Title: Leveraging market share through selling skills: the mediating role of adaptive selling behaviour

Authors: Dana F. Kakeesh; Ghazi A. Al-Weshah; Ruba B. Dababneh

Addresses: Department of Marketing, School of Business, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan ' Department of Marketing, The Faculty of Business, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt 19117, Jordan ' Sales Department, Karmel Drug Store, Amman 927324, Jordan

Abstract: This study aims to examine the influence of a pharmaceutical sales representative's selling skills on market share, via the mediating role of adaptive selling behaviour (ASB). The approach of this study is quantitative and a questionnaire is used as an instrument to collect data. Based on convenience sample, 450 questionnaires were personally distributed to pharmaceutical sales representatives who work in Jordan; 345 questionnaires were returned, a response rate of 77%. The results show that there are significant effects for the dimensions of a pharmaceutical sales representative's personal skills (non-verbal immediacy, empathy, experience, subjective knowledge) on market share. Findings also confirm the significance of ASB as a mediating variable. The study recommends understating personal skills for a sales-force guide for managers to develop suitable hiring, training and keeping plans for both their experienced and new employees. Training packages should be administered continuously to empower a salesperson's skills in terms of efficacy and innovation. The study proposes a conceptual and practical model as evidence of the selling skills of sales representatives in the pharmaceutical industry.

Keywords: selling skills; empathy; experience; subjective knowledge; adaptive selling behaviour; ASB; non-verbal immediacy; market share; pharmaceutical industry; Jordan.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBPM.2021.118599

International Journal of Business Performance Management, 2021 Vol.22 No.4, pp.363 - 379

Received: 29 Jul 2020
Accepted: 14 Jan 2021
Published online: 29 Oct 2021 *

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