Browse Archives by Keyword: Marketing and Sales
Connecting with Clients: Best to Be Funny or Clever?
[9/1/2023]
Holly S. Howe, PhD, Lingrui Zhou, PhD, Rodrigo S. Dias, PhD Candidate, and Gavan J. Fitzsimons, PhD
Humor has been a popular marketing strategy throughout the years. In our research, we argue that if a brand wants to use humor, they benefit more from using clever humor versus merely being funny. When a brand uses clever humor, it is better able to connect with the audience, which can lead to more positive brand attitudes and greater brand engagement
Influencing Negotiations: Salesperson Favor Requests
[9/1/2023]
Veronica L. Thomas, PhD, Stephanie M. Mangus, PhD, and Dora E. Bock, PhD
Consumers often believe that salespeople do not have consumers' best interests in mind and, thus, dread the idea of engaging in negotiations with a salesperson. In our research, we focus on the interpersonal relationship between the consumer and the salesperson and examine whether a favor request from a salesperson to the consumer will encourage engagement and the idea of negotiation
Calibrating Emotions to Increase Sales
[6/1/2023]
Blair Kidwell, PhD, Jonathan Hasford, PhD, Broderick Turner, PhD, David M. Hardesty, PhD, and Alex R. Zablah, PhD
Emotional intelligence has historically been considered a key performance indicator, but our research finds that those with emotional calibration, or high emotional intelligence paired with high emotional self-efficacy (how one uses emotions), is a better indicator for sales success
When “Too Much” is Just Too Much
[6/1/2023]
Lisa Beeler, PhD, Alex Zablah, PhD, and Adam Rapp, PhD
Salespeople are often indoctrinated to love what they sell, but too much enthusiasm from the salesperson may cause the customer to feel pressured and form a tendency to avoid the salesperson and the brand altogether. While brand attachment is important in terms of salesperson effort and performance, it may be equally off-putting for customers
Power Distance Belief: A Tool to Design Tailored Appeals to Persuade Your Audience
[3/1/2023]
Lingjiang Lora Tu, PhD, JaeHwan Kwon, PhD, and Huachao Gao, PhD
In consumer-based businesses, understanding how to effectively design marketing messages is key. Our research on power distance belief brings salespeople one step closer to understanding what is going on in the minds of different consumers which increases the power to persuade audiences through appeals tailored directly toward specific consumer mindsets
Speaking or Writing? The Impact of Expression Modalities
[3/1/2023]
Jonah Berger, PhD, Matthew D. Rocklage, PhD, and Grant Packard, PhD
Word of mouth has become a pivotal factor in what shapes consumers' thoughts and actions. We break down two modes of communication and find that writing does not have the same effect as speaking. This research offers insight as to how and when to use each form of communication in order to maximize agent success
The Effects of Gratitude vs. Indebtedness
[3/1/2023]
Stephanie M. Mangus, PhD, Dora E. Bock, PhD, Eli Jones, PhD, and Judith Anne Garretson Folse, PhD
Nearly all business exchanges are built around the practice of reciprocity—or exchanging things with others for mutual benefit—which paves the way for feelings of gratitude and indebtedness. This study specifically focuses on how the salesperson's feelings of gratitude and indebtedness impact seller-buyer relationship quality, relationship satisfaction, and customer word of mouth
Digital Information Flow Continuum: A Service Dominant-Logic Perspective
[12/1/2022]
James Peltier, PhD, Andrew Dahl, DBA, and Eric Swan, DBA
The emergence of digital information platforms allowing consumer-to-consumer communications is changing how service ecosystems establish and create value for service innovations. The communications regarding these innovations have transitioned from pure "one-to-one" communication and engagement processes to "many-to-many" informational touchpoints. Our study assesses these information flows in service ecosystems and how they influence decision-making of digital innovations
INSIDER: Sales Secrets
[9/1/2022]
Isabella Ip, MBA Candidate
While there are an overwhelming number of resources available to help one build sales success, experienced salespeople with proven performance outcomes may be the most effective sources of inspiration. In Sales Secrets, Brandon Bornancin shares advice and perspectives from 104 accomplished sales professionals to help novice and experienced salespeople succeed in what can be a long-lasting and lucrative career
Making Tough Choices Today for an Easier Tomorrow
[6/1/2022]
Ashley S. Otto, PhD, Joshua J. Clarkson, PhD, Nathanael S. Martin, PhD ABD
Consumers make countless decisions every day. Some situations require minimal decision-making effort, while others require more thought and effort to reach a decision. Our research finds that there are two situations, driven by a motivation to achieve cognitive closure, in which people will put more effort into the decision-making process in order to simplify the process in the future
