Purpose

Previous sales control research has limited the definition of outcome controls exclusively to sales outcomes in an outside sales context. In addition to sales outcome controls, inside sales managers use phone operational outcomes to influence inside sales agent performance, supporting the need to expand the broader definition of outcome controls. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to explore the need to bifurcate outcome controls into two distinct variables: sales and phone operational controls. Researchers know little about the application of sales outcome controls beyond sales-only outcomes, which, in turn, limits the definition of outcome controls.

Design/methodology/approach

Through the utilization of survey, secondary operational data and sales manager’s feedback, this paper demonstrates that the definition of outcome controls needs to be divided into two distinct areas, sales and phone operational controls for inside sales agents, which, in turn, acts collectively to impact an inside sales agent’s job performance and satisfaction.

Findings

This research demonstrates that inside sales managers depend on both sales and phone operational outcome controls to drive sales agent performance, varying in degrees by industry. Even as inside sales managers focus on creating an employee-centric autonomous motivational work culture, the overarching controlling factors associated with phone operational outcomes dampen an inside sales agent’s performance and job satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, as the first sales control research to examine an inside sales context, this study provides support to further study sales controls in an inside sales context. This research can be enhanced by examining business-to-consumer inside sales environments, behavior controls, greater sample size and additional work outcomes such as turnover and tenure.

Practical implications

The findings have important implications because they can help practitioners understand the effect that both sales and phone operational outcomes have on sales agent performance. It also illuminates the need for inside sales managers to be less controlling in their focus on phone operational outcomes, as such a practice has a negative influence on key sales agent job outcomes.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to triangulate multiple data sources to illustrate the need to evaluate both sales and phone operational outcomes as broader components of sales outcome controls. The study of sales controls in a different sales context suggests that sales management controls may differ by sales context, opening the door to extend the vast sales control literature beyond its current context of outside sales.

中文翻译：

---

销售结果控制的新视角：内部销售视角

目的

以前的销售控制研究将结果控制的定义仅限于外部销售环境中的销售结果。除了销售结果控制之外，内部销售经理还使用电话运营结果来影响内部销售代理的绩效，支持扩展结果控制的更广泛定义的需要。因此，本文的目的是探讨将结果控制分为两个不同变量的必要性：销售和电话运营控制。研究人员对销售结果控制在仅销售结果之外的应用知之甚少，这反过来又限制了结果控制的定义。

设计/方法/方法

通过利用调查、二次运营数据和销售经理的反馈，本文表明结果控制的定义需要分为两个不同的领域，销售和内部销售代理的电话运营控制，反过来，它们共同作用于影响内部销售代理的工作绩效和满意度。

发现

这项研究表明，内部销售经理依靠销售和电话运营结果控制来推动销售代理绩效，在不同行业的程度上有所不同。即使内部销售经理专注于创建以员工为中心的自主激励工作文化，与电话运营结果相关的总体控制因素也会抑制内部销售代理的绩效和工作满意度。

研究限制/影响

据作者所知，作为第一个检验内部销售环境的销售控制研究，本研究为进一步研究内部销售环境中的销售控制提供了支持。通过检查企业对消费者内部销售环境、行为控制、更大的样本量和额外的工作成果（如营业额和任期），可以加强这项研究。

实际影响

这些发现具有重要意义，因为它们可以帮助从业者了解销售和电话运营结果对销售代理绩效的影响。它还说明内部销售经理需要减少对电话运营结果的关注，因为这种做法对关键的销售代理工作结果产生负面影响。

原创性/价值

据作者所知，本研究首次对多个数据源进行三角测量，以说明将销售和电话运营结果作为销售结果控制的更广泛组成部分进行评估的必要性。对不同销售环境中的销售控制的研究表明，销售管理控制可能因销售环境而异，这为将大量销售控制文献扩展到当前外部销售环境之外打开了大门。