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Storytelling during retail sales encounters

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  • Gilliam, David A.
  • Zablah, Alex R.

Abstract

Many researchers have emphasized the importance of communication in personal selling. Psychologists and researchers in management and advertising have recognized the importance of communication via stories, but this has not extended to research in sales. This paper uses a framework developed from exploratory field work and the literature on stories to investigate storytelling by retail salespeople in three similar experimental studies. The experiments manipulate personal versus business stories across three different topic areas: entity, product, and digression. The results suggest that product stories told from a business point of view may be most effective in enhancing consumers’ purchase intentions in onetime sales encounters.

Suggested Citation

  • Gilliam, David A. & Zablah, Alex R., 2013. "Storytelling during retail sales encounters," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 20(5), pages 488-494.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:20:y:2013:i:5:p:488-494
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2013.04.005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Yong You Nie & Austin Rong Da Liang & Dun Ji Chen, 2017. "Assessing the effect of organic-food short storytelling on consumer response," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(15-16), pages 968-985, December.
    3. Grigsby, Jamie L. & Mellema, Hillary N., 2020. "Negative Consequences of Storytelling in Native Advertising," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 61-78.
    4. Dharun Kasilingam & Soundararaj Ajitha, 2022. "Storytelling in advertisements: understanding the effect of humor and drama on the attitude toward brands," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 29(4), pages 341-362, July.
    5. Kim, Naeun (Lauren) & Woo, Hongjoo & Ramkumar, Bharath, 2021. "The role of product history in consumer response to online second-hand clothing retail service based on circular fashion," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    6. Stauss, Bernd, 2016. "Customer Storytelling: Kunden erzählen Geschichten – das Marketing misst Zahlen," Marketing Review St.Gallen, Universität St.Gallen, Institut für Marketing und Customer Insight, vol. 33(1), pages 22-31.
    7. AlRabiah, Sara & Marder, Ben & Marshall, David & Angell, Rob, 2022. "Too much information: An examination of the effects of social self-disclosure embedded within influencer eWOM campaigns," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 93-105.
    8. Andersson, Pernille K. & Gustafsson, Anders & Kristensson, Per & Wästlund, Erik, 2016. "The effect of frontline employees’ personal self-disclosure on consumers’ encounter experience," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 40-49.
    9. Lutz Kaufmann & Moritz Schreiner & Felix Reimann, 2023. "Narratives in supplier negotiations—The interplay of narrative design elements, structural power, and outcomes," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 59(1), pages 66-94, January.
    10. Peter Jones & Daphne Comfort, 2018. "Storytelling and Sustainability Reporting: An Exploratory Study of Leading US Retailers," Athens Journal of Business & Economics, Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), vol. 4(2), pages 147-162, April.

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