The role of the salesforce in gathering customer intelligence: A view from the general insurance sector

Salespeople are an important source of customer intelligence. In part this is due to their unique boundary spanning role, as salespeople act as a conduit between the customer and the company. Salespeople are however also known... [ view full abstract ]

Salespeople are an important source of customer intelligence. In part this is due to their unique boundary spanning role, as salespeople act as a conduit between the customer and the company. Salespeople are however also known to be under- utilized in this role. Previous researchers have attributed this underuse to issues in the quality of the data collected by the salesforce. How then can companies better use their salesforce to collect valuable customer intelligence? This study uses role theory to address this question. The aim is to identify how the salesperson role is perceived with specific attention given to whether data collection is seen an integral part of that role. Interviews with salesforce members and other relevant stakeholders will be conducted to provide insight into this area. In doing so, this study furthers our knowledge of role theory, provides a better understanding into why the salesforce may be underused as a source of customer intelligence and will also provide practical guidance on how to improve the use of salesforce in the data collection process.