Enhancing Sales Force Productivity 2022
The Seventh Biennial Enhancing Sales Force Productivity Conference took place at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, from April 21-23, 2022.
Seventh Biennial ESFP Conference
The quality, quantity, deployment and motivation of sales force efforts significantly impact both the top and bottom lines of companies in many industries where personal selling plays a critical role in the promotion of their offerings. As outbound and inbound marketing become data-driven and new digital information technologies shape buyer behavior, firms’ customer lead management, acquisition, retention, and relationship management efforts are becoming increasingly complex. In response, new forms of selling strategies, account-based marketing, key account management, "hybrid" sales organizations, CRM systems, e.g., AI-powered Salesforce Einstein, are being utilized to better manage all touch points along buyers’ purchase journeys and the sales funnel, and appropriately attribute success to the various marketing and sales force efforts along the way. However, there are many open questions regarding the optimal use, management, and impact of these developments on enhancing sales force productivity. Consequently, new theoretical and empirical research to improve understanding of evolving sales force productivity issues as well as tools, models, metrics, analytics, and methodologies to aid sales force management strategies and decisions are urgently needed.
Keynote speaker
Prabha Kant Sinha is the co-founder and former co-CEO of ZS Associates, a 10,000-person global professional services firm. A former faculty member at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, he has taught sales leaders in executive education programs at Kellogg, LBS, ISB (Hyderabad), and GIBS (Johannesburg). Prabha is a graduate and distinguished alumnus awardee of I.I.T, Kharagpur (B.Tech. ’70) and he has a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts.
- 4 p.m. Thursday, April 21, 2022: Reception and introductory keynote speech
- 8:30 a.m. Friday, April 22, 2022: Research presentations, industry keynote, dinner and comedy event
- 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 23, 2022: Research presentations, industry panel, closing planning session, and BBQ dinner excursion.
A full schedule and lineup of speakers is available here.
Conference Aims: The conference is global in scope and is aimed at presenting and sharing cutting-edge analytical and quantitative research on sales force productivity issues by leading sales scholars, consultants, and industry leaders.
Conference History:
- 2006: Inaugural Conference hosted by University of Missouri, Columbia
- 2008: Second ESFP Conference hosted by University of Kiel, Germany
- 2010: Third ESFP Conference hosted by University of Kansas, Lawrence
- 2012: Fourth ESFP Conference hosted by University of Muenster, Germany
- 2015: Fifth ESFP Conference hosted by Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
- 2018: Sixth ESFP Conference hosted by University of Missouri, Columbia
- 2022: Seventh ESFP Conference hosted by University of Kansas, Lawrence
- 4 p.m. Thursday, April 21, 2022: Reception and introductory keynote speech
- 8:30 a.m. Friday, April 22, 2022: Research presentations, industry keynote, dinner and comedy event
- 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 23, 2022: Research presentations, industry panel, closing planning session, and BBQ dinner excursion.
A full schedule and lineup of speakers is available here.
Conference Aims: The conference is global in scope and is aimed at presenting and sharing cutting-edge analytical and quantitative research on sales force productivity issues by leading sales scholars, consultants, and industry leaders.
Conference History:
- 2006: Inaugural Conference hosted by University of Missouri, Columbia
- 2008: Second ESFP Conference hosted by University of Kiel, Germany
- 2010: Third ESFP Conference hosted by University of Kansas, Lawrence
- 2012: Fourth ESFP Conference hosted by University of Muenster, Germany
- 2015: Fifth ESFP Conference hosted by Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
- 2018: Sixth ESFP Conference hosted by University of Missouri, Columbia
- 2022: Seventh ESFP Conference hosted by University of Kansas, Lawrence
Other Conference Attractions
Popovich Comedy Pet Theater and Keynote Dinner at Lied Center
Ground transportation to/from KC International Airport
Famed Kansas City barbecue
Explore Lawrence
Conference Co-Chairs
Murali K. Mantrala
Ned N. Fleming Professor of Marketing
University of Kansas School of Business
2187 Capitol Federal Hall
785-864-1876
mmantrala@ku.edu
Kissan Joseph
Crown / Sherr Professor of Marketing
Area Director, Marketing and Business Law
Academic Director, Professional Selling Program
University of Kansas School of Business
2182 Capitol Federal Hall
785-864-7535
kjoseph@ku.edu