Gender Differences in the Effects of Online Visual and Audio Combinations on Credibility

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, salespeople using online tools have been facing difficulties conveying credibility to their customers, which is considered essential for business. This study focused on the combination of visual and audio cues, not individual cues, and evaluated salesperson credibility from a gender difference perspective. Each male and female salesperson gave a business presentation using Zoom with eight patterns of visual and audio combinations: three kinds of still images as visual (Name only /Profile photo with no expression/Profile photo with a smile) x two kinds of voices as audio (Dull/Bright) and two kinds of videos (with no facial expression and dull voice/ with facial expressions and bright voice), and his /her credibility was evaluated by participants from a customer perspective. As a result, it suggests that the female salesperson decreases her credibility significantly using the "Name" & dull voice" combination and that visual cues are significant factors in conveying credibility. In the case of the male salesperson, it suggests that any visual images with a bright voice mostly increase his credibility and that audio cues are significant factors. The findings from this study indicate the potential for further improving salesperson credibility in online communication by gender.