A Customer Perpception Model of Relational Interfirm Buyer-Seller Interaction

Increased levels of complexity in today’s business world has seen a shift towards consultative sales environments where the customer evaluation of the salesperson is a key factor in success. Despite widespread acknowledgement of the important role this customer perspective plays sales performance research has traditionally focused on the salesperson perspective. While the extant literature has seen a move to a more customer orientated approach, the need still exists to better understand customer perception across the continual sales interaction. A contextual conceptualisation of customer perceived sales performance as success in social interaction and a qualitative case study methodology to support the illumination of this phenomenon in its natural contemporary setting are presented. Perceptions of warmth and competence universally recognized as predictors of success in social interaction are proposed performance indicators and are considered through the Stereotype Content Model. With a focus on star performers within a single organisation, the application of a multiple perspective interview design and template analysis strategy illuminates a comprehensive model of customer perception in relational interfirm buyer-seller interaction. This model highlights customer behavioural and emotive responses to perceptive warmth and competence combinations. In addition star performer behaviours and the role that their emotional and social competencies play in the generation, maintenance, balance and reinforcement of warmth and competence perception are illuminated. This makes relevant customer perception insight for the purpose of effective selection and development practice in consultative selling contexts. The contribution of this model extends work on the Stereotype Content Model beyond its traditional transactional application. Through its application in a relational context it has illuminated the role of relationship interdependency in the reversal of the primacy warmth judgement in comparative person perception and reveals the role of emotional and social competencies as influencers of impression management specific to the unique compensation effect that exists between the dimensions of warmth and competence. Key Words: Warmth, Competence, Stereotype Content, Person Perception, Relational, Sales Performance, Customer Orientation, Emotional and Social Competencies, Qualitative Case Study