Susceptibility to Salespersons' Influence and Consumers' Shopping Orientations

Abstract

Realizing the scarcity of research into consumers' susceptibility to salespersons' influence, this concept is developed as a general personality trait and unidimensional construct. Its associations with the two primary shopping orientations, recreational and economic, were explored. Analysis indicates that, while consumers' susceptibility to salespersons' influence and recreational shopping appear to be related, no such evidence emerged for economic shopping. These findings, as well as their various implications for marketing strategy and adaptive retail selling, are discussed.

The Impact of Order Fulfillment Service on Retailer Merchandising Decisions in the Consumer Durables Industry

“…Salespeople play a key role in the purchasing process by informing customers about available options and then helping them decide which option is best (Wilkie 1986). A stream of literature has examined customers' attitudes about salespeople in high-involvement decision-making, or consumer susceptibility to salesperson influence (Goff and Walters 1995). A retailer's salespeople are a valuable source of information; salesperson expertise is a source of expert power affecting persuasion and attitude change; and salespeople can convince consumers to accept information that is compatible with closing the sale (Goff, Bellenger, and Stojack 1994).…”

The role of interdependent self-construal in consumers’ susceptibility to retail salespersons’ influence: A hierarchical approach

“…The overall model accounted for 25% of the variance in consumers' susceptibility to salespersons' influence. Goff and Walters (1995) proposed an investigation of the relationship between consumers' susceptibility to salespersons' influence and various other susceptibilities to influence for possible common psychology origins. This study identified interdependent self-construal as a common psychological origin, and tested propositions that link interdependent self-construal with consumer's susceptibility to salespersons' influence via a group of mediating variables, including public self-consciousness, susceptibility to interpersonal influence, and susceptibility to store atmosphere influence.…”

“…Individuals with this interdependent view of the self tend to think and behave in ways that emphasize their connectedness to others and that strengthen existing relationships (Cross et al, 2000). Shoppers with strong needs for affiliation might be motivated by their desire to bolster their self-image through reference identification with other shoppers or salespersons (Goff and Walters, 1995). Thus it can be expected that interdependent self-construal is positively related to consumers' susceptibility to interpersonal influence, and consumers' susceptibility to salespersons' influence.…”

“…Studies on this construct so far have mainly examined its consequences, such as its effects upon shopping styles (Goff and Walters, 1995) and how this construct could be used as a segmentation tool (Goff et al, 1994). For instance, Goff and Walters (1995) found that consumers' susceptibility to salespersons' influence was significantly related to recreational shopping orientation, but not to economic shopping orientation. Individuals susceptible to salespersons' influence were also likely to perceive the salesperson as more customer-oriented and less salesperson-oriented (Goff and Jackson, 2003).…”

“…Goff and Walters (1995) defined this influence as ''the proneness [of consumers] to be affected by the attitudes, opinions, and behavior(s) of a salesperson and to allow the salesperson to influence shopping and buying bebavior(s)'' (p. 916). Studies on this construct so far have mainly examined its consequences, such as its effects upon shopping styles (Goff and Walters, 1995) and how this construct could be used as a segmentation tool (Goff et al, 1994). For instance, Goff and Walters (1995) found that consumers' susceptibility to salespersons' influence was significantly related to recreational shopping orientation, but not to economic shopping orientation.…”