Salesperson Causal Attribution Scale – Successful Sales Call

What it measures

Measures five types of causal attributions a salesperson makes following a successful sales call (one in which a sale was closed). Subdimensions: Effort (internal/unstable/controllable), Ability (internal/stable/controllable), Task Difficulty (external/stable/uncontrollable), Strategy (internal/unstable/controllable), and Luck (external/unstable/uncontrollable). Each subdimension comprises 3 items on a 6-point forced-choice Likert scale.

Representative items

• I put forth the effort needed to make this sale. (Effort)
• I have the knowledge and skills required to be successful. (Ability)
• Most reps find this type of sale easy to close. (Task)
• I picked the right strategy for this type of client. (Strategy)
• It just worked out by chance. (Luck)

Citation

Dixon, A.L., Spiro, R.L. & Jamil, M. (2001). Successful and unsuccessful sales calls: Measuring salesperson attributions and behavioral intentions. Journal of Marketing, 65(3), 64–78.