Comments on “Selling in the new millennium: a joint agenda”

This response to “Selling in the New Millennium” extends the ideas presented by Ingram, LaForge, and Leigh, in particular, suggesting a pivotal change from the salesperson to the sales function as the unit of study. Such a change makes many traditional research and review practices obsolete. For example, the author argues a need to accept lower response rates and smaller samples along with more formal and new methods to explore generalizability. Other examples, including a review of an article by Jap J Pers Selling Sales Manage XXI (2001) 95.] and a discussion on the role of trade and professional associations, suggest additional changes that will be needed to increase the likelihood of achieving the joint agenda.