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No conversion, no conversation: consequences of retail salespeople disengaging from unpromising prospects

Author

Listed:
  • William L. Cron

    (University of Bochum)

  • Sascha Alavi

    (University of Bochum)

  • Johannes Habel

    (University of Houston
    University of Warwick)

  • Jan Wieseke

    (University of Bochum
    Loughborough University)

  • Hanaa Ryari

    (University of Bochum)

Abstract

On encountering a prospect whom they believe unlikely to make a purchase, some retail salespeople adopt a sales strategy of limiting engagement with the customer, relying on a “no conversion, no conversation” (NC2) sales strategy. Is this a good or bad sales strategy? Based on a multisource dataset combining salespeople and objective sales performance data, the authors examine retail salespeople’s performance consequences of disengaging from a customer, i.e., of the NC2 sales strategy. Higher sales performance and sales growth arises from the use of an NC2 sales strategy when (1) salespeople are experienced professionals skilled in gauging customers’ purchase likelihood, (2) store traffic is high, and (3) salespeople are oriented to building lasting customer relationships. However, (4) when store traffic is low and peers use the NC2 sales strategy as well, this customer disengagement strategy yields lower returns for salespeople.

Suggested Citation

  • William L. Cron & Sascha Alavi & Johannes Habel & Jan Wieseke & Hanaa Ryari, 2021. "No conversion, no conversation: consequences of retail salespeople disengaging from unpromising prospects," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(3), pages 502-520, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joamsc:v:49:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s11747-020-00763-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11747-020-00763-x
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    Cited by:

    1. Park, Hyewon & Hur, Won-Moo, 2023. "Customer showrooming behavior, customer orientation, and emotional labor: Sales control as a moderator," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    2. Fred Miao & Yi Zheng & Zhimei Zang & Douglas B. Grisaffe & Kenneth Evans, 2022. "Managing differential effects of salespersons’ regulatory foci–a dual process model of dominant and supplemental pathways," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(3), pages 563-585, May.
    3. Errajaa, Karim & Hombourger-Barès, Sabrina & Audrain-Pontevia, Anne-Françoise, 2022. "Effects of the in-store crowd and employee perceptions on intentions to revisit and word-of-mouth via transactional satisfaction: A SOR approach," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    4. Krämer, Martin & Desernot, Christina & Alavi, Sascha & Schmitz, Christian & Brüggemann, Felix & Wieseke, Jan, 2022. "The role of salespeople in industrial servitization: How to manage diminishing profit returns from salespeople’s increasing industrial service shares," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 1235-1252.
    5. Johannes Habel & Sascha Alavi & Nicolas Heinitz, 2023. "A theory of predictive sales analytics adoption," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 13(1), pages 34-54, June.

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