Sales and Selling



Sales and Selling

Sales research

One of the most important recent trends in sales and sales research has been the recognition that the long-term key to success may lie in a relational approach to the buyer-seller interaction (cf. Dwyer et al.? 1987). Traditionally? the emphasis in sales was on the close? with little thought being given to the means by which the sale was obtained? customer expectations of the sales process? or the likelihood that any particular buyer would be a source of future business. However? as the marketplace is becoming more and more competitive both in the number of competitors and the quality of their products? this transaction-based emphasis in sales is increasingly being replaced by a relationally focused approach which takes into account customer needs and wants? not only as they relate to the good or service being sold? but also in terms of the purchasing process and the buyer-seller interaction. In a highly competitive environment? the ability to retain a substantial satisfied customer base represents a tremendous competitive advantage for any sales organization as a sales effort which emphasizes relationship building is one in which satisfied customers are more likely to be found (Kelley? 1992).

Unfortunately? while the sales literature is generally in agreement as to the basic theoretical constructs which facilitate buyer-seller relationships (cf. Spiro and Weitz? 1990; Berry and Gresham? 1986; Saxe and Weitz? 1982)? as well as the actual nature of the relationship process itself (Dwyer et al.? 1987)? no clear understanding exists of the impact of the individual relational constructs on a given salesperson's performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of relationally based characteristics of individual salespeople on their performance. Using three frequently acknowledged relational characteristics (selling/customer orientation? adaptability? and service orientation) this study explores each construct's effect on the actual performance of salespeople as measured by average annual sales dollars. Better understanding the impact of relational selling activities on salesperson performance should provide a clearer theoretical perspective on the nature of effective relationship building in sales? as well as important managerial implications for the sales manager attempting to organize and control a relationally based sales effort effectively.

Relationship building in selling

Buyer-seller exchange

The buyer-seller exchange relationship has been a topic widely discussed in the marketing literature. Ingram (1990) argues that if salespeople are to meet future challenges? they must “adopt the perspective of the true professional and employ a customer-oriented approach that employs truthful? non-manipulative tactics which satisfy the long-term needs of both the customer and the selling firm”. Further? Swan and Nolan (1985) contend that firms are seeking out relationships with their customers and that salespeople are important in helping to build these relationships (Dwyer et al.? 1987).

Selling orientation - customer orientation (SOCO)

Anecdotal support for the practice of customer-oriented selling has existed for a number of years. However? prior to 1980 few published studies presented empirical data linking sales activities with a customer-oriented perspective. Dubinsky and Staples (1981) presented one of the first empirical studies examining buyer ...