Is this an extension of under researched entrepreneurial behavior (EB) topic? Has the field of entrepreneurship ignored or restricted knowledge about this very important construct? Current studies are rather limited and focus mainly on EB sub-variables like innovativeness, opportunism , change orientation and risk taking. The summary question is : Is selling behavior one of the core entrepreneurial behavior?
A customer-based approach is desirable in marketing as well as sales in order to create a customer relationship based on trust, rather than past practices of a tradition focusing only on profit.
The mainstay of why a venture exists is growth which includes profit.Firm growth of a venture is highly dependent on entrepreneurial behavior.Arguably entrepreneurs need behaivior that can improve income of the entity.Good customer relationship and trust are likely to sustain venture perfomance (growth).The main question is then, what is the attribute and the extent of selling behavior of entrepreneurs to venture perfomance at a face to face selling level?Is this not one of the key areas of study in entrepreneurship that is ignored or under reseached?Once the opportinity window is closed , an entrepreneur needs to start selling a product, service or his /her entreprenerial ability at at a face to face level.This is construct is under researched as past researchers have over reliance on opportinism ,innovation , change orientation and risk taking etc.
In general, a good entrepreneur / manager has skills of persuasion. This involves knowing how to sell. New businesses require numerous "sales": raising funds from investors, get the first customers, and so on. Ie a market vision should be part of the entrepreneurial profile.
Selling is one of the core, executive skills of an entrepreneur, but most technical entrepreneurs are bad at it. I published a Udemy course on Scientific Selling for technical entrepreneurs. Check my LinkedIn profile for the link and free coupn
What are the strategic success factors (SSF) of entrepreneurial selling behavior (ESB)?What knowledge and thought process behind them.What are the measures?Is the a tested instrument to measure them?
Like every other seller, they indulge in sales talk--some do in a more sophisticated way, but others do it in a typical salesperson way, and have in mind mainly the protection of their interests. Those who want to safeguard and build their brand for the future keep in mind their long-term interest, of course.
I recently had some entrepreneurs that wanted to sell the idea that I had to invest in a farming venture. I was appointed by a consortium of investors to investigate. The entrepreneurs wanted to convince me to invest (equity investment) as they did not have sufficient co-lateral for debt. However they could not tell me what the ROI nor could the calculate the risk on the ROI.
Punchline: If you have a bad product, then all the marketing skills are worthless.
In general, technical entrepreneurs has problems to sell products. They are more enchanted by the technical soluction and possibilites than focusing in solving client problems. The start-ups needs to balance technical and managerial skills. A good seller is essential.
I would suggest to look at the most relevant journals on entrepreneurship (ex.: strategic entrepreneurship journal). The point is in the definition of the entrepreneur and of his capabilities/competencies. I think saying selling capabilities is reductive. One suggestion could be to look at relational capabilities either in business-to-business or in business-to-consumer relationships. There is a whole branch of research (relational view) that derives from resource-based theory and i would put this in social complexity issues (see Barney)
Bird , Schjoedt and Hanke (2014) stimulate research on entrepreneurs behaviour. They believe that there is sales literature can inform the measurement and assessment of entrepreneurs sales behaviour at a personal selling level. The fact that the seller is also owner and has to skilfully enact in wide range of behaviour's to ensure survival is a challenge. Therefore , what input from sales literature can assist modify the understanding of entrepreneurial selling behaviour (ESB).Is ESB a predictor variable of venture performance? What are the mediating variable that can positively enforce venture success? Are ventures that mature led by sales and marketing oriented entrepreneurs? What is real strategy given al these questions? Food for thought!
Bill Gates would not have Microsoft if he weren't able to pre-sale Windows to IBM!
Entrepreneurs are liars--they lie to themselves first, then others around them.
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