Salesperson attributes that influence consumer perceptions of sales interactions
ISSN: 0736-3761
Article publication date: 24 August 2021
Issue publication date: 22 September 2021
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine how modern, digital era customers in a business-to-consumer (B2C) setting prioritize salesperson-customer orientation attributes when evaluating their expectations regarding interactions with salespeople, as well as their impact on positive and negative word-of-mouth. In addition, the research further investigates which negative salesperson attributes have an impact on overall customer experience and satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
Role theory and expectancy-disconfirmation theory form the theoretical foundation for two mixed-method studies. Study 1 is an exploratory content analysis of online consumer reviews and social media word-of-mouth related to consumer experiences with salespeople. Study 2 is a three-round Delphi study investigating which salesperson orientation attributes are most important to the customer in B2C interactions.
Findings
The results uncover which salesperson customer orientation attributes are essential for modern consumers and how they differ as a function of context (retail, direct-selling and follow-up) and how they contribute to the generation of digital word-of-mouth.
Originality/value
This paper expands B2C sales interaction literature by exploring the need for differing sales attributes based on the differential function of the shopping environment.
Keywords
Citation
Fergurson, J.R., Gironda, J.T. and Petrescu, M. (2021), "Salesperson attributes that influence consumer perceptions of sales interactions", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 38 No. 6, pp. 652-663. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-09-2020-4126
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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