The Role of Adaptive Selling Behavior in Mediating Sales Orientation and Customer Orientation on Salesperson Performance
Main
Citra Amanah*
Diana Aqmala
Aries Setiawan
The decline in Mitsubishi Xpander sales indicates problems in sales force performance. Based on preliminary field reports, the suspected problem is related to the suboptimal sales orientation and customer orientation in shaping adaptive sales behaviour. Accordingly, this inquiry endeavors to elucidate the influence of sales orientation and customer orientation on the performance of the Mitsubishi Xpander sales force in Semarang, positioning adaptive sales behaviour as an intervening mechanism. Adopting a quantitatively driven research design, empirical evidence was garnered from 104 purposively selected respondents. The analytical procedure employed Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4.0. The empirical findings demonstrate that both sales orientation and customer orientation exert a statistically robust and affirmative effect on adaptive sales behaviour, which in turn manifests a significant and positive contribution to sales force performance. Notably, customer orientation, in conjunction with adaptive sales behaviour, emerges as the most potent conduit for enhancing the performance of Mitsubishi Xpander sales personnel within the Semarang context. Customer orientation enables salespeople to understand customer needs and provide appropriate services, while adaptive sales behaviour helps them adjust their approach to different customer characteristics and situations. The findings imply that sales orientation and customer orientation can shape more adaptive sales behaviour, thereby playing a role in driving improvements in sales personnel performance in achieving targets and retaining customers.
Adusei, C., Tweneboah-Koduah, I., & Agyapong, G. K. Q. (2020). Sales-Orientation and Customer-Orientation on Performance of Direct Sales Executives of Fidelity Bank, Ghana. International Journal of Finance & Banking Studies (2147-4486), 9(4), 70–86. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijfbs.v9i4.753
Agustina, L. (2016). Pengaruh Penjualan Adaptif, Kemampuan Mendengar dan Orientasi Pelanggan Terhadap Kinerja Tenaga Penjual Jasa Hotel Bintang 4 & 5 Di Yogyakarta. Jurnal Manajemen, 6(1), 306–312.
Amenuvor, F. E., Yi, H. T., & Boateng, H. (2021). Examining the consequences of adaptive selling behavior by door-to-door salespeople in the Korean cosmetic industry. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 34(4), 800–816. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-12-2020-0846
Aqmala, D. (2019). Peran Orientasi Penjualan Dan Orientasi Pelanggan Serta Penginderaan Pelanggan Terhadap Kinerja Tenaga Penjualan. BENEFIT: Jurnal Manajemen Dan Bisnis, 4(2), 151–164. https://doi.org/10.23917/benefit.v4i2.9230
Baber, R., Kaurav, R. P. S., & Paul, J. (2018). Impact of individual market orientation on selling and customer orientation. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 28(4), 288–303. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2018.1489880
Charoensukmongkol, P., & Suthatorn, P. (2020). Linking improvisational behavior, adaptive selling behavior and sales performance. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 70(1), 1582–1603. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-05-2019-0235
Dewi, S. N., & Nuzuli, T. (2017). Peran Promotional Mix Sebagai Variabel Moderasi Orientasi Pelanggan Dan Orientasi Pesaing Terhadap Kinerja Pemasaran (Studi Empiris pada UKM Rumah Makan di Kabupaten Sragen). Ekuilibrium : Jurnal Ilmiah Bidang Ilmu Ekonomi, 12(2), 140. https://doi.org/10.24269/ekuilibrium.v12i2.676
ELSamen, A. A., & Akroush, M. N. (2018). How customer orientation enhances salespeople’s performance? A case study from an international market. Benchmarking, 25(7), 2460–2477. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-05-2017-0101
Evita, E. (2023). Analisis Pengaruh Orientasi Pelanggan Melalui Tenaga Penjual Inovatif Dan Kualitas Desain Wilayah Penjualan Terhadap Kinerja Tenaga Penjual (Studi Kasus Pada Sektor Ritel) Di Kota Pontianak. BIS-MA (Bisnis Manajemen), 7(12), 2784–2798. https://journal.widyadharma.ac.id/index.php/bisma/article/view/6192
Guenzi, P., De Luca, L. M., & Spiro, R. (2016). The combined effect of customer perceptions about a salesperson’s adaptive selling and selling orientation on customer trust in the salesperson: a contingency perspective. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 31(4), 553–564. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-02-2015-0037
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2018). The Results of PLS-SEM Article information. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24.
Hamdani, & Santoso, D. (2022). Farmer SMEs Salesforce Performance: How are the Role of Adaptive Selling, Learning, Performance, and Customer Orientation? Res Militaris, 12(4).
Harindranath, Sivakumaran, B., & Jacob, J. (2019). The moderating role of sales experience in adaptive selling, customer orientation and job satisfaction in a unionized setting. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 34(8), 1724–1735. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-08-2018-0233
Hidayati, D. M., Wardoyo, P., & Rusdianti, E. (2017). Perilaku Penjualan Adaptif Pengaruhnya Terhadap Kinerja Tenaga Penjualan. Jurnal Riset Ekonomi Dan Bisnis, 10(3), 221–231. https://doi.org/10.26623/jreb.v10i3.881
Kaynak, E., Kara, A., Chow, C. S. F., & Laukkanen, T. (2016). Role of adaptive selling and customer orientation on salesperson performance: Evidence from two distinct markets of Europe and Asia. Journal of Transnational Management, 21(2), 62–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/15475778.2016.1166999
Kuo, S. Y., Kao, Y. L., Tang, J. W., & Tsai, P. H. (2022). Impacts of emotional regulation, adaptive selling and customer-oriented behavior on sales performance: the moderating role of job resourcefulness. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 35(5), 1075–1092. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-12-2021-0869
Marselinus, S. C., & Ardyan, E. (2024). Pentingnya Orientasi Penjualan dan Pelatihan Penjualan dalam Meningkatkan Penjualan Adaptif pada Kinerja Tenaga Penjualan. JEBDEKER: Jurnal Ekonomi, Manajemen, Akuntansi, Bisnis Digital, Ekonomi Kreatif, Entrepreneur, 4(2), 488–498. https://doi.org/10.56456/jebdeker.v4i2.280
Mulki, J. P., & Kamath, D. (2025). Embracing ambiguity: the unspoken key to sales success. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 43(3), 644–664. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-01-2024-0069
Nufuz, A. K., & Graciafernandy, M. A. (2024). Pengaruh keterampilan menjual, perilaku penjualan adaptif dan orientasi pelanggan terhadap kinerja tenaga penjualan. Jurnal Riset Ekonomi Dan Bisnis, 17(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.26623/jreb.v17i1.8349
Oprea, B., & Ionescu-avram, D. (2025). Predicting salespeople ’ s performance , cross-selling and up-selling : interactions between personality , satisfaction with the rewards system and leader – member exchange. Baltic Journal of Management, 21(1), 57–71. https://doi.org/10.1108/BJM-12-2024-0869
Purbasari, H., & Veno, A. (2019). Analisis Pengaruh Sales Training Terhadap Efektivitas Penjualan Dengan Dimediasi Kinerja Penjualan (Medical Representatif). Inventory: Jurnal Akuntansi, 3(1), 11–23. https://doi.org/10.25273/inventory.v3i1.4192
Revan, R., Ponirin, P., Rombe, E., & Auriza, M. Z. (2025). Selling Orientation – Customer Orientation ( S . O . C . O ): Hubungan Penerapannya dalam Meningkatkan Kinerja Salesperson di Kota Palu Selling Orientation – Customer Orientation ( S . O . C . O ): The Relationship of Its Implementation in Improving Sales. Jurnal Samudra Ekonomi Dan Bisnis, 16(225), 260–273. https://doi.org/10.33059/jseb.v16i2.10735
Rizan, J., & Utama, L. (2020). Pengaruh keterampilan kewirausahaan, orientasi pasar dan orientasi penjualan terhadap kinerja usaha UMKM. Jurnal Manajerial Dan Kewirausahaan, II(4), 961–968.
Santika, D. (2023). Selling Orientation – Customer Orientation (S.O.C.O): Hubungan Penerapannya Dalam Meningkatkan Kinerja Pemasaran Usaha Ritel Modern di Kota Pontianak. Jurnal Madani: Ilmu Pengetahuan, Teknologi, Dan Humaniora, 6(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.33753/madani.v6i1.226
Saxe, R., & Weitz, B. A. (2018). The SOCO Scale: A Measure of the Customer Orientation of Salespeople. Journal of Marketing Research, 19(3), 343–351. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378201900307
Singh, R., & Das, G. (2013). The impact of job satisfaction, adaptive selling behaviors and customer orientation on salesperson’s performance: Exploring the moderating role of selling experience. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 28(7), 554–564. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-04-2011-0121
Wang, X., Li, P., Zheng, Y., Jiang, L. (Alice), & Yang, Z. (2021). Salespersons’ self-monitoring, psychological capital and sales performance. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 33(9), 1918–1933. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-04-2020-0262
Yeo, C., & Jan, I. U. (2022). Investigating Salespeople’s Performance and Opportunistic Behavior: Adaptive and Customer-Oriented Responses. Behavioral Sciences, 12(12), 512. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12120512
Zhou, J., & Charoensukmongkol, P. (2020). The effect of social media use on customer qualification skills and adaptive selling behaviors of export salespeople in China. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 15(2), 278–300. https://doi.org/10.1108/JABS-12-2019-0377
Zuraida, A. V. (2022). Membangun Hubungan Customer Orientation Melalui Adaptive Selling Dan Salesmanship Skill Terhadap Sales Performance Pada PT. Phapros Semarang. Prosiding Konstelasi Ilmiah Mahasiswa Unissula (KIMU) Klaster Ekonomi. https://jurnal.unissula.ac.id/index.php/kimue/article/view/20415
