Salesperson Optimism: Can Sales Managers Enhance it and so What if They Do?

Abstract

The focus of this empirical study is on salesperson optimism. First, the extent to which sales managers can enhance their optimism among their salespeople was explored by examining the influence of three leader behaviors (positive feedback, articulating a vision, and individualized support). Second, optimism was associated with three important outcome variables (inrole performance, and helping and sportsmanship organizational citizenship behavior). Data were collected from a sample of 122 salesperson/sales manager dyads from five companies, and hypotheses were tested by fitting a structural equations model. Results suggest that sales managers can enhance the salesperson optimism through individualized support; and that optimistic salespeople were more likely to be productive, and more likely to engage in sportsmanship organizational citizenship behavior.

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