TY - JOUR
T1 - Customers’ decision-making styles and their preference for sales strategies
T2 - Conceptual examination and an empirical study
AU - Sharma, Arun
AU - Pillai, Rajnandini
PY - 1996/1/1
Y1 - 1996/1/1
N2 - The primary purpose of this paper is to examine business customers' decision-making styles and the impact these styles have on the selection of a sales strategy for the selling firm. The paper reports the results of a survey of 109 customers of a high-technology firm. We first determine the decision-making styles of business customers and then examine the relationship between customers' decision-making styles and their preference for different sales strategies. The results indicate that business customers can be grouped based on their decision-making styles. Also, the decision-making style of the firm was reflected in the decision-making styles of individuals. Three decision-making styles with distinct preferences for sales strategies emerged from this analysis: entrepreneurial, planning, and bureaucratic. Customers demonstrating different decision-making styles were also found to be different in their demographic characteristics. The results provide directions for future theoretical investigations and applications in segmentation and sales management.
AB - The primary purpose of this paper is to examine business customers' decision-making styles and the impact these styles have on the selection of a sales strategy for the selling firm. The paper reports the results of a survey of 109 customers of a high-technology firm. We first determine the decision-making styles of business customers and then examine the relationship between customers' decision-making styles and their preference for different sales strategies. The results indicate that business customers can be grouped based on their decision-making styles. Also, the decision-making style of the firm was reflected in the decision-making styles of individuals. Three decision-making styles with distinct preferences for sales strategies emerged from this analysis: entrepreneurial, planning, and bureaucratic. Customers demonstrating different decision-making styles were also found to be different in their demographic characteristics. The results provide directions for future theoretical investigations and applications in segmentation and sales management.
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U2 - 10.1080/08853134.1996.10754042
DO - 10.1080/08853134.1996.10754042
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85009643469
VL - 16
SP - 21
EP - 33
JO - Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management
JF - Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management
SN - 0885-3134
IS - 1
ER -