The stress of prospecting: Salesperson genetics and managerial remedies

Abstract

Prospecting involves significant stress for industrial salespeople. Some react by procrastinating or develop mental health issues whereas others dive headfirst into it. Employing genetic, survey, and experimental data, this study explores whether these different reactions relate to genetic predispositions of salespeople and how managers and salespeople can intervene. Drawing on differential susceptibility theory (DST) and stress research, we propose that carrying the Serotonin Transporter Gene S allele (SERT S) has the potential to affect a salesperson's propensity to prospect because it makes salespeople more sensitive towards negative information. We find empirical evidence that carrying SERT S has a positive relationship with prospecting for salespeople who tend to appraise stressors as eustress (salespeople high in sensation seeking), and a negative relationship for salespeople who tend to appraise stressors as distress (salespeople high in neuroticism). An experiment further supports these findings and explores how managers and salespeople can trigger coping to mitigate the negative effects of distress appraisals in prospecting. Thereby, the study contributes to research on salesperson well-being by taking a DST perspective on salesperson stress. Furthermore, the study provides actionable implications for business practice on employee well-being.