| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立中正大學 === 企業管理所 === 96 === In B2B industry, selling products is quite different from B2C model that faces consumers directly. To customers, they do not only want to buy the product itself, but also to buy before and after care services, technical supports or even cooperation, which means the quantity and amount of the products they are to purchase will probably be considerable. Consequently, all suppliers and their salespersons usually apply “consultative selling” strategy in dealing with B2B selling. The basis of consultative selling is to build up, enhance, and develop the relationships between customers and salespersons, on which they trust each other and share mutual benefits to reach Win-Win deals and outcomes. When a salesperson that is on behalf of his or her supplier comes to talk over a business with customers, how he or she performs his or her job relatively reflects the supplier’s focus towards the customers. If the salesperson did not perform well as expected, he or she might still be able to get orders but in fact would dissatisfy his or her customers, which would impact their relationships for the following cooperation.
The purpose of the study was to identify negative images towards salespersons as perceived by customers in addition to realizing the influences caused by those images. Since such data cannot be obtained through observations or recording but through interviewing to understand interviewees’ ideas and perceptions of the issue. Therefore, the study used in-depth interview in which an interviewer has face-to-face contacts with an interviewee. In-depth interview is an independent and intimate interaction method in favor of investigating interviewees’ motivations, beliefs, and attitudes. The researcher adopted a convenient sampling method and interviewed 11 participants of all trades and professions that fit the definitions of the present study about a customer. Each interview lasted for around one hour. According to the data collected, the study drew the following conclusions:
First, concerning the issue of seriousness, salespersons who “tend to tell lies to cover the truth,” “lack professional competences,” “can not seize chances to remedy mistakes,” “show arrogant attitude,” “are over promised,” and “attempt to go over their immediate superiors’ head to influence customers of high-level management,” would likely be included in the “black list” of customers.
Second, the opinions involving pros and cons included “the attempt to increase mutual friendly relationships” and “having highly frequent contacts in order to expand new customer lists.
Third, while involving a proviso and a case that the product belongs to a solo agency and is irreplaceable in markets and needed by customers, customers usually have no alternatives despite their negative images towards salespersons.
|
|---|
