There are no gender effects associated with technology use. The study offers educators pedagogical recommendations regarding the use of TSSM within the PSP. The study also validates the PSP scale.
Descriptors: Salesmanship, Merchandising, Gender Differences, Influence of Technology, College Students, Competition, Role Playing
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A