Abstract
Creating long-lasting business partnerships between buyers and sellers continues to be a major concern of marketing managers and scholars. The effect of salesperson personal relationship and consultative task behaviors on buyer perceptions, however, has not been thoroughly explored. In response, this study investigates the connection between sales behaviors and buyer assessment of salesperson attributes and loyalty. The results support the contention that consultative task and personal relationship behaviors play a vital role in influencing buyer perceptions of expertise, trust, and relationship loyalty.
Journal Information
The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice is devoted to the publication of peer-reviewed articles addressing substantive, managerial issues in marketing. In the context of developing, enhancing, and disseminating marketing knowledge, JMTP publishes both conceptual and empirical work, so long as the work provides strong implications for the managerial practice of marketing. Unlike other marketing journals that may be more focused on specific methodological approaches, deal with theoretical issues without regard to application, or represent various subfields of marketing, JMTP is positioned as a general marketing journal affording a quality outlet for more managerially-oriented research across the scope of the field.
Publisher Information
Building on two centuries' experience, Taylor & Francis has grown rapidlyover the last two decades to become a leading international academic publisher.The Group publishes over 800 journals and over 1,800 new books each year, coveringa wide variety of subject areas and incorporating the journal imprints of Routledge,Carfax, Spon Press, Psychology Press, Martin Dunitz, and Taylor & Francis.Taylor & Francis is fully committed to the publication and dissemination of scholarly information of the highest quality, and today this remains the primary goal.
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Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice © 2011 Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
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Abstract
The consultative services of business-to-business salespeople are becoming increasingly important to customers when evaluating a supplier's overall value. Thus, a customer evaluation may depend on the salesperson's expertise and trustworthiness; without trust or expertise, customers hesitate to adopt the solutions presented by a salesperson. This study investigates the perceived expertise and trust of a salesperson in a business-to-business context. Findings suggest that both are important to overall customer satisfaction. Furthermore, customer perceptions of a salesperson's power in the supply-firm and perceptions of the quality of interactions with a salesperson were found to be important when developing perceptions of expertise among business customers.
Journal Information
As the only scholarly research-based journal in its field, JPSSM seeks to advance both the theory and practice of personal selling and sales management. It provides a forum for the exchange of the latest ideas and findings among educators, researchers, sales executives, trainers, and students. For more than 30 years JPSSM has offered its readers high-quality research and innovative conceptual work that spans an impressive array of topics-motivation, performance, evaluation, team selling, national account management, and more. In addition to feature articles by leaders in the field, the journal offers a widely used selling and sales management abstracts section, drawn from other top marketing journals. Emerging topics are addressed through periodic special issues devoted to such cutting-edge issues as CRM and sales force ethics.
Publisher Information
Building on two centuries' experience, Taylor & Francis has grown rapidlyover the last two decades to become a leading international academic publisher.The Group publishes over 800 journals and over 1,800 new books each year, coveringa wide variety of subject areas and incorporating the journal imprints of Routledge,Carfax, Spon Press, Psychology Press, Martin Dunitz, and Taylor & Francis.Taylor & Francis is fully committed to the publication and dissemination of scholarly information of the highest quality, and today this remains the primary goal.
Rights & Usage
This item is part of a JSTOR Collection.
For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions
The Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management © 2001
Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
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Depending on the business types, buying environment, solution types, selling and sales complexity must vary. In the article, we had mentioned 4 types of sales expertise depending on the buying environment and solution type.
Just for brevity, let us put this again here,
As we can see from the above 2×2 matrix when the buying environment is complex, as well as you have a complex solution, the selling requires extreme sophistication and problem solving skills. This is generally called consultative selling.
The key attribute of consultative selling is about the ability to show empathy to customer problems, help them solve problems and in the buying process itself provide maximum value.
Providing value during buying process
Providing value means understanding the customer’s business, their industry challenges, competition and coming up with solutions which helps the buyer decision process seamless. This means salesperson must be willing to play a strategic role in the customer’s business.
This generally calls for, salespeople to become experts and play the role of consultant in their customers’ businesses. Sales consultants must wear many hats such as strategists, problem solvers, setting directions and finally providing opportunities for customers while demonstrating value.
How to gain expertise in consultative selling
Of many skills, competencies to acquire, if we have to narrow down to the 3 most important and must competencies required for consultative selling is as below,
Understanding the buying behavior
Knowing what the customer values and what strategic relation he wants to build are critical. Buying behavior is not just about buyer needs, aspirations but also his decision-making process, risks he perceives in buying etc. A consultant always starts with the customer’s point of view and tailors his advice accordingly.
For example, most businesses have the practice of giving samples to customers and waiting for them to come back. But as a sales consultant, you must not limit to giving samples. Instead, understand in depth about customer plans, vision, their roadmap, their current usage etc and along with sample suggest a solution which they can immediately use it.
Creating competitive offering
Very few product or service exists which do not have competitors today. In this environment of extreme competition, it is the salesperson job to understand what is valuable to the prospect and provide that as a competitive offering. The offering must be something customer can see it and willing to pay.
For example, If you are selling an industrial component which faces competition from many players, as a sales consultant your role here is to show clear differentiation of your product over competitors to the buyer and help them see the superior value your product offers due to the differentiation.
Understanding business priorities
Sales consultants must be able to identify the things that keep customers awake at night and offer the right solutions. Understanding customer priorities and helping them see how their products can address those priorities are very useful.
Sometimes business won’t be keen to expand but interested in cost reduction. You need to show business how to optimize cost savings. To understand priorities sales consultants must be willing learn about customer business from various sources such as latest news, annoucements, annual reports, what competition doing etc.
Summary
As we shared above, sales consultant plays a very key role and is critical for business success at both customer end as well for own company.