RESEARCH_FILE
Willem Verbeke
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Known for:A contemporary meta-analysis identifying which factors actually predict sales performance across decades of published research
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“They'll only buy if I drop the price”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“I can hold the price and still be fair.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Take one current offer or estimate, cover the discount field with a sticky note, and rewrite the closing question beneath the price in plain handwriting. Leave it on your desk for ten minutes without changing the number.
Key findings
- 2011
With Bart Dietz and Ernst Verwaal, synthesized sales-performance studies from 1982–2008 and found selling-related knowledge (β = .28) was the single strongest predictor of performance, ahead of personality-based measures. Drivers of sales performance: a contemporary meta-analysis. Have salespeople become knowledge brokers? ↗
- 2011
Found adaptive selling behavior (β = .27) and role ambiguity (β = −.25) were also strong predictors, indicating performance hinges more on learnable skills and clear role expectations than on fixed traits. Drivers of sales performance: a contemporary meta-analysis. Have salespeople become knowledge brokers? ↗