Sales innovativeness climate and B2B salesperson performance: the roles of persistence, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and creative selling

The evolving landscape of business-to-business (B2B) selling increasingly requires salespeople to translate market signals into adaptive customer-facing actions (Bourguignon et al., 2021). Digital transformation, accelerated by the onset of COVID-19 and the growing adoption of artificial intelligence in B2B selling processes (McClure et al., 2024), has reshaped sales interactions, altering the competencies and behaviors necessary for success (Barner and Totzek, 2023). Contemporary sales roles are increasingly multifaceted, requiring individuals to generate revenue while delivering exceptional customer service (Lindsey-Hall et al., 2024). This dual requirement heightens the need for sales ambidexterity, enabling professionals to balance competing priorities effectively (Hochstein et al., 2021).

While such versatility can enhance effectiveness, it also increases workload demands and may elevate stress and reduce performance when expectations become excessive (McClure et al., 2024). These dynamics underscore the importance of persistence as a capability for sustaining goal-directed effort under resistance, setbacks, and change. However, in many B2B settings, success depends not only on sustained effort but also on how effort is directed—toward experimentation, problem reframing, and novel value creation with customers. Creative selling behaviors can be particularly consequential in complex solution selling, but they are unlikely to emerge in the absence of a climate that legitimizes and supports experimentation (Edwards et al., 2023).

Both practitioners and scholars widely acknowledge the link between persistence and sales success. Sales executives frequently assert a positive relationship between persistence and performance (Dugan et al., 2019), a belief reinforced by corporate training programs and mainstream business literature (Good et al., 2021). Empirical research has associated persistence with enhanced performance, improved influencing and negotiation skills, and the ability to develop creative selling solutions (Plouffe, 2018). Foundational research by Silver et al. (2006), and subsequent work by Chaker et al. (2018) and Dugan et al. (2019), has contributed significantly to understanding salesperson persistence. Still, there remains limited empirical insight into when and through what mechanisms persistence translates into sales performance in contexts that require adaptation and novelty—particularly where salespeople operate within a sales innovativeness climate.

To address this gap, we examine the role of a perceived sales innovativeness climate—that is, salespeople's perceptions that their organization encourages experimentation, supports novel problem solving, and enables the use of new approaches and technologies in selling. We argue that such a climate constitutes an important implementation condition that shapes whether persistent effort is channeled into capability development and adaptive selling behaviors. Specifically, we propose that persistence enhances sales performance and strengthens entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE)—salespeople's confidence in recognizing and exploiting opportunities and executing opportunity-oriented actions (Kasouf et al., 2013). We further propose that ESE is a central enabling mechanism for creative selling, and that creative selling is a proximal driver of sales performance in complex B2B environments. In doing so, this study integrates climate, behavioral (persistence), cognitive (ESE), and behavioral enactment (creative selling) explanations of sales performance into a single tested model.

Empirically, we test this model using survey data from 346 US-based B2B sales professionals and analyze the data and relationships using partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling. The results show that perceived sales innovativeness climate is positively associated with both persistence and ESE and is also positively associated with sales performance. Persistence is positively associated with sales performance and with ESE; however, it is not directly associated with creative selling. ESE, by contrast, is positively associated with creative selling and sales performance, and creative selling is positively associated with sales performance. Collectively, these findings clarify that persistence alone is insufficient to produce creative selling; rather, efficacy beliefs and an innovation supportive climate are pivotal for converting effort into novel selling behaviors that enhance sales performance.

This research contributes to the B2B sales and marketing implementation literature in three ways.

1. Distinguishes between the sales performance effects and creativity effects of persistence.

2. The research demonstrates that ESE mediates the persistence–creative selling relationship.

3. The study introduces sales innovativeness climate as a contextual antecedent.

The theoretical connection among perceived sales innovativeness climate → individual cognition (ESE) and disposition/behavior (persistence) → selling behaviors (creative selling) → sales performance, concerns how organizations convert market signals into effective selling actions. In contemporary B2B environments, salespeople must interpret and act on evolving customer needs, competitive moves, and technological change (Locander et al., 2018). Doing so often requires experimentation and iterative learning, which are more likely when salespeople perceive that their organization supports innovative selling and tolerates intelligent failure (Edwards et al., 2023). This enabling innovative climate should shape (1) whether salespeople persist through setbacks associated with change, (2) whether they develop confidence in opportunity pursuit (ESE), and (3) whether they enact creative selling behaviors that ultimately contribute to sales performance.

Early research linking the sales function to corporate entrepreneurship suggests that goal-directed drive, confidence, action orientation, and persistence are central in entrepreneurial contexts (Morris et al., 1990), while persistence may be especially relevant for sales roles where rejection, resistance, and iteration are routine (Chaker et al., 2018). Entrepreneurship is commonly characterized as proactive, risk-accepting, and innovative action, and persistence may occupy a central position in both entrepreneurship and selling because it sustains effort under uncertainty (Dess and Lumpkin, 2005). However, persistence is unlikely to yield adaptive outcomes unless the selling context provides both permission and conditions for capability-building experimentation (Chaker et al., 2018). Accordingly, we argue that a perceived sales innovativeness climate is a critical contextual condition shaping persistence, ESE, creative selling, and B2B sales performance.

In this study, sales innovativeness is conceptualized as a perceived sales innovativeness climate—salespeople's perceptions that their organization encourages experimentation in selling, supports novel problem solving, and provides resources and permission to introduce new approaches, products/services, and technologies into the sales process (Matsuo, 2009). This climate framing is particularly relevant in B2B settings characterized by complex solutions and evolving customer demands, where effective selling frequently requires adaptation beyond established scripts (Ferdinand and Wahyuningsih, 2018).

From a marketing planning and implementation perspective, a sales innovativeness climate helps translate market intelligence into action (Weretecki et al., 2021). When salespeople perceive that innovation is expected and supported, they should be more willing to invest effort in experimentation and to persist through early failures and resistance that often accompany change (Locander et al., 2018). In addition, organizational support for experimentation should strengthen ESE by signaling autonomy, legitimacy, and support for opportunity-oriented selling initiatives. Finally, the sales innovativeness climate may relate positively to sales performance through improved responsiveness, learning, and the implementation of new selling approaches. Accordingly, we propose:

Persistence is commonly defined as sustained goal-directed effort despite failure, resistance, or adverse feedback (Chaker et al., 2018). In B2B selling, persistence reflects a salesperson's continued engagement with prospects and customers despite rejection or indifference (Bagozzi and Dholakia, 1999). Grounded in self-regulation theory (Carver and Scheier, 1998), persistence can be viewed as a self-regulatory process in which individuals monitor their progress and adjust their behaviors to achieve goals. Goal-setting theory further suggests that commitment to valued goals increases sustained effort and, ultimately, performance (Locke and Latham, 2002).

Persistence overlaps with concepts such as grit, resilience, and perseverance (Chaker et al., 2018; Dugan et al., 2019). Grit emphasizes long-term passion and perseverance toward distant goals (Schwepker and Good, 2022); resilience emphasizes recovery after setbacks (Luu, 2021); perseverance reflects continued effort in a specific course of action (Duckworth et al., 2007). In this study, we conceptualize persistence behaviorally as effortful continuation and adaptive follow-through in selling activities (e.g. repeated attempts, learning from mistakes and rejection, adjusting approach), rather than as a broad personality trait. This behavioral framing is consistent with sales contexts where persistence is enacted through observable selling actions and iterative engagement (Dugan et al., 2019).

Persistence is often beneficial because it increases contact intensity, follow-up, and learning-by-doing, which can support conversion and relationship development (Bianchini and Pellegrino, 2019). However, persistence is not universally positive (Zboja et al., 2021). When goals are unattainable or when persistence is expressed as excessive pressure, it can damage relationships, erode trust, and reduce effectiveness (Dugan et al., 2019). This boundary condition is important in B2B contexts where relationship quality and customer perceptions shape long-term outcomes (Maslach, 2016). Given that sustained effort can increase selling activity, learning, and goal attainment, we propose:

Persistence may also strengthen confidence in opportunity pursuit (Marshall et al., 2020). Repeated effort, experimentation, and learning from setbacks can build mastery experiences, which are central antecedents of self-efficacy (Khelil, 2016). In entrepreneurial selling contexts, persistence may therefore serve as a precursor to ESE, enabling salespeople to believe they can identify and exploit opportunities in the face of uncertainty. Therefore, we propose:

Finally, persistence may relate to creative selling because creative approaches often require iteration, negotiation, and multiple attempts before a novel solution is accepted (Chaker et al., 2018). Persistent engagement in complex B2B exchanges may provide the time and interaction episodes needed for co-creation and problem reframing (Walesh, 2011). At the same time, translating persistence into creative selling likely depends on capability (e.g. efficacy beliefs) and contextual permission (e.g. innovation-supportive climate) (Flaherty et al., 2012). Accordingly, we test the following relationship:

Entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) refers to an individual's confidence in their ability to perform opportunity-oriented tasks (e.g. recognizing, evaluating, and exploiting opportunities) and to achieve desired outcomes under uncertainty (Peterson, 2020). The concept is grounded in Bandura's (1997) seminal work on self-efficacy and has been further advanced by Rauch and Frese (2007) meta-analytic research, which established a positive relationship between self-efficacy and entrepreneurial success. While much of this research has focused on general self-efficacy, there is a need to examine ESE more specifically—particularly in the context of business-to-business (B2B) selling, where sales roles increasingly demand entrepreneurial thinking (Edwards et al., 2023).

In the current B2B environment, adopting an entrepreneurial mind-set—marked by analytical curiosity—is critical for success, especially within digital channels (Peesker et al., 2024). Agility has also emerged as an essential capability in navigating periods of market volatility (Bourguignon et al., 2021). This alignment between ESE and B2B selling underscores its importance in driving sales success (Edwards et al., 2023).

Despite the extensive literature on sales performance as a dependent variable, relatively few studies have examined its relationship with self-efficacy (Peterson, 2020).

Peterson's meta-analysis highlights a key limitation: inconsistent measurement approaches have hindered a cohesive understanding of these constructs and their interaction.

Furthermore, research in personal selling often relies on adaptations of general self-efficacy scales without adequate theoretical justification (Chawla et al., 2020; Peterson, 2020), prompting calls for context-specific measures tailored to sales settings (Gupta et al., 2013).

Therefore, we propose:

Also, the effect that entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) has on B2B salespeople's creative selling behaviours is examined. ESE reflects individuals' confidence in their capability to perform opportunity-oriented, entrepreneurial tasks (e.g. recognising and exploiting opportunities) (Chen et al., 1998). Drawing on self-efficacy theory, stronger efficacy beliefs should increase individuals' willingness to invest effort, persist under uncertainty, and attempt non-routine approaches, conditions that support creative behavioural enactment in complex roles (Bandura, 1997).

Consistent with this mechanism, efficacy beliefs are positively associated with creative performance; meta-analytic evidence indicates a robust relationship between creative self-efficacy and creativity outcomes (Haase et al., 2018). In sales research, creative selling and salesperson creative performance is conceptualised as the generation and enactment of novel and useful ideas or behaviours within the selling role and is theorised as particularly valuable in complex selling contexts (Wang and Netemeyer, 2004). Recent B2B evidence further suggests that ESE is a meaningful antecedent of entrepreneurial selling actions, including creative selling, reinforcing the logic for testing the path ESE → creative selling as an enabling mechanism (Edwards et al., 2022).

Therefore, we propose:

B2B sales professionals frequently engage in entrepreneurial actions, including creative selling behaviors that act as enabling mechanisms for customer value creation (Edwards et al., 2022). Creative selling is characterized by a salesperson's ability to diagnose customer pain points and design innovative solutions that address these needs effectively (Lassk and Shepherd, 2013; Wang and Netemeyer, 2004). It entails “thinking outside the box” to develop novel approaches that align with customer expectations (Groza et al., 2016).

Salesperson creativity refers to the proactive generation and critical evaluation of innovative solutions to existing challenges, the application of unconventional problem-solving strategies, and the demonstration of initiative in overcoming obstacles to improve sales performance (Miao and Wang, 2016). While explicit research on creativity within sales management remains limited, evidence suggests a positive correlation between creative performance and persistence (Lucas and Nordgren, 2015). In business development contexts, creativity persistence has been identified as a driver of breakthroughs in engineering innovation and design (Walesh, 2011). Numerous empirical studies illustrate that creative sales approaches can enhance effectiveness. Examples include leveraging non-verbal communication and heightened empathy (Limbu et al., 2016), visualizing the sales process (Chakrabarty et al., 2014), adopting relationship-oriented selling strategies (Boles et al., 2000), and engaging in strategic networking (Krush et al., 2017).

Sales performance reflects the extent to which salespeople achieve desired outcomes, commonly including revenue generation, account growth, customer profitability, and the attainment of sales objectives (Evans et al., 2012). Performance is influenced by salesperson capabilities and behaviors, organizational context, and market conditions (Plouffe, 2018). In B2B environments, where selling is relational and solution-oriented, performance is often shaped by the salesperson's ability to adapt to customer needs and to implement effective selling strategies over time (Wang and Miao, 2015).

Thus, we propose:

This study also examines the indirect mechanisms through which persistence influences B2B sales performance via creative selling and sales innovativeness. Persistence alone may not directly improve sales performance; rather, persistent salespeople are more likely to sustain effort in challenging selling environments, experiment with new approaches, and adapt their strategies to customer needs. These entrepreneurial sales behaviours may represent the more immediate drivers of sales success. This is particularly important in modern B2B contexts, where complex customer demands and competitive pressures require adaptive, value-creating interactions rather than purely transactional selling. Examining these indirect pathways provides a more nuanced understanding of how persistence contributes to performance and helps explain why some persistent salespeople achieve superior outcomes while others do not.

Figure 1 presents the conceptual model and hypothesized relationships.

Data were obtained from a commercial online panel (Qualtrics) of B2B salespeople in the United States in November 2022. The final sample comprised 346 respondents from diverse industries, including financial services/insurance, consumer goods/retail, communications/IT, healthcare/medical, professional services, industrial, telecommunications, advertising, and property/real estate. These industries are commonly represented in B2B sales research (Edwards et al., 2023). To ensure respondents had sufficient experience to evaluate selling behaviors and outcomes, participation was restricted to salespeople with at least three years of experience in sales roles (Chaker et al., 2018). This screening criterion is consistent with prior B2B sales studies and increases confidence that respondents could meaningfully report on the focal constructs (Chaker et al., 2022).

The demographic profile of respondents is consistent with prior B2B sales research (Bolander et al., 2015). The sample comprised 60% male and 40% female respondents, with 62% aged 35–44. Approximately 51% reported 5–10 years of sales experience, and 89% held a university/college degree. Respondents worked across multiple industries, with the three largest groups being communications/IT (30%), financial services/insurance (13.3%), and professional services (9%). Table 1 summarizes sample characteristics.

An online survey was used to collect data on individual-level B2B selling behaviors and outcomes. An online format is appropriate for accessing a large, geographically dispersed sample and is widely used in sales research (Good and Schwepker, 2022).

A pilot test was conducted to assess item clarity, neutrality, and face validity. The pilot involved six marketing/entrepreneurship academics and five industry-based sales practitioners who reviewed the questionnaire and provided feedback. Minor wording adjustments were made to improve clarity and reduce ambiguity.

All constructs were measured using established multi-item scales with a 5-point Likert response format (1 = totally disagree; 5 = totally agree) (Dawes, 2008). Persistence was measured using items adapted from Duckworth et al. (2007) to capture effortful persistence/perseverance of effort in the selling context. ESE was measured using an adapted scale from Zhao et al. (2005). Creative selling was measured using the Wang and Netemeyer (2004) scale. Perceived sales innovativeness climate was measured using Matsuo's (2009) scale, which captures the extent to which respondents perceive that they are encouraged and permitted to introduce novel ideas, methods, or approaches into their selling practices. Individual B2B sales performance was measured using measures developed by Jones et al. (2007). Consistent with recommendations for addressing common method bias in survey designs, a marker variable was included in the questionnaire (Singh et al., 2017).

Item wording, descriptive statistics, and psychometric properties are reported in Table 2.

Given the reflective specification of all constructs, measurement quality was assessed using indicator loadings, internal consistency reliability, and convergent validity. Decision rules were applied to refine the measurement model: indicators with standardized loadings below 0.50 were removed sequentially, consistent with scale development and validation guidance (Clark and Watson, 2016). As reflective indicators represent a unidimensional concept and are considered interchangeable, removing a small number of weak indicators is acceptable when it improves construct reliability and validity (Bollen and Lennox, 1991).

Sales performance measurement in personal selling remains debated, particularly the use of subjective (self-reported) versus objective indicators (Gonzalez et al., 2014). Self-reported performance can introduce response bias and measurement error; however, prior research supports the use of well-designed self-evaluations in sales settings when objective data are unavailable and when items capture key performance dimensions (Gonzalez et al., 2014). To mitigate concerns, the instrument employed multiple performance indicators and incorporated established procedures for measurement, assessment and item refinement.

Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to estimate the measurement and structural models (Hair et al., 2022). PLS-SEM is appropriate for prediction-oriented models and for research examining complex nomological networks with multiple constructs and indirect effects (Hair et al., 2022). Model estimation was conducted using Warp PLS 5.0 (Kock, 2014) with 999 bootstrap resamples to obtain standard errors and significance tests for path coefficients. The model included nine latent variables and 27 indicators across 346 cases.

Table 2 reports indicator loadings, internal consistency reliability, and convergent validity for all reflective constructs. Except for persistence, the measures exhibited the expected factorial structure, with Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability exceeding conventional thresholds and average variance extracted (AVE) above 0.50.

All measures sourced from the literature had the same expected factorial structure (see  Appendix). However, for persistence, the initial item set produced an AVE of 0.37, indicating inadequate convergent validity. A principal components analysis indicated the well-established two-factor structure commonly observed in the Duckworth et al. (2007) scale: one factor reflecting consistency of interests (e.g. shifting goals/focus) and another reflecting perseverance of effort (e.g. finishing tasks, diligence). As the theorized construct in this study concerns effortful persistence in selling, the perseverance-of-effort items were retained (“I finish whatever I begin”; “Setbacks don't discourage me”; “I am diligent”; “I am a hard worker”), yielding an improved four-item measure with AVE = 0.71, composite reliability = 0.81, and alpha = 0.68 (see Table 2). This decision is consistent with the study's conceptualization of persistence as effortful continuation of selling activities rather than long-term consistency of interests. Table 3 presents the factor analysis of the persistence results, which supports this refinement.

Discriminant validity was assessed and supported using the Fornell–Larcker criterion of the square root of a construct's average variance extracted was greater than its correlations with other constructs (Fornell and Larcker, 1981). Results are reported in Table 4. The highest inter-construct correlation was between sales innovativeness climate and creative selling (r = 0.754), but the square root of AVE exceeded the correlation for both constructs, supporting discriminant validity. Collinearity was assessed using variance inflation factors (VIFs) to ensure that multicollinearity did not bias estimation, with values within acceptable thresholds (Lastner et al., 2022). All the factor results fell within the recommended acceptable range of 3.0 or less to account for multicollinearity (Hair et al., 2022), with an average VIF of 2.15. The low VIFs are also considered evidence of a lack of common method or response bias (Kock, 2014).

As the study uses a cross-sectional, self-report survey design, common method variance (CMV) is a potential concern. A marker variable was included in the survey to assess method effects (Singh et al., 2017). We conducted a one factor Harman's test, as recommended by Podsakoff et al. (2003) to check for overall method bias, which showed the first factor had an explained variance of 33%, well below the accepted cut-off of 50%. This combined with the low VIF scores suggest that CMV is unlikely to account for the observed relationships fully; Although Harman's one-factor test and VIF diagnostics suggest that common method variance is unlikely to fully explain the observed relationships, these procedures do not eliminate the possibility of method bias. Accordingly, the findings should be interpreted with appropriate caution.

Structural path estimates are reported in Table 5. Perceived sales innovativeness climate is positively associated with entrepreneurial self-efficacy (H1: β = 0.39, p < 0.01) and persistence (H2: β = 0.68, p < 0.01). Perceived sales innovativeness climate is also positively associated with sales performance (H3: β = 0.14, p < 0.01). Persistence is positively associated with sales performance (H4: β = 0.24, p < 0.01) and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (H5: β = 0.31, p < 0.01) but is not directly associated with creative selling (H6: β = 0.03: n.s). Entrepreneurial self-efficacy is positively associated with sales performance (H7: β = 0.11, p < 0.05) and creative selling (H8: β = 0.32, p < 0.01). Creative selling is positively associated with sales performance (H9: β = 0.32, p < 0.01).

Indirect paths were also investigated, as shown in Table 5. Firstly, Persistence → ESE → Creative Selling (β = 0.10, p < 0.01), was found to be positive. Secondly, ESE → Creative Selling → Sales Performance (β = 0.10, p < 0.01), was also found to be positive.

Regarding controls, gender, education, age, and tenure (years in current position and years in the organization) were included. Only gender was significant, with men reporting higher sales performance (β = 0.10, p < 0.01).

Overall, the model explains substantial variance in sales performance (R² = 0.58), creative selling (R² = 0.73), persistence (R² = 0.47), and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (R² = 0.43). In PLS results, R² above 0.36 are usually considered large effect sizes (Cao and Tian, 2020).

At the individual salesperson level, the interplay among B2B sales performance, persistence, ESE, and creative selling remains underexplored (Edwards et al., 2023). Historically, sales performance research has emphasized capabilities such as influencing, negotiation, presentation skills, and customer orientation. Yet these factors often explain only a modest proportion of variance in performance (e.g. 10–20%; Bolander et al., 2015), underscoring the value of examining additional behavioral and cognitive mechanisms, including persistence (Chaker et al., 2018).

In this study, a perceived sales innovativeness climate is associated with higher persistence and ESE, and both creative selling and persistence are positively associated with sales performance. These findings are consistent with the view that innovation-supportive selling environments enable salespeople to translate market demands into adaptive selling execution (Sproul et al., 2019).

Importantly, the results clarify how persistence contributes to innovative selling contexts. Persistence is positively related to sales performance (H4) and to ESE (H5), but it is not directly related to creative selling (H6). This pattern suggests that sustained effort alone does not necessarily produce novel selling behaviors; rather, creative selling is enabled primarily through the salesperson's ESE, which are strongly associated with creative selling (H8) and, in turn, sales performance (H9). This nuance helps reconcile prior work, noting that persistence can yield benefits but may also carry risks depending on how it is expressed and perceived (Chaker et al., 2018). Relatedly, Dugan et al. (2019) show that efficacy beliefs and motivational dispositions can shape the performance implications of grit-like persistence. Together, these findings suggest that persistence is most likely to support adaptive, creative selling when paired with confidence in opportunity pursuit and an organizational context that legitimizes experimentation.

The indirect effect analysis revealed that persistence influences creative selling indirectly through entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Although persistence was not directly associated with creative selling (H6), persistent salespeople reported higher levels of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, which in turn was positively associated with creative selling. This finding suggests that entrepreneurial self-efficacy serves as a key mechanism through which persistence is translated into innovative selling behaviors. Furthermore, entrepreneurial self-efficacy enhanced sales performance indirectly through creative selling, reinforcing the importance of efficacy beliefs in enabling adaptive customer-facing actions.

This study deepens understanding of salesperson-level drivers of B2B sales performance by examining the role of perceived sales innovativeness climate in shaping ESE, persistence, creative selling, and performance. The findings indicate that a sales innovativeness climate builds entrepreneurial self-efficacy (H1), persistence (H2), and sales performance directly (H3). Persistence is positively associated with sales performance (H4) and ESE (H5), but not with creative selling (H6). ESE is positively associated with sales performance (H7; a modest effect) and strongly associated with creative selling (H8). Creative selling is positively associated with sales performance (H9). The theoretical implications are discussed below.

This research contributes to B2B marketing and sales implementation literature by analyzing persistence, ESE, creative selling, and sales performance at the individual salesperson level. Prior studies have often emphasized organizational or senior management perspectives in corporate entrepreneurship and performance (Dess and Lumpkin, 2005). In contrast, this study focuses on the B2B salesperson as the focus of execution, addressing calls to understand better how behavioral and cognitive mechanisms translate into individual performance outcomes for salespeople in B2B roles (Plouffe, 2018). Given that B2B salespeople frequently identify opportunity signals, mobilize internal and external resources, and implement customer solutions, a salesperson-level lens enriches theory by clarifying how context (innovative climate) and individual mechanisms jointly relate to sales performance.

Prior literature frequently emphasizes the positive role of persistence in sales. Yet, empirical evidence on the mechanisms by which persistence improves sales performance—particularly in innovative and complex sales contexts—remains limited (Chaker et al., 2018). The present findings clarify that persistence contributes to B2B sales performance directly (H4) and by strengthening ESE (H5). This pattern is consistent with the view that sustained effort can build mastery experiences and task-relevant confidence, thereby increasing belief in one's ability to pursue opportunities in the face of uncertainty (Marshall et al., 2020).

Critically, persistence is not directly associated with creative selling (H6). Instead, creative selling appears to be enabled primarily through efficacy beliefs: ESE is strongly associated with creative selling (H8), and creative selling, in turn, is associated with superior sales performance (H9). Theoretically, this suggests that “effort intensity” does not automatically translate into behavioral novelty; salespeople may persist by repeating known routines unless they possess the confidence, autonomy, and permission to experiment. This nuance complements prior work cautioning that persistence can have both positive and negative consequences depending on how it is enacted and perceived (Chaker et al., 2018) and is consistent with evidence that efficacy beliefs and motivational dispositions shape the performance implications of grit-like persistence (Dugan et al., 2019).

Explaining and calculating sales performance remains challenging (Plouffe, 2018). The integrated model tested here combines contextual (perceived innovativeness climate), behavioral (persistence), cognitive (ESE), and strategic behavioral enactment (creative selling) predictors, explaining substantial variance in sales performance (R² = 0.58). These explanatory power (R²) results substantially exceed the findings reported in prior sales performance research (Bolander et al., 2015). While R² should be interpreted cautiously in PLS-SEM and in cross-sectional self-report designs, the results support the theoretical value of integrating these mechanisms to better account for salesperson performance in complex B2B environments.

In B2B selling environments characterized by change and complexity, the findings translate into actionable guidance for recruiting, coaching, and managing salespeople—particularly for organizations seeking to implement innovation-oriented selling strategies.

The results highlight the importance of cultivating a sales innovativeness climate that legitimizes experimentation, supports novel problem solving, and provides resources for trying new approaches. As perceived sales innovativeness climate is positively associated with persistence, ESE, and performance, managers should embed these values in sales management systems (e.g. sales playbooks that encourage test-and-learn routines, learning reviews after lost deals, and governance that protects reasonable experimentation). For marketing planning, this implies that innovation objectives must be operationalized into frontline selling processes rather than merely articulated as strategic intent.

As persistence alone does not directly translate into creative selling, coaching should focus on efficacy-building as well as effort. Training interventions that increase ESE—such as mastery experiences (guided practice), modelling (shadowing high performers), structured feedback, and progressive challenge—are likely to be more effective at enabling creative selling than generic “be persistent” messaging. Managers can also facilitate creative selling by providing safe experimentation spaces (e.g. limited pilots, A/B testing of sales messages, peer learning forums) and by rewarding learning behaviors alongside outcomes.

Compensation systems that recognize only short-term outcomes may discourage experimentation. In contrast, the findings support incorporating process metrics (e.g. disciplined follow-up, quality of account development activity, learning milestones in complex deals) alongside revenue outcomes. Non-monetary recognition—such as public acknowledgement, access to premium accounts, or development opportunities—can further reinforce persistence and experimentation behaviors consistent with an innovativeness climate.

Understanding the behavioral and cognitive drivers of sales performance has implications that extend beyond individual outcomes. Salespeople facilitate economic exchange, support customer decision-making, and contribute to the diffusion of innovation through customer engagement. By demonstrating that persistence enhances sales performance and strengthens ESE—while creative selling is primarily enabled through ESE—this study highlights how organizations can develop sales capabilities without encouraging undue pressure on customers. These findings suggest that organizations should implement training and development practices that foster resilience, confidence, and adaptive problem-solving in B2B sales roles. At the same time, ethical considerations remain critical: persistence should be customer-oriented and socially responsible, with safeguards against aggressive or coercive selling practices that may undermine customer trust and long-term relationship quality.

This study has limitations that should be considered when interpreting results. First, the sampling frame comprised a non-probability commercial panel of US-based B2B salespeople, which may limit generalizability across industries, cultures, and selling environments. Second, the study relied on cross-sectional, self-reported data from a single informant, which limits causal inference and raises the possibility of common method variance (CMV). Although procedural and statistical checks were implemented (including a marker variable), CMV cannot be fully ruled out in single-source survey designs.

Third, the study cannot capture how persistence, ESE, and creative selling evolve. In complex B2B settings, efficacy and creativity may develop through accumulated experience, feedback, and coaching; longitudinal designs are therefore needed.

Fourth, persistence can have negative consequences when it is excessive or poorly calibrated to customer receptiveness. Future studies should model boundary conditions that clarify when persistence enhances sales performance versus when it undermines relationships or ethical practice. Finally, PLS-SEM prioritizes explained variance, and R² values should not be interpreted as conclusive evidence of strong causal effects; omitted variables and shared method influences remain possible.

Several directions follow from the findings. First, replication across countries, industries, and selling contexts is needed to assess generalizability and cultural contingencies. Second, longitudinal research could examine whether ESE develops primarily through learning from failure, coaching, and mastery experiences, and whether changes in ESE precede changes in creative selling. Third, future research should incorporate moderators and boundary conditions, such as customer receptiveness, salesperson political skill, autonomy, psychological safety, sales cycle length, or role overload, to explain when persistence is productive versus counterproductive. Fourth, studies could incorporate multi-source performance outcomes (e.g. supervisor ratings, objective sales records, customer satisfaction) to strengthen inference and reduce same-source bias. Finally, research could extend the model to compare B2B and B2C settings, where selling scripts, customer relationships, and purchase risk differ substantially.

This study suggests that sustained behavioral effort is an important predictor of B2B salesperson performance, and that a perceived sales innovativeness climate is associated with higher persistence, stronger ESE, and improved performance. However, the findings also indicate that persistence does not directly translate into creative selling. Rather, creative selling appears to be enabled primarily by entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and it is a key proximal driver of performance. For marketing planning and implementation, the implication is clear: organizations seeking more adaptive, innovative selling should build climates and coaching systems that foster efficacy and support experimentation, so that persistent effort is translated into novel, customer-relevant selling behaviors.