Retailer Resources and the Use of Infomediaries

Information about prospective customers (prospects) is an important input into the sales process. Specialized online sites know as infomediaries provide organizations with the opportunity to purchase prospect information directly. In this research, we examine the role of firms’ resources in driving both the investment in prospect information and the sales resulting from these investments. Specifically, we identify information management resources (i.e., an information system for managing leads), electronic commerce resources, and dedicated human resources as important in influencing both the level of investment and resulting sales. We test our model using a detailed survey of auto retailers conducted by a leading market research organization.