         ![](/sites/default/files/styles/news_header_xxl/public/img/salespeople-benefit-cost-calculus-scaled.jpeg?itok=7F9HeMTs)  [ Our Research ](https://neoma-bs.com/neoma-s-world?cat=our-research)

 

 [ Academic excellence ](https://neoma-bs.com/neoma-s-world?tags=academic-excellence)

 

 

 

 
		{
			"@context": "https://schema.org",
			"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
			"itemListElement": [
		        {
            "@type": "ListItem",
            "position": 1,
            "name": "Home",
            "item": "https://neoma-bs.com/"
        },		        {
            "@type": "ListItem",
            "position": 2,
            "name": "NEOMA\u2019s\u0020world",
            "item": "https://neoma-bs.com/neoma-s-world"
        },		        {
            "@type": "ListItem",
            "position": 3,
            "name": "Salespeople\u2019s\u0020Avoidance\u0020Of\u0020\u2018big\u0020Whale\u2019\u0020Customers.\u0020Published\u0020In\u0020Journal\u0020Of\u0020Marketing\u0020Review",
            "item": "https://neoma-bs.com/node/6626.md"
        }				]
	}
	 - [Home](https://neoma-bs.com/)
- [NEOMA’s world](https://neoma-bs.com/neoma-s-world)
- Salespeople’s Avoidance Of ‘big Whale’ Customers. Published In Journal Of Marketing Review
 
  

 

  #  Salespeople’s avoidance of ‘big whale’ customers. Published in Journal of Marketing review 



 Published on 02/12/2021   [  View profile on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://neoma-bs.com/news/salespeoples-avoidance-big-whale-customers-published-journal-marketing-review) [  View profile on X-twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?urlhttps://neoma-bs.com/news/salespeoples-avoidance-big-whale-customers-published-journal-marketing-review) [  View profile on Linkedin](https://linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https://neoma-bs.com/news/salespeoples-avoidance-big-whale-customers-published-journal-marketing-review) [   View profile on Email](mailto:?subject=https://neoma-bs.com/news/salespeoples-avoidance-big-whale-customers-published-journal-marketing-review) [   View profile on Copy](javascript:void(0);https://neoma-bs.com/news/salespeoples-avoidance-big-whale-customers-published-journal-marketing-review)

 Professor [Grace Xu](https://neoma-bs.com/professors/xu-juan) is part of the team of researchers and authors for the article [“Why Salespeople Avoid Big-Whale Sales Opportunities](https://www.ama.org/2021/09/15/why-salespeople-avoid-big-whale-sales-opportunities/)“, accepted for publication in *Journal of Marketing*. Contrary to the intuition notion that salespeople would be attracted towards big-whale sales opportunities, in fact they often rather avoid them. The study sheds new light on the reasons and nature of this behaviour. For sales managers, the results of the study imply new ways to manage salespeople’s avoidance of large sales opportunities (e.g., altering their benefit-cost calculus), and provide understanding of the role of conversion uncertainty in salesperson decision making while prospecting.

Publication related to the **Area of Excellence The Complexity Advantage**, sub-area [Markets, information, and complexity](https://neoma-bs.com/faculty-and-research/research/centres-of-expertise-chairs-institutes/the-complexity-advantage/markets-information-and-complexity)



  ##  Related news 



   ![NEOMAresearch_RIBBINK_Codevelopper-nouvel-techno_2026](/sites/default/files/styles/picture_card/public/uploaded_images/neomaresearch_ribbink_codevelopper-nouvel-techno_2026.png?itok=9eYbxVj_)  

###  [ Co-developing a new technology: what if your toughest competitor turned out to be your best ally? ](https://neoma-bs.com/news/co-developing-new-technology-what-if-your-toughest-competitor-turned-out-be-your-best-ally) 

07/07/2026

 [Our Research](https://neoma-bs.com/neoma-s-world?cat=our-research) 

Apple, SpaceX… Global companies have opted for competition over a single supplier. A study by #NEOMAresearch

  [ Innovation ](https://neoma-bs.com/neoma-s-world?tags=innovation)

 



  



   ![NEOMAresearch_LU_BEN-ABDELAZIZ_transition-eco-chacun-pour-soi_2026](/sites/default/files/styles/picture_card/public/uploaded_images/neomaresearch_lu_ben-abdelaziz_transition-eco-chacun-pour-soi_2026.png?itok=-KwDf1yt)  

###  [ Ecological transition: the danger of going it alone ](https://neoma-bs.com/news/ecological-transition-danger-going-it-alone) 

23/06/2026

 [Our Research](https://neoma-bs.com/neoma-s-world?cat=our-research) 

Do climate committed companies make a bigger difference? A #NEOMAresearch study indicates that the answer is no.

  [ Sustainable development ](https://neoma-bs.com/neoma-s-world?tags=sustainable-development)

 



  



 

 



  

  
		{
			"@context": "https://schema.org",
			"@type": "Article",
			"headline": "Salespeople’s avoidance of ‘big whale’ customers. Published in Journal of Marketing review",
			"description": "",
			"image": "https://neoma-bs.com/sites/default/files/img/salespeople-benefit-cost-calculus-scaled.jpeg",
			"publisher": {
				"@type": "Organization",
				"name": "NEOMA Business School",
				"logo": {
					"@type": "ImageObject",
					"url": "https://neoma-bs.com/sites/default/files/uploaded_images/neoma_logo.svg"
				}
			},
			"datePublished": "2021-12-02",
			"dateModified": "2025-07-31"
		}