BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE IN THE ALLOCATION OF SALES AND PROMOTIONAL RESOURCES WITHIN CUSTOMER ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract

Business marketers' sales and promotional costs continue to escalate. These marketers face complex problems in identifying and reaching key influencers in targeted prospect organizations. This article links current developments in industrial buying behavior theory and research to the problem of allocating sales and promotional resources. It defines a customer‐driven approach, specifying that marketer actions be linked to the prospect organization's buying activities. Specifically, the phase or stage of the buying process, the makeup of the decision‐making unit over time, and the roles played by buying participants, particularly stakeholders, should all dictate the content, timing, and targeting of sales and promotional efforts. An outline framework for allocating these resources is proposed and an overview of how buying and selling activities interact is presented.

Citation

Ghingold, M. (1988), "BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE IN THE ALLOCATION OF SALES AND PROMOTIONAL RESOURCES WITHIN CUSTOMER ORGANIZATIONS", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 17-26. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb006055