Consumer Behavior Case Study

Words: 2363
Pages: 10

PROPOSED TITLE
To study the impact of salesman behavior on the consumer behavior and consumer buying preferences
ABSTRACT
Building customer loyalty is a top priority for many firms. Studies across a number of industries have revealed that the cost of retaining a customer is nearly 10% of the cost of acquiring a new one. It is well established in the industry that getting a new customer is an “intermediate step in the marketing process”. Salesperson satisfaction is directly associated with company satisfaction as well. Overall satisfaction with a specific product or manufacturer also depends on the satisfaction with the salesman.
In this context, this report aims to study the relation of the salesmen behavior on the customer satisfaction with
…show more content…
The research paper describes the importance of customer satisfaction. It affects future purchase intentions-satisfied customers are more likely to purchase the same product from the same source (Furse, Punj, and Stewart, 1984; Sambandam and Lord, 1995). In addition, customer satisfaction reduces the size of the set of products and retailers considered and minimize switching behavior among previous purchasers (Sambandam and Lord, 1995).The paper suggests that by helping a buyer obtain product information and providing guidelines about what should be expected during the acquisition process and use of a product, a salesperson may influence customer expectations concerning the product and thereby reduce the likelihood of negative disconfirmation with its accompanying discontent (Grewal and Sharma, 1991). The paper’s findings indicate that successful salespeople often tailor their presentation to the needs of each customer (Spiro and Weitz, 1990) so that not only product/service desires are addressed but also the consumer’s sales process needs (Szymanski, 1988). It concludes by stating that Selling Orientation – Customer Orientation indirectly affects satisfaction with the dealer, product, and manufacturer. Adopting a selling oriented approach affects satisfaction with the salesperson in a negative fashion, while using a customer oriented approach has a direct, positive effect on satisfaction with the salesperson. Findings from the current research demonstrate that customer satisfaction with a durable product is influenced, at least indirectly, by their purchase experience with the