Contributors

Consumers have a unique lens through which they view the world based on their experiences and values. When it comes to luxury goods, perceptions are complex. Luxury goods are not just items—they represent a person’s identity and status.  This is also applicable as a salesperson; you want to look your best and be presentable, but wearing or displaying luxury branded items may negatively impact your business, especially when selling non-luxury items. 

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.

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.

Gratitude has immense value to firms and is linked to increases in share of wallet, sales revenue, sales growth, and customer commitment. Our research shows how sales professionals can improve their relational outcomes with customers by fostering more grateful customers through their own expressions of gratitude.