An exploratory analysis of student exposure to personal selling: an MBA perspective.

Pettijohn, Charles E. ; Pettijohn, Linda S.

INTRODUCTION

For most businesses, maintaining an exceptional sales force has been a continual challenge. Today, these challenges seem greater because demand for sales talent has been described as 'skyrocketing' (Galea 2006; Hoffmeister 2008). Increases in demand are illustrated by reports indicating it is taking longer to fill open sales positions and that compensation in sales is growing at a rate double that of other corporate positions (Nachnani 2007). A separate report revealed the results of a survey of managers which concluded that the most difficult job to fill with qualified applicants was the sales job (Galea 2006). Based on these reports, it could be suggested that firms need to continually seek new sources of potential sales personnel. Colleges and universities represent one of the sources identified to cope with the increased demand for sales talent (Bristow, Gulati, Amyx and Slack 2006; Hoffmeister 2008; Nachnani 2007; Simon 2006). One result of the current recruiting focus of seeking sales talent from students at colleges and universities is that sales has recently been described as one of the top 10 jobs for college graduates (National Association of Colleges and Employers 2006).

While businesses recognize college graduates represent a prime source of talented individuals, these firms also realize these graduates need proper backgrounds to succeed in sales. Companies are seeking individuals who have an understanding of sales and an appreciation of the importance of sales because these attributes reduce both training and associated selection costs (Sales and Marketing Management 2002). According to one recruiter, selecting students who have focused on sales offers "... the difference between (hiring) a student who wants to make sales a profession, or hiring a student who majored in marketing but couldn't get a job in advertising (Simon 2006, p. 40)."

The sales role is becoming increasingly complex changes in the sales position have been described as an organizational "shift from selling products to selling solutions and as managing complex internal and external silo-spanning deals" (Nachnani 2007, p. 15). Thus, the sales job has been described as changing from one in which the main focus was on making the sale to one in which the position requires a variety of additional responsibilities. These additional responsibilities include: developing knowledge about customers' businesses, making operational decisions on topics relating to resources, developing new services, understanding buyer behavior, gathering information, conducting market analyses, developing sales forecasts, and using new technologies (Ellis 2000).

As a way of responding to the challenges and complexities facing today's salesperson, firms are increasingly seeking individuals with Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degrees (Pullins and Buehrer 2008), or are funding graduate studies for their salespeople in the belief that an MBA will give their sales representatives advantages in the competitive and complex sales industry (Butler 2007). A quote attributed to John Lanning, Sales & Marketing recruiter and Training Manager for 3M states, "What is going to be needed in the near future for those individuals wishing to be promoted into sales leadership positions is an MBA... The belief is that an MBA allows the individual to blend textbook knowledge of sales strategy, sales management, sales ethics, etc. with what 3M calls the 'voice of the customer'" (Pullins and Buehrer 2008, p. 15). These arguments indicate firms are not only looking to universities as a prime source of new salespeople, companies are even reaching into graduate programs. A report by Simon (2006) indicates that students are recognizing the importance of sales opportunities. For example, at MIT's Sloan School of Management a sales-related course in their MBA program was offered, this course had an enrollment of 110 students, but only 55 open seats. The logic underlying the course offering in MIT's MBA program is based on the fact that MBA employment opportunities will generally require sales skills.

However, what do MBA students know about sales? Have MBA students been exposed to personal selling concepts in their curricula? What sales-related topics were included in classroom coverage regarding personal selling? Has exposure to personal selling concepts affected their knowledge base regarding sales? Has exposure to personal selling concepts affected their behaviors? The purpose of this study is to explore these subjects by examining three primary issues. First, the research will assess whether sales has been included as a topic in the marketing courses of MBA students. Second, sales-related topics included in the course coverage of the marketing course will be identified in the study. Finally, the research will assess the effects inclusion of sales-related topics in the MBA course curriculum has on MBA student sales behaviors.

RELATED RESEARCH

Recruiting and selecting salespeople has been described as one of the most difficult tasks faced by sales managers. One of the reasons for the challenging nature of this task is the fact that the costs of poor hiring decisions are estimated to be 3 to 7 times the individual's annual income (Hrehocik 2007). Additionally, other costs include such adverse affects as poor morale, increased training requirements, additional managerial time, lost sales revenues, etc. Corresponding with the challenges of recruiting and selecting an exceptional sales force is the fact that demand for salespeople is increasing. It has been estimated that demand for salespeople will increase over the foreseeable future and in response to these demand increases sales force recruiters will seek salespeople from university campuses (Amin, Hayajneh and Nwakanma 1995; Bristow, Gulati, Amyx and Slack 2006; Michaels and Marshall 2002). As employer demand for salespeople escalates and student demand for sales courses increases, administrators and marketing faculty increasingly seem to agree that sales is an important portion of the marketing curriculum. This is reflected in the increases in resources devoted to sales education to meet those demands (Bristow, Gulati, Amyx and Slack 2006; Gurvis 2000). According to Muehling and Weeks (1988) college students are also recognizing sales is a career which requires a college degree.

College students are attractive to sales recruiters because they are amenable to training and are talented (Gurvis 2000; Stevens and MacIntosh 2002-2003). However, it has also been noted that students who have a greater knowledge of the sales role, gained by virtue of their curricula more positive perceptions of sales careers. Research has shown that students completing a sales course perceived selling as more rewarding, more satisfying, more fun and exciting and more challenging than did those not completing a sales course (Bristow, Gulati, Amyx and Slack 2006). Additionally, these researchers point out individuals completing a sales course feel that they are more skilled and consumer oriented.

However, it should be noted that not all university students are positively predisposed to careers in personal selling (Bristow, Gulati, Amyx and Slack 2006; Cook and Hartman 1986; Dubinsky and O'Connor 1983; Lagace and Longfellow 1989; Lysonski and Durvasula 1998; Swenson, et al 1993). Students' attitudes toward personal selling may be adversely affected by the students' lack of awareness of the high levels of professionalism required of salespeople in business-to-business sales and the fact that students often underestimate the level of formal education required (DelVecchio and Honeycutt 2002; Muehling and Weeks 1988).

While sales employers are actively recruiting salespeople at universities and while students desire courses in sales, business schools have been described as failing to offer an adequate number of personal selling courses (Michaels and Marshall 2002). These authors base their contention on the fact that relatively few universities involved in the National Conference in Sales Management offered 'stand alone' courses in Personal Selling. Supporting this perspective are research findings of a survey of 114 U.S. Colleges of Business Administration indicated more universities offer Sales Management courses (87%) than Personal Selling courses (71%) (Parker, Pettijohn, and Luke 1997). This research also indicated 'only' a small percentage offered courses in both Personal Selling and Sales Management (17%) and a still smaller percentage (12%) offered a course titled Advanced Selling. These statistics indicate sales coverage may not be commensurate with demand from either the employers' or the students' perspectives.

The existing research shows recruiters for sales-related positions are increasingly seeking new salespeople on university campuses. Research also reveals that the skill levels required for success in sales positions has experienced corresponding increases (Chang 2007). In fact, changes in the requisite levels of sales skills have been described as follows, "(salespeople) are expected to be skilled at business acumen, critical thinking, understanding supply chain management, and a whole list of things that wouldn't have been on the list before. They are in fact business managers, and companies find it difficult to find people who not only understand what a sales career is, but who want to pursue a professional career in it" (Chang 2007, pp. 22 and 23). These complexities contribute to the desire to employ more MBAs in sales roles (Pullins and Buehrer 2008). As sales positions become more challenging, more salespeople with MBAs will be desired as a means of coping with these complexities (Butler 2007; Pullins and Buehrer 2008; Simon 2006).

The research reviewed seems to indicate four major points. First, companies are seeking qualified salespeople and one source consists of graduates from colleges and universities. Second, demand for sales positions continues to expand and corresponding with this expansion is an increase in demand for sales-related courses and an increase in supply of sales-related courses. Third, the sales job is becoming more complex and challenging, thus requiring a wide array of business and interpersonal skills. Finally, the research suggests one response to the increasing requirements of the sales position is to recruit and hire MBA graduates. However, the literature does not provide information regarding the inclusion of sales in MBA student curricula. The literature also does not provide information regarding how MBA student knowledge of sales relates to those students' behaviors. The purpose of this study is to address these voids in the literature by exploring the degree to which the courses taken by MBA students include salesrelated topics and the influence the inclusion of these topics might have on MBA student behaviors.

METHODOLOGY

Since the study is designed to evaluate the attitudes of MBA students regarding aspects of sales careers in personal selling, the first step in the research process entailed the selection of an appropriate sample. Based on the research objectives, MBA students enrolled in the core marketing course at an AACSB accredited university located in the Midwest with an enrollment of over 20,000 students was selected as the source of the sample. A total of 178 students enrolled in the core MBA marketing course (4 separate classes) represented the sample.

Survey instruments were given to the professor teaching these classes and students were given the opportunity to complete the surveys during class time. The questionnaires consisted of questions designed to first assess, whether personal selling concepts were included as a part of the marketing classes the MBA students had taken. If students stated that personal selling concepts and techniques were included in their marketing classes, they were then asked to identify specific topics included in these classes. These topics included subjects such as product knowledge, company/industry knowledge, sales skills, customer knowledge/CRM, and customer satisfaction.

If sales skills were included as a segment of the student's marketing class, focus shifted to the specific skills included. These skills were identified by assessing the skills included in three popular personal selling textbooks (Futrell 2008; Manning and Reece 2007; Weitz, Castleberry and Tanner 2004). Using these books, twelve critical skills were identified. Students were then asked to identify whether a particular skill had been included in their marketing classes.

Based on responses to the question designed to determine whether students possessed sales experience, those having experience were asked to identify their sales behaviors/activities. The final section of the survey then entailed an assessment of the degree to which MBA students engaged in specific sales activities. A list of specific behaviors/activities in which a salesperson might engage was developed using previous research which had examined sales skills (Chonko, Caballero, and Lumpkin 1990; Pettijohn, Pettijohn, and Taylor 2007). Based on their research, twenty-five skills/behaviors were identified. Students were asked to indicate whether the specific skill/behavior was important in their sales activities using a seven point Likert-type scale (7 = most important and 1 = not important at all). Thus, students who possessed sales experience were asked to identify their perceptions of the relative importance of these skills and behaviors in their sales activities.

FINDINGS

A total of 170 students completed useable surveys, for a response rate of 96 percent. Of those responding, the majority, 68 percent were of traditional college age (18-24) and 29 percent were between the ages of 25 and 34. Also, the majority of students were male (55%) and all responding had completed undergraduate degrees.

As shown in Table 1, personal selling was included as a topic in 'only' 60% of the students' marketing classes. When sales topics are a part of the class, Table 1 indicates that the subtopics most likely to be included were: sales skills (90.2%), product knowledge (81.4%), customer satisfaction (81.4%), customer knowledge (79.4%), and company knowledge (64.7%). Thus, of the 170 students responding sixty percent stated sales, as a topic, was included in their marketing class(es). Of those students who were exposed to sales, 93 of these students stated that sales skills were a portion of the discussion of sales (54% of the total population) and only 66 students discussed company knowledge as a component of their classes (39% of the total).

If sales skills were included, students were then requested to identify specific skills which were included. The sample of respondents, given this criterion, is reduced to 93 from the original sample of 170. The findings indicate the most discussed sales skill topic is questioning, with 62% of the respondents stating questioning was included. Only one other topic was identified by the majority of students as being included in their marketing class, this topic is the one concerned with the presentation (a portion of the sales skill segment for 60% of the students). Five skill topics were identified by less than 40% of the students as being included in their courses. As indicted in the table, the least emphasized skill was the demonstration (26%), followed by closing skills (35%), resolving sales resistance (36%), prospecting for new business (36%), and qualifying (38%). The remainder of the topics (approach, need identification, adaptive selling, negotiating, and follow-up were included for approximately 40 percent of the students responding. These findings indicate a maximum of 33 percent of the total sample was exposed to the sales skill of questioning in their marketing classes and a minimum of 14 percent were exposed to the skill of demonstrating.

As indicated in Table 2, 73 of the 166 students (44%) responding to the question pertaining to sales experience indicate they have some level of experience in sales. Of those with experience, the majority have less than two years (53.4%) of sales experience. Retail sales is the area in which most students have experience (64.4%), however, service sales is also well represented (33%).

To identify whether the inclusion of sales in their marketing classes affected their attitudes toward specific sales activities, a series of t-tests were conducted. Table 3 provides the results of this comparison. A cursory examination of the results indicates that in virtually every case, the students' perceptions of the importance of a sales activity is greater when their marketing classes included a sales component. Given that only the few students who had sales experience (only 73 students) were included in this portion of the analysis, a significance level of .10 was used to identify significant differences.

As indicated in Table 3, students whose marketing courses included personal selling were generally more positive in their ratings of certain sales skills/behaviors than were those whose marketing courses did not include personal selling. Further, these differences were significantly more positive with regard to their ratings of six skills/behaviors. First, these students were significantly more likely to contend that prospecting is a regular activity for them. Students exposed to selling in their classes were also significantly more likely to feel that they are capable of resolving most customers' needs. Third, students who had a selling module included in their marketing classes were more likely to indicate that they know the products they sell. Students who were exposed to sales in their marketing classes were also significantly more likely to indicate they listen to what their customers had to say. A fifth difference is based on the fact that students who had sales in their marketing classes were significantly less likely to state that they really don't enjoy assisting their customers. Finally, students who had sales included in their marketing courses were significantly more likely to work to make their customers feel appreciated.

DISCUSSION

Due to the many complexities of personal selling activities, firms are increasingly seeking MBA students for recruitment for sales positions. Yet, no research has been discovered which has assessed MBA student educational backgrounds in sales and how they might affect behaviors in sales careers. This research represents an initial investigation into MBA students' educational experiences, experiential backgrounds and behavioral predispositions in sales positions and as such represents an exploratory analysis. From an educator's perspective, the research highlights potential threats and opportunities which may exist in terms of maintaining viable and vital MBA programs. Butler (2007) reports an additional emphasis in MBA programs on 'soft skills'. These skills include communications, leadership, and teamwork. According to Butler, schools are increasingly offering courses in ethics, negotiation and persuasion, business writing and the arts. Thus, notable MBA programs are recognizing that significant aspects of sales (i.e. communication, negotiation and persuasion) are increasingly significant in their programs. Such arguments lend support to the concept that viability in MBA programs may require an additional focus on sales-related skills and understanding. From an educator's perspective, these results suggest that a greater emphasis on sales may be warranted in the MBA curricula. Such an emphasis may include topics more tangentially related to sales, such as persuasion and/or negotiation. These topics may prove more amenable to traditional academics who perceive sales as lacking in either theory or challenge; yet both persuasion and negotiation may be used by students in a myriad of positions (obviously including sales).

This research provides an indication of the 'current position' with respect to these skills in an AACSB accredited MBA program of approximately 400 students. As the findings show, considerable improvement is possible in terms of including sales as a topic in the marketing classes taken by MBA students, as only 60 percent report its inclusion in their classes. Further, the research shows that the inclusion of sales affects students' perceptions of their behaviors with regard to widely accepted sales practices. Such a finding has implications for those with an interest in employing MBA graduates in positions requiring sales skills, as individuals exposed to sales in their marketing classes tend to report higher incidences of positive sales behaviors (skills). This finding suggests that MBA graduates who have been exposed to sales by virtue of their marketing courses will also possess a greater appreciation of the importance of specific sales skills which have been recommended for effective sales results.

LIMITATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

While the study does provide an initial insight into MBA student educational backgrounds in sales and how those backgrounds might affect their behaviors in sales careers, it does have its limitations. First, the study pertains to one group of students attending a single university, thus limiting the degree to which the results might be generalized. Second, the survey instrument requested students to indicate their perceptions with regard to their educational experiences, their work experience, and their behavioral predispositions. Consequently, the research is limited by the survey instrument and by the ability of the students to recall their experiences and truthfully discuss their behaviors. Finally, time constraints and privacy issues limited the number and type of question which could be asked of students, certain questions which might have enhanced the findings were not included in the survey instrument. Future research should be designed to address these limitations by expanding the sample and by expanding the survey instrument. Additionally, future research might explore the educational and experiential perceptions of sales held by both graduate and undergraduate students. This research could help identify differences between graduate and undergraduate students and help indentify educational efforts that might enhance the transference of sales knowledge to these students and subsequently their behaviors in these positions. These objectives and many others could be addressed by future research.

However, given these limitations, certain conclusions may still be developed. The research reported is not entirely positive as it relates to the educational efforts directed toward MBA students. These findings indicate that educational efforts may pay dividends to students as they affect their behavioral predispositions in sales. As these factors are recognized, it may be suggested that universities offering MBAs might be well-advised to direct greater efforts toward sales and sales-related concepts to enhance both skills and career readiness upon graduation.

REFERENCES

Amin, Sammy G., Abdalla F. Hayajneh and Hudson Nwakanma (1995) "College Students' Views of Sales Jobs as a Career: An Empirical Investigation," American Business Review, (June), pp. 54-60.

Bristow, Dennis N., Rajesh Gulati, Douglas Amyx, and Jennifer Slack (2006), "An Empirical Look at Professional Selling from a Student Perspective," Journal of Education for Business, (May/June), pp. 242-249.

Butler, Carolyn Kleiner (2007), "Acting Like you Mean It," U.S. News and World Report, (March 30), pp. 76 and 77.

Chang, Julia (2007), "Sales by the School Book," Sales and Marketing Management, Vol. -(June), pp. 20-25.

Chonko, Lawrence B., Marjorie J. Caballero, and James R. Lumpkin (1990), "Do Retail Salespeople Use Selling Skills?" Review of Business and Economic Research, Vol. 25 (Spring), pp. 36-46.

Cook, Robert W. and Timothy Hartman (1986), "Female College Student Interest in a Sales Career: A Comparison," Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Vol. 6 (May), pp. 29-34.

DelVecchio, Susan and Earl D. Honeycutt, Jr. (2002), "Explaining the Appeal of Sales Careers: A Comparison of Black and White College Students," Journal of Marketing Education, Vol. 24 (No. 1, April), pp. 56-63.

Dubinsky, Alan J. and P.J. O'Connor (1983), "A Multidimensional Analysis of Preferences for Sales Positions," Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Vol. 3 (November), pp. 31-41.

Ellis, Nick (2000), "Developing Graduate Sales Professionals through Co-operative Education and Work Placements: A Relationship Marketing Approach," Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 24 (Number 1), pp. 34-42.

Futrell, Charles (2008), Fundamentals of Selling, 10th ed., Boston MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Galea, Christine (2006), "The Right Hire," Sales and Marketing Management, Vol. 158, April), pp. 11-13.

Gurvis, Sandra (2000), "Sales Degree," Selling Power, (May), pp. 108-114.

Hoffmeister, David C. (2008), "The Critical Keys for Recruiting Today" Top University Sales Education Programs 2008: A Special Supplement to Selling Power Magazine (April), pp. 9 and 20.

Hrehocik, Maureen (2007), "The Best Sales Force," Sales and Marketing Management, Vol. 159 (October), pp. 22-27.

Lagace, Rosemary R. and Timothy A. Longfellow (1989), "The Impact of Classroom Style on Student Attitudes Toward Sales Careers: A Comparative Approach," Journal of Marketing Education, Vol. 11 (Fall), pp. 72-77.

Lysonski, Steven and Srinivas Durvasula (1998), "A Cross-National Investigation of Student Attitudes Toward Personal Selling: Implications for Marketing Education," Journal of Marketing Education, Vol. 20 (No. 2, August), pp. 161-173.

Manning, Gerald L. and Barry L. Reece (2007), Selling Today: Creating Customer Value, 10th ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Michaels, Ronald E. and Greg W. Marshall (2002), "Perspectives on Selling and Sales Management Education," Marketing Education Review, Vol. 12 (Summer), pp. 1-11.

Muehling, Darrel D. and William A. Weeks (1988), "Women's Perceptions of Personal Selling: Some Positive Results," Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Vol. 8 (May), pp. 11-20.

National Association of Colleges and Employers, NACEWeb (2006), Summer 2006 Salary Survey.

Nachnani, Ashok G. (2007), "Throw Out the Old Playbook: Adjusting to the New Realities of the Sales Talent Game," Top University Sales Education Programs 2007: A Special Supplement to Selling Power Magazine (April), pp. 15 and 17.

Parker, R. Stephen, Charles E. Pettijohn and Robert H. Luke (1996), "Sales Representatives and Sales Professors: A Comparative Analysis of Sales Training Perceptions, Topics and Pedagogy," Marketing Education Review, Vol. 6 (Fall), pp. 41-50.

Pettijohn, Charles E., Linda S. Pettijohn and Albert J. Taylor (2007), "Does Salesperson Perception of the Importance of Sales Skills Improve Sales Performance, Customer Orientation, Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment, and Reduce Turnover?" Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Vol. 27 (Winter), pp. 75-88.

Pullins, Ellen Bolman and Richard E. Buehrer (2008), "Professional Selling Gets an MBA," Top University Sales Education Programs 2008: A Special Supplement to Selling Power Magazine (April), pp. 15 and 18.

Sales and Marketing Management (2002), "Majoring in Sales, Vol. 154 (December), p. 55. Simon, Baylee (2006), "The Paper (Money) Chase," Sales and Marketing Management, Vol. - (July/August), pp. 38-43.

Stevens, Charles D. and Gerrard MacIntosh (2002-2003), "Personality and Attractiveness of Activities within Sales Jobs," Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Vol. 23 (No. 1, Winter), pp. 23-32.

Swenson, Michael J., William R. Swinyard, Frederick W. Langrehr and Scott M. Smith (1993) "The Appeal of Personal Selling a Decade Later, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Vol. 13 (No. 1, Winter), pp. 51-64.

Weitz, Barton A., Stephen b. Castleberry, and John F. Tanner (2004), Selling: Building Partnerships, 4th ed., Boston MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Charles E. Pettijohn, Nova Southeastern University

Linda S. Pettijohn, Nova Southeastern University

Table 1 :Personal Selling and MBA Course Coverage

Topic                                             Included--N (%)

Personal selling was included in marketing          102.(60.0)
class(es)

If personal selling was included:

Product knowledge was included as a portion of       83 (81.4)
this topic

Company knowledge was included as a portion of       66 (64.7)
this topic

Customer knowledge was included as a portion of      81 (79.4)
this topic

Customer satisfaction was included as a portion      83 (81.4)
of this topic

Sales skills were included as a portion of this      92 (90.2)
topic

If sales skills were included:

Approach was a portion of the sales skill            41 (44.6)
segment

Questioning skills were a portion of the sales       57 (62.0)
skill segment

Prospecting was a portion of the sales skill         33 (35.9)
segment

Qualifying was a portion of the sales skill          35 (38.0)
segment

Need Identification was a portion of the sales       43 (46.7)
skill segment

Presentation was a portion of the sales skill        55 (59.8)
segment

Demonstration was a portion of the sales skill       24 (26.1)
segment

Dealing with sales resistance was a portion of       33 (35.9)
the sales skill segment

Adaptive selling was a portion of the sales          37 (40.2)
skill segment

Closing was a portion of the sales skill             32 (34.8)
segment

Negotiating was a portion of the sales skill         38 (41.3)
segment

Follow-up was a portion of the sales skill           38 (41.3)
segment

Topic                                             Not Included--N (%)

Personal selling was included in marketing             68 (40.0)
class(es)

If personal selling was included:

Product knowledge was included as a portion of         19 (18.6)
this topic

Company knowledge was included as a portion of         36 (35.3)
this topic

Customer knowledge was included as a portion of        21 (20.6)
this topic

Customer satisfaction was included as a portion        19 (18.6)
of this topic

Sales skills were included as a portion of this        10 (9.8)
topic

If sales skills were included:

Approach was a portion of the sales skill              51 (55.4)
segment

Questioning skills were a portion of the sales         35 (38.0)
skill segment

Prospecting was a portion of the sales skill           59 (64.1)
segment

Qualifying was a portion of the sales skill            57 (62.0)
segment

Need Identification was a portion of the sales         49 (53.3)
skill segment

Presentation was a portion of the sales skill          37 (40.2)
segment

Demonstration was a portion of the sales skill         68 (73.9)
segment

Dealing with sales resistance was a portion of         59 (64.1)
the sales skill segment

Adaptive selling was a portion of the sales            55 (59.8)
skill segment

Closing was a portion of the sales skill               60 (65.2)
segment

Negotiating was a portion of the sales skill           54 (58.7)
segment

Follow-up was a portion of the sales skill             54 (58.7)
segment

Table 2: MBA Student Sales Experience

Experience in Sales                   Have Experience- N (%)

I have experience in sales.                 73 (44.0)
IF experienced in sales, type of
  sales experience:
Retail                                      47. (64.4)
Retail Service                              19 (26.0)
Wholesale (Business-to-Business)             4 ( 5.5)
Manufacturer (Business-to-Business)          7 ( 9.6)
Service (Business-to-Business)              24 (32.9)
Years of Experience
Less than 1 year                            20 (27.4)
1-2 years                                   19 (26.0)
2-3 years                                   22 (30.1)
3-4 years                                    8 (11.0)
More than 4 years                            4 ( 5.5)

                                         Do NOT Have
Experience in Sales                   Experience--N (%)

I have experience in sales.               93 (56.0)
IF experienced in sales, type of
  sales experience:
Retail                                    26 (35.6)
Retail Service                            54 (74.0)
Wholesale (Business-to-Business)          69 (94.5)
Manufacturer (Business-to-Business)       66 (90.4)
Service (Business-to-Business)            49 (67.1)
Years of Experience
Less than 1 year
1-2 years
2-3 years
3-4 years
More than 4 years

Table 3: Skills/Behaviors and Sales Education

                                              Overall    Included
Skill/Behavior                               Mean (sd)   Mean (sd)

I always approach customers using the        4.8 (1.5)   4.8 (1.5)
proper approach techniques

Prospecting is a regular portion of          4.1 (1.5)   4.5 (1.4)
activities

Most of my prospects are gained thru         4.1 (1.7)   4.4 (1.4)
referrals

I am capable of resolving most customer's    5.1 (1.5)   5.6 (1.2)
needs

I try to figure out what a customer's        5.4 (1.5)   5.6 (1.3)
needs are

Price should be used as a primary method     3.8 (1.6)   3.9 (1.6)
of sales

I rarely waste time                          4.3 (1.4)   4.5 (1.5)

I am always courteous toward my customers    5.5 (1.6)   5.6 (1.3)

* What I say is more important than what     3.0 (1.7)   3.1 (1.6)
the customer has to say

I know about the products that I sell        5.6 (1.6)   6.1 (1.1)

I am available when customers need           5.7 (1.5)   6.0 (1.1)
assistance

I listen to what the customer has to say     5.7 (1.6)   6.0 (1.3)

* I don't really enjoy assisting customers   3.2 (1.8)   2.8 (1.5)

* I only react and respond to customer       3.5 (1.4)   3.3 (1.2)
requests

I know the answers to customers' questions   5.1 (1.3)   5.3 (1.3)

I ask questions to get them to talk          5.2 (1.5)   5.2 (1.3)

I try to learn as much as possible about     5.3 (1.5)   5.4 (1.3)
needs

I use leading statements to get customers    5.0 (1.5)   4.9 (1.6)
to talk

I help my customers understand and           5.1 (1.5)   5.4 (1.5)
visualize

I make clear and complete presentations      5.0 (1.5)   5.1 (1.2)

I demonstrate products/services to the       4.9 (1.6)   5.1 (1.8)
customer

I learn about needs prior to suggesting      5.2 (1.6)   5.5 (1.2)
products

I often suggest complementary products       4.8 (1.7)   5.2 (1.4)

I work to make customers feel appreciated    5.4 (1.5)   5.8 (1.0)

* I am often snobbish and condescending      2.8 (1.7)   3.0 (1.8)

                                             NOT Included
Skill/Behavior                                Mean (sd)       t(p)

I always approach customers using the         4.8 (1.5)     .2 (.80)
proper approach techniques

Prospecting is a regular portion of           3.6 (1.6)     2.5 (.01)
activities

Most of my prospects are gained thru          3.8 (1.9)     1.6 (.12)
referrals

I am capable of resolving most customer's     4.6 (1.7)     2.9 (.01)
needs

I try to figure out what a customer's         5.2 (1.7)     1.2 (.22)
needs are

Price should be used as a primary method      3.6 (1.6)     1.0 (.32)
of sales

I rarely waste time                           4.1 (1.3)     1.2 (.23)

I am always courteous toward my customers     5.5 (1.8)     .4 (.70)

* What I say is more important than what      3.0 (1.9)     .2 (.84)
the customer has to say

I know about the products that I sell         5.2 (1.9)     2.2 (.03)

I am available when customers need            5.4 (1.7)     1.6 (.11)
assistance

I listen to what the customer has to say      5.3 (1.7)     1.8 (.08)

* I don't really enjoy assisting customers    3.6 (2.1)     1.9 (.06)

* I only react and respond to customer        3.7 (1.5)     1.1 (.29)
requests

I know the answers to customers' questions    4.9 (1.4)     1.2 (.25)

I ask questions to get them to talk           5.1 (1.6)     .4 (.70)

I try to learn as much as possible about      5.2 (1.6)     .5 (.59)
needs

I use leading statements to get customers     5.0 (1.5)     .4 (.69)
to talk

I help my customers understand and            4.9 (1.5)     1.4 (.16)
visualize

I make clear and complete presentations       4.4 (1.7)     1.9 (.06)

I demonstrate products/services to the        4.8 (1.4)     .9 (.39)
customer

I learn about needs prior to suggesting       5.0 (1.9)     1.3 (.20)
products

I often suggest complementary products        4.5 (1.9)     1.6 (.11)

I work to make customers feel appreciated     5.0 (1.8)     2.2 (.03)

* I am often snobbish and condescending       2.5 (1.7)     1.0 (.32