Christine Lai Bennejean

“Behind Every Sale Is a Human Being” is the central axis of Dr. Lai Bennejean’s research and teaching. She teaches courses in Professional Selling and Sales Management. Her research focuses on strengthening B2B buyer-seller relationships, key account team management, sales force satisfaction and motivation, and sales education. Her work has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Business Research, Journal of International Marketing, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Marketing Education, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management. She currently serves as Associate Editor for the Sales Track at the Journal of Marketing Education and serve at the Senior Editorial Board of Marketing Management Journal.

Education

Ph.D. in Business Administration, ESSEC Business School, France
M.S. in Business Administration Research, ESSEC Business School, France
M.B.A. in International Commerce, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan
B.A. in Business Administration, Tamkang University, Taiwan

Specialization in Teaching

“Behind Every Sale Is a Human Being” is the guiding principle of her teaching philosophy and research. She believes that professional sales education is essential because it centers on human connection, responsibility, and expertise. In today’s dynamic business environment, successful sales operations require more than persuasion—they demand a thoughtful integration of IT, Sales, and Marketing mindsets to bridge buyers with the right solutions. For undergraduate students, her focus is on developing future sales professionals who understand the human and strategic dimensions of selling. For graduate and corporate learners, she takes on a coaching role, guiding them through the complexities of building and leading high-performing sales teams.

Research Interests

Christine Lai Bennejean is an Associate Professor whose research is grounded in the scientific study of sales-related challenges faced by organizations and managers. She believes that these issues can be systematically examined to produce evidence-based insights that inform strategic sales decisions and practices. Her research interests lie in enhancing buyer-seller relationships by exploring the perceptions and behaviors that shape these interactions. She focuses on building satisfying and motivating sales forces that can adapt to evolving market and organizational dynamics. Christine’s scholarship spans key areas such as key account management, sales force satisfaction and motivation, B2B buyer-seller negotiation, and sales education. She is also increasingly engaged in the study of sales technology and its transformative impact on the sales-service ecosystem. Her research has been published in academic outlets and non-academic publications.

Professional Service

Christine currently serves on the Senior Advisory Board of Marketing Management Journal (since 2025) and as Associate Editor for the Sales Track at the Journal of Marketing Education (since 2023), where she helps shape the direction of scholarly contributions in sales education. She is a member of the Academic Leadership Board of the Association of Key Account Management (AKAM) and has co-edited two major special issues: one with Dr. Andrea Dixon on redesigning sales curriculum (Journal of Marketing Education, 2024), and another with Prof. Christophe Fournier and Dr. Nawar Chaker for the Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice (GSSI 2024). Christine also co-chaired the 2024 Global Sales Science Institute (GSSI) conference in Montpellier and has held leadership roles with the National Conference in Sales Management (NCSM) 2018-2023, including serving as Competitive Paper Chair. Her service reflects a deep dedication to shaping the future of sales scholarship and education.

Community Engagement

Her commitment to community includes serving as a reviewer for the Fonds de recherche Société et Culture Québec (FRQSC) in 2019, where she contributed to the evaluation of research projects that advance societal and cultural development. Christine’s outreach efforts focus on translating academic insights into practical tools, often through workshops and coaching sessions delivered in collaboration with local and international partners. Since 2021, she has hosted a roundtable-style YouTube channel that brings together sales professionals, educators, and students to discuss emerging challenges and innovations in the sales field. These conversations foster open dialogue and knowledge exchange, helping bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Honors & Awards

• 2024 Annual Conference of Global Sales Science Institute Best Research Paper Award, Montpellier, France
• 2023 Featured author spotlight by Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management
• 2022 National Conference in Sales Management Best Paper Award, Minneapolis, USA
• 2017-2018 Excellent Teaching Award – Distinction Socrate, Faculté des sciences de l'administration, FSA, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
• 2016-2017 Excellent Teaching Award – Distinction Socrate de Faculté des sciences de l’administration, FSA, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
• 2011 47th AMA Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium Fellow
• 2010 National Conference in Sales Management Doctoral Research Grant Award