Abstract

in an effort to improve sales performance and sustainable competitive advantages, small business or SMEs are required to improve the ability of marketing communications through the development of intellectual, emotional, and spiritual quotient and selling ability as basic capital to win the market. The awareness and the importance of having a mindset for salesperson, especially the role of human as determinant factors of success or failure of SMEs is the purpose of this research. The object of this research is the woven and batik sarong industry in Central Java province. The population is SMEs which focus their business on woven and batik sarong. Samples are business actors in 5 districts or cities of Boyolali, Sukoharjo, Pekalongan, Kudus, and Semarang. 100 respondents are selected by using the Partial Least Square (PLS) method. The result of the research indicates that the intellectual, emotional, and Spiritual Quotient significantly influence personality. Whereas the intellectual and siritual quotient is not significant to the salesperson performance, but the emotional quotient play a significant role on it. Personality and selling ability have significant influence toward salesperson performance and salesperson performance has significant influence on competitive advantage.

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