Buyer‐seller relationships: A conceptual model and empirical investigation

Abstract

Increasing emphasis is being placed by marketing managers on the need to build long-term relationships between themselves and their customers. Analysis of long-term buyer-seller relationships has drawn heavily on the literature of social psychology, especially in making comparisons with family relationships. It has been proposed that buyer-seller relationships go through some form of lifecycle, paralleling cyclical relationships in other areas of human activity. However, models of the evolutionary development of buyer-seller relationships have remained largely theoretical, with little empirical validation of the life cycle concept, or analysis of the changing composition of a relationship as it progresses through a life cycle. This paper provides cross-sectional empirical evidence of the existence of a buyer-seller relationship life cycle within the investment services sector. The elements that buyers perceive as being important in holding a relationship together are dependent on the duration to date of the relationship. In the early stages of development, selling pressure is perceived as being a dominant element in relationship development, giving way to judgements of ethical credibility and empathy as the relationship develops. From this initial survey of investment services customers, a number of implications for relationship marketing strategies within the services sector are suggested.

Correlational study of the factors that influence in the recommendation and loyalty of patients of aesthetic medicine Medellín Colombia, 2014

“…Some studies suggest that customer satisfaction is the principal basis for the perception of the relationship's quality (Moliner, Sánchez, Rodríguez and Callarisa, 2007); other studies state that, besides satisfaction, trusting the company, and commitment, are also key variables to measure the quality of the relationship (Baker, Simpson and Siguaw, 1999;Crosby, Evans and Cowles, 1990;Dorsch, Swanson and Kelley, 1998;Garbarino and Johnson, 1999;Palmer and Bejou, 1994;Smith, 1998). Particularly within the health sector, some authors state that after the forst medical consultation a patient's satisfaction is strongly influenced by the medic-patient communication variable (Jackson, Chamberlin and Kroenke, 2001), and hence we propose that:…”

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“…By b. using DIT, three scenario of ethical dilemmas was applied. c. Selling Pressure was assessed by adapting items from [44]. The scale was modified for the Takaful industry.…”

Redefining B2B relationship marketing: Insight from postmodern Alibaba

“…This literature played a significant role in the evolution of relationship marketing. Palmer & Bejou, (1994) were one of the first contributors, arguing that both the salesperson and the end customer find a long-term relationship beneficial. This is simply because for salespeople, long-term relationships mean possible future sales, recommendations, and endorsement, while for customers, the need to search for new information is reduced, as such is the potential risk of consuming an unknown product or service.…”

“…In the search for 'truth' and scientific authentication, these studies presented largely context-specific snapshots of relationships, rather than unpacking the relational constructs and determinants of this emerging area. From an industry perspective, Palmer & Bejou, (1994) drew further attention to their limitations arguing that the models produced needed to be multistage, dynamic, and process oriented to be of benefit. These type of models investigate the buyer-seller relationship as a process of stages developed over time.…”