No Longer One-size-fits-all: How B2B Sales Skillsets Differ Across Multiple Sales Performances
(A2025-126327)

AUTHORS

Giang Dao, University of Twente; Manfred Krafft, University of Münster; Agata Leszkiewicz, UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE; Holger Schiele

ABSTRACT

Sales literature has identified that a salesperson’s performance is multidimensional. However, research about sales performance has mainly focused on financial achievement, leaving other selling objectives such as customer relationships, administration, cost, delivery, and innovation largely unexplored. Furthermore, it is not clear how different sales skills contribute to a salesperson’s multidimensional performance. This study addresses this research gap through a literature review, analysis of job advertisements, interviews, and a survey of 318 professionals. The findings include a list of 14 sales skills and models of sales skill-performance relations spanning six types of sales performance. The authors identify skills as must-have or should-have factors for performance, drawing a deeper understanding of the relationships. This research provides actionable recommendations for managers developing their strategic sales management plan or salespeople seeking to advance their skillsets.