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Customer orientation and salesperson performance

Mark E. Cross (Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA)
Thomas G. Brashear (Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA)
Edward E. Rigdon (Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA)
Danny N. Bellenger (Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA)

European Journal of Marketing

ISSN: 0309-0566

Article publication date: 31 July 2007

8219

Abstract

Purpose

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This paper aims to examine the impact of customer orientation, at the levels of both the company and the salesperson, on salesperson performance.

Design/methodology/approach

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A survey of 283 salespeople provides the database that was analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

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Prior studies suggest that both company and salesperson customer orientation has a positive effect on performance. The findings of this study suggest that a salesperson's customer orientation completely mediates the relationship between company customer orientation and salesperson performance. Thus, the influence of a company's customer orientation on salesperson performance acts through the customer orientation of the salespeople.

Originality/value

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The study reinforces the importance of customer orientation and the role of salespeople in putting customer orientation into practice.

Keywords

Citation

Cross, M.E., Brashear, T.G., Rigdon, E.E. and Bellenger, D.N. (2007), "Customer orientation and salesperson performance", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 41 No. 7/8, pp. 821-835. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560710752410

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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