This study explores informal mentoring on outcome-based salesperson performance. Mentoring is believed to play an important role within corporations yet little empirical evidence exists on its impact on salesperson performance. The authors interviewed salespeople of an international insurance company regarding mentoring and sales performance. Using a qualitative research approach the authors explored a mentor’s influence on the sales performance of the protégé. The findings suggest that mentoring
contributes to salesperson performance in numerous ways. Specifically mentoring salespeople early in their career can benefit all parties; protégé mentor and organization. In addition mentees will often become mentors themselves.