An empirical study of salesperson stereotypes amongst UK students and their implications for recruitment

The success of recruitment efforts can have a major impact on sales force effectiveness. Students have long been considered a good source of potential sales recruits, but research has found students have generally negative perceptions of selling as a career. One reason for such perceptions may be negative stereotypes of salespeople held by students. However information on the content of UK sales stereotypes remains anecdotal at best. This study empirically examines UK business students' stereotypes of salespeople using a two-stage approach. Findings suggest that these stereotypes are generally negative. However, we create profiles of salespeople using our findings, and consequently uncover some positive aspects to the stereotype. The study provides instruction on how to use stereotypes in subsequent work, as well as how to utilise the profiles in recruitment efforts.