Effect of the pandemic on professional selling: an exposition of different selling styles using theories-in-use approach
Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing
ISSN: 0885-8624
Article publication date: 24 October 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the changes in different selling situations/styles during and post-COVID scenarios.
Design/methodology/approach
To attain the above-mentioned objective, a qualitative study drawn upon the principles of the theories-in-use approach is conducted. The data were collected through 23 in-depth semistructured interviews, conducted with professional salespeople working at various levels in different industries. The data thus generated was analyzed through open, axial and selective coding, which resulted in three broad categories of changes in professional selling.
Findings
The findings of the study suggest that though sales jobs are perceived to be similar in nature, but there are differences in how various selling jobs are being performed. The same is the case with the effect of the pandemic on sales jobs. The authors found that every selling style faced a different challenge due to the pandemic and so is the case for the salespeople engaged in the respective selling practice.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research of its kind that has focused on the differences in various selling styles. Though the recent academic literature on personal selling does manifest the effect of the pandemic. But, in doing so, these studies have presented “personal selling” as an overarching concept encompassing all types of selling and have failed to differentiate between the various nuances of personal selling which include trade selling, technical selling, new-business selling and missionary selling.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Authors are highly obliged to both the reviewers and the editor of this special issue for their insights and comments.
Since acceptance of this article, the following author have updated their affiliations: Mohd Atif Aman is at the Rizvi Institute of Management studies and Research, Mumbai.
Citation
Aman, M.A., Azam, M.K. and Akhtar, A. (2023), "Effect of the pandemic on professional selling: an exposition of different selling styles using theories-in-use approach", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-12-2022-0545
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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