#Japan #Tokyo #BtoB Sales #Alvas Design #Customer Orientation

The Impact of Customer Orientation on Sales Performance

Recently, Alvas Design, in collaboration with HR dock and Professor Kaede Kido from Nara Medical University, conducted a significant survey targeting 800 BtoB sales professionals. This research aimed to explore the new metric of customer-oriented behavior and its influence on motivation and sales performance.

Background

In today's competitive market, sales activities are shifting focus from merely achieving short-term results to creating long-term value. Recognizing this change, Alvas Design embarked on a comprehensive survey to understand the structural aspects of customer orientation and how it relates to motivation and sales outcomes quantitatively.

Survey Overview

• - Objective: Develop a new scale for measuring customer-oriented behavior and uncover its connection with motivation, performance, and evaluation.
• - Conducted By: Alvas Design in partnership with HR dock and Professor Kaede Kido.
• - Participants: 800 BtoB sales personnel (738 men, 62 women).
• - Timing: September 2025.
• - Method: Online questionnaire focusing on customer orientation behaviors, motivation, job adaptability, performance, and evaluations from peers and human resources.

Key Findings

1. Five-Factor Structure of Customer Orientation: The survey revealed that customer orientation can be explained through five key dimensions:
- Value Creation Ability
- Planning Execution Ability
- Relationship-Building Ability
- Long-Term Perspective
- Fundamental Problem Identification Ability

2. The Role of Intrinsic Motivation: All elements of customer orientation were found to improve through intrinsic motivation, confirming that motivation significantly dictates customer orientation.

3. Contribution to Performance: The multiple factors of customer orientation influence performance, peer evaluations, and job adaptability, demonstrating their critical role as determinants of sales success.

4. Long-Term Perspective vs. Short-Term Evaluation: The factor associated with a long-term perspective does not necessarily align with short-term results, indicating potential gaps between performance and evaluations.

To further validate the significance of the new customer orientation scale and intrinsic motivation scale, covariance structure equation modeling was employed. The results highlight how intrinsic motivation affects customer orientation, which in turn impacts sales performance and evaluations.

The diagram representing the five factors illustrates how each element statistically influences the others. Connected lines indicate significant statistical relationships; black lines show positive correlations, while red lines indicate negative influences.

Summary

The findings from this study construct a new metric for measuring customer-oriented behaviors among sales professionals, clearly establishing its relationship with motivation, performance, and evaluation. Customer orientation emerges as a crucial determinant of sales success, showcasing it as an essential characteristic for sales professionals.
Moreover, intrinsic motivation significantly enhances customer orientation, while extrinsic motivation tends to negatively impact some factors.

Future Perspectives

Alvas Design is driven by the philosophy of "unlocking human potential and creating an enjoyable world for sales." The implications of customer orientation as a vital metric connect to the work satisfaction and outcomes of sales professionals.

The structural characteristics of customer orientation combined with its link to motivation and outcomes suggest that the sales profession can evolve to harmonize “enjoyment” and “value creation.”

Moving forward, the company aims to investigate how customer orientation shapes workplace enjoyment and its connection to performance evaluations. This research will support sales personnel in actively leveraging their strengths, forging significant value in collaboration with clients.

Detailed Report Available

This release presents only a portion of the results. For detailed information on factor structures and modeling outcomes, please refer to the full report available for download here.

Company Overview

• - Company Name: Alvas Design Co., Ltd.
• - CEO: Ken Takahashi
• - Location: 2-16-1 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 6th Floor, New Shimbashi Building
• - Contact: Contact Us
• - Official Website: Alvas Design
• - Media Operation: Insight Sales