November 2009

Articles

Increasing Sales Force Expectations

Robin T. Peterson

How do you inspire sales representatives to work harder and smarter? There are many answers to this question including "Pay them more," "Give them better training," and "Show them how to do a better job of prospecting." Still another way is to enlarge their expectations in various ways. This method has considerable promise, especially if it is employed in a creative fashion.
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What You Should Expect from a Marketing Researcher

Michael R. Hyman, Stan Fulton Chair of Marketing, NMSU and Jeremy J. Sierra, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Texas State University

Many self-proclaimed marketing researchers cannot conduct effective research. Although the American Marketing Association has considered certifying researchers, there remains no accreditation-like a CPA-that signifies adequate technical competence and client-interaction skills. To educate you as a research consumer and to help you avoid a poor experience, our goal is to delineate the roles played by good marketing researchers.
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Talking Points

Christopher A. Erickson and James Libbin

The Legislative Special Session has ended with a balanced budget and no tax increases. The results are sharp cuts in state services. The Governor has announced furloughs for state workers. Meanwhile, the best one can say about the economy is that it is no worse than last month. But then, last month was the worst month in 23 years!
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