유통과학연구 (Journal of Distribution Science)

  • 제22권9호
  • /
  • Pages.119-128
  • /
  • 2024
  • /
  • 1738-3110(pISSN)
  • /
  • 2093-7717(eISSN)
한국유통과학회 (Korea Distribution Science Association)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Credible Sales Messages in a Retail Context: Theory and Evidence

  • Hyun Chul MAENG (Asia Center, Seoul National University)
  • 투고 : 2024.09.02
  • 심사 : 2024.09.15
  • 발행 : 2024.09.26
PDF 다운로드
⟨ 이전 논문 다음 논문 ⟩

초록

Purpose: his study examines the effect of message valence on consumer perceptions of sales messages and salesperson evaluations in retail contexts. In contrast to previous studies on the negativity effect, it examines the positivity effect, which implies that the effect of positive information may outweigh that of negative information in certain situations. In addition, the current research examines how the content of the sales message influences consumers' perceptions of salespeople. Research design and methodology: The study presents an analytical model in which a potentially altruistic salesperson transmits quality information as a form of cheap talk. Several predictions were derived from the model and then empirically tested in two experiments. Results: When the sales message is about relatively less expensive products, positive information can be more credible and diagnostic than negative information. In addition, positive sales messages about the less expensive products signal the salesperson's benevolence. Conclusion: This paper is one of the few studies to predict and empirically test the positivity effect. It also contributes to the literature on trust in salespeople by showing that message valence influences buyers' perceptions of salespeople.

키워드

참고문헌

  1. Ahluwalia, R., Burnkrant, R. E., & Unnava, H. R. (2000). Consumer response to negative publicity: The moderating role of commitment. Journal of marketing research, 37(2), 203-214.
  2. Ailawadi, K. L., Beauchamp, J. P., Donthu, N., Gauri, D. K., & Shankar, V. (2009). Communication and promotion decisions in retailing: a review and directions for future research. Journal of retailing, 85(1), 42-55.
  3. Andreoni, J., & Miller, J. (2002). Giving according to GARP: An experimental test of the consistency of preferences for altruism. Econometrica, 70(2), 737-753.
  4. Bagwell, K., & Ramey, G. (1993). Advertising as information: Matching products to buyers. Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, 2(2), 199-243.
  5. Bava, C. M., Jaeger, S. R., & Dawson,J. (2009). In-store influences on consumers' grocery purchasing decisions: a qualitative investigation. Journal of Customer Behaviour, 8(3), 221-236.
  6. Belkin, L. Y., & Rothman, N. B. (2017). Do I trust you? Depends on what you feel: Interpersonal effects of emotions on initial trust at zero-acquaintance. Negotiation and Conflict Management Research, 10(1), 3-27.
  7. Bharadwaj, N., & Shipley, G. M. (2020). Salesperson communication effectiveness in a digital sales interaction. Industrial Marketing Management, 90, 106-112.
  8. Bolton, G. E. (1991). A comparative model of bargaining: Theory and evidence. The American Economic Review, 81(5) 1096-1136.
  9. Bolton, G. E., & Ockenfels, A. (2000). ERC: A theory of equity, reciprocity, and competition. American economic review, 91(1), 166-193.
  10. Chakraborty, A., & Harbaugh, R. (2014). Persuasive puffery. Marketing Science, 33(3), 382-400.
  11. Charness, G., & Rabin, M. (2002). Understanding social preferences with simple tests. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 117(3), 817-869.
  12. Chevalier,J. A., & Mayzlin, D. (2006). The effect of word of mouth on sales: Online book reviews. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(3), 345-354.
  13. Crawford, V. P., & Sobel, J. (1982). Strategic information transmission. Econometrica, 50(6), 1431-1451.
  14. Crosby, L. A., Evans, K. R., & Cowles, D. (1990). Relationship quality in services selling: an interpersonal influence perspective. Journal of marketing, 54(3), 68-81.
  15. Cui, Haitao T., Raju, J. S., & Zhang, Z. J. (2007). Fairness and channel coordination. Management Science, 53(8), 1303-1314.
  16. Dai, T., & Singh, S. (2020). Conspicuous by its absence: Diagnostic expert testing under uncertainty. Marketing Science, 39(3), 540-563.
  17. DeShields Jr, O. W., Kara, A., & Kaynak, E. (1996). Source effects in purchase decisions: The impact of physical attractiveness and accent of salesperson. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 13(1), 89-101.
  18. Doney, P. M., & Cannon, J. P. (1997). An examination of the nature of trust in buyer-seller relationships. Journal of Marketing, 61(2), 35-51.
  19. Durbin, E., & Iyer, G. (2009). Corruptible advice. American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, 1(2), 220-242.
  20. Engelmann, D., & Strobel, M. (2004). Inequality aversion, efficiency, and maximin preferences in simple distribution experiments. American Economic Review, 94(4), 857-869.
  21. Feldman, J. M., & Lynch, J. G. (1988). Self-generated validity and other effects of measurement on belief, attitude, intention, and behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 73(3), 421.
  22. Fehr, E., & Schmidt, K. M. (2001). Theories of fairness and reciprocity-evidence and economic applications. Available at SSRN 264344.
  23. Fiske, S. T. (1980). Attention and weight in person perception: The impact of negative and extreme behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 38(6), 889.
  24. Gardete, P. M. (2013). Cheap-talk advertising and misrepresentation in vertically differentiated markets. Marketing Science, 32(4), 609-621.
  25. Gardete, P. M., & Guo, L. (2021). Prepurchase information acquisition and credible advertising. Management Science, 67(3), 1696-1717.
  26. Gong, H., Bian, X., & Zheng, C. (2024). Leveraging celebrities with inconsistent attractiveness and credibility for charitable endorsement: A cue diagnosticity perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 78, 103771.
  27. Guo, L. (2015). Inequity aversion and fair selling. Journal of Marketing Research, 52(1), 77-89.
  28. Guo, X., & Jiang, B. (2016). Signaling through price and quality to consumers with fairness concerns. Journal of Marketing Research, 53(6), 988-1000.
  29. Herr, P. M., Kardes, F. R., & Kim, J. (1991). Effects of word-of-mouth and product-attribute information on persuasion: An accessibility-diagnosticity perspective. Journal of Consumer Research, 17(4), 454-462.
  30. Jiang, B., Ni,J., & Srinivasan, K. (2014). Signaling through pricing by service providers with social preferences. Marketing Science, 33(5), 641-654.
  31. Klein, J. G., & Ahluwalia, R. (2005). Negativity in the evaluation of political candidates. Journal of Marketing, 69(1), 131-142.
  32. Koponen, J., Julkunen, S., & Asai, A. (2019). Sales communication competence in international B2B solution selling. Industrial Marketing Management, 82, 238-252.
  33. Lagace, R. R., Dahlstrom, R., & Gassenheimer, J. B. (1991). The relevance of ethical salesperson behavior on relationship quality: the pharmaceutical industry. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 11(4), 39-47.
  34. Levine, D. K. (1998). Modeling altruism and spitefulness in experiments. Review of Economic Dynamics, 1(3), 593-622.
  35. Mizerski, R. W. (1982). An attribution explanation of the disproportionate influence of unfavorable information. Journal of Consumer Research, 9(3), 301-310.
  36. Morgan, Robert M., and Shelby D. Hunt (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. The Journal of marketing, 58(1), 20-38.
  37. Purohit, D., & Srivastava, J. (2001). Effect of manufacturer reputation, retailer reputation, and product warranty on consumer judgments of product quality: A cue diagnosticity framework. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 10(3), 123-134.
  38. Sen, S., & Lerman, D. (2007). Why are you telling me this? An examination into negative consumer reviews on the web. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 21(4), 76-94.
  39. Skowronski, J. J., & Carlston, D. E. (1987). Social judgment and social memory: The role of cue diagnosticity in negativity, positivity, and extremity biases. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(4), 689.
  40. Swan, J. E., & Nolan, J. J. (1985). Gaining customer trust: a conceptual guide for the salesperson. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 5(2), 39-48.
  41. Villanova, D., Bodapati, A. V., Puccinelli, N. M., Tsiros, M., Goodstein, R. C., Kushwaha, T., ... & Hatfield, C. (2021). Retailer marketing communications in the digital age: getting the right message to the right shopper at the right time. Journal of Retailing, 97(1), 116-132.
  42. Wernerfelt, B. (1994). On the function of sales assistance. Marketing Science, 13(1), 68-82.
  43. Willems, K., Brengman, M., & Van De Sanden, S. (2017). In-store proximity marketing: experimenting with digital point-of-sales communication. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 45(7/8), 910-927.