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Key personality traits of sales managers.
John W Lounsbury1, Nancy A Foster2, Jacob J Levy3
1Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA eCareerfit.com, Knoxville, TN, USA Resource Associates, Knoxville, TN, USA.
Work (Reading, Mass.)
|March 28, 2013
Summary
Sales managers exhibit distinct personality traits, including higher assertiveness and extraversion, which correlate with career satisfaction. Understanding these traits aids in recruitment and development.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Vocational Psychology
- Organizational Behavior
Background:
- Sales managers are vital for company success, yet their personal attributes are understudied.
- Identifying these attributes is crucial for effective sales manager recruitment, selection, training, and development.
- Scholarly research on sales manager personality is limited, creating a knowledge gap.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key personality traits differentiating sales managers from other professionals using Holland's vocational theory.
- To examine the relationship between these personality traits and sales managers' career satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 978 sales managers across the US completed an online Personal Style Inventory and a career satisfaction measure.
- A comparison group of 79,512 individuals from diverse occupations was used.
Main Results:
- Sales managers displayed higher levels of Assertiveness, Customer Service Orientation, Extraversion, Image Management, Optimism, and Visionary Style.
- They showed lower levels of Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Intrinsic Motivation, Openness, and Tough-Mindedness compared to other professionals.
- Nine personality traits significantly correlated with sales managers' career satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- A psychological profile for sales managers was established based on identified personality traits.
- Findings offer practical implications for optimizing sales manager recruitment, selection, training, development, and mentoring strategies.
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