The Effects of Personality Factors on Sales Performance of Takaful (Islamic Insurance) Agents in Malaysia
Fauzilah bt Salleh, Abdul Razak bin Kamaruddin

Abstract
Salesperson of insurance industry is considered as a role player in marketing and selling its products. However, salespersons only contribute to a small growth for the industry which is 6.3% in terms of assets of the insurance industry in Malaysia. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of personality attributes in determining the sales performance of Takaful (Islamic insurance) agents. Three personality dimensions were used, i.e., selfefficacy, self-monitoring and locus of control and how these factors are related to sales performance. Using a stratified random sampling, a sample of 289 respondents was selected to participate in the study. Two of the three personality dimensions were found to be positively related to sales performance, i.e. self-efficacy and selfmonitoring, while locus of control was found to be inversely related to sales performance. As a conclusion, this research shown that Takaful sales agents with high self-efficacy and self-monitoring attributes perform better in their sales performance. Marketing implications were then discussed with specific reference to the aspects of marketing strategies of Takaful products.

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