Re-designing adaptive selling strategies: the role of different types of shopping companions

Abstract

This paper explores the influence of shopping companions in retail sales conversations and the necessity of designing more comprehensive sales training programs. In particular, the characteristics and behaviors of shopping companions and their subsequent effects on accompanied shoppers, the salesperson and the sales conversation are examined. Shopping companions have not played a role in adaptive selling research and most practical trainings for salespeople so far, although they can significantly affect shopper behavior and decision-making, and require distinct approaches by salespeople. Systematizing in-depth interviews with salespeople and qualitative content analysis reveal a variety of different character traits and behaviors of shopping companions that can lead to positive and negative outcomes from a salesperson's perspective. The interactions that take place between customers and salespeople are the core element of customer-oriented service in retailing. When a holistic customer-oriented service is part of their value proposition, retailers should consider redesigning training programs for salespeople and include the influence of shopping companions. In doing so, salespeople's customer orientation can be increased by augmenting their capabilities and enabling them to make use of adaptive selling techniques specifically designed for co-shopping situations.

Entrepreneurship innovation using social robots in tourism: a social listening study

“…This technological improvement has also allowed us to improve the way we communicate and listen to others, which can cause changes both in our digital behaviour and in the physical environment and, therefore, can influence our interpersonal commitment and engagement with brands (La Rose and Brand 2021 ; Scholz et al 2021 ; Stewart and Arnold 2018 ). This greater communicational intensity as a consequence of the increase in connectivity and interrelation in social networks and an increase in mobile technologies can cause changes in the way we attend to stimuli; for example, it may impact how and where we listen to, when and how we respond to messages and what repercussions it has on third parties who read or listen to them (Ansary and Nik Hashim 2018 ; Olson and Ro 2020 ).…”

Relationship between creativity, adaptive selling, and sales performance: The moderating role of job satisfaction

“…The behaviour which is adapted at the time of selling approach is known as adaptive selling behaviour (Wong & Tan, 2018). Over past decades, several studies were conducted by some of the recent researches made by Scholz et al (2020) which has stated that customers and salespeople are the core element of customer-oriented service. In doing so, salespeople's customer orientation can be increased through adaptive selling techniques specifically designed for coshopping situations.…”

Design and marketing: Intersections and challenges

“…1 1 Another six related papers published in a parallel special issue of the Review of Managerial Science on ‘Marketing and Design’: Chen (2021) investigates the cultural product innovation strategy of performing arts organizations; Motta‐Filho (2021) introduces the concept of the brand experience manual; Palos‐Sanchez, Saura, and Correia (2021) identify antecedents of tourists' acceptance of mobile tourism apps; Scholz, Redler, and Pagel (2021) explore the influence of shopping companions in retail sales conversations; Idemen, Elmadag, and Okan (2021) investigate the effects of designers as product cues; and finally, Schuberth (2021) presents confirmatory composite analysis as a multivariate statistical method that can combine behavioural and design research.…”