Ideal versus Actual Number of Sales Calls: An Application of Disconfirmation Theory

16 September 2013

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The current study focuses on the relationship that buyers have with their salespeople. Specifically, the study uses disconfirmation theory to evaluate whether a salesperson that meets or exceeds the buyer’s ideal number of sales calls has higher levels of commitment, trust, and satisfaction from the buyer than a salesperson that does not meet expectations. The study also looks at the impact of meeting expectations on the buyer’s evaluation of the salesperson’s commitment and performance versus a salesperson that does not meet expectations. Findings suggest that when a salesperson contacts a buyer with a frequency and consistency that the buyer perceives as ideal, the buyer will have a higher level of satisfaction with and trust of the salesperson as well as a higher level of commitment to the buyer–seller relationship. Managers could take advantage of this by making an effort to align a salesperson’s call frequency with what a buyer perceives as ideal.

Authors:

  • G. Alexander Hamwi (Ph.D., Georgia State University), Assistant Professor of Marketing, Missouri State University
  • Brian N. Rutherford (Ph.D., Georgia State University), Assistant Professor of Marketing and Professional Sales, Kennesaw State University
  • Hiram C. Barksdale, Jr. (Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Associate Professor of Marketing, Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University
  • Julie T. Johnson (Ph.D., Georgia State University), Professor of Marketing, Western Carolina University
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