This Article Order Full text via Infotrieve References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Notarantonio, E. M. Articles by Cohen, J. L. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

The Effects of Open and Dominant Communication Styles on Perceptions of the Sales Interaction

Bryant College

Jerry L. Cohen

Universify of Rhode Island

The effect of the Open and Dominant communication styles from Norton's (1978) dimensions were tested on judgments and perceptions of sales effectiveness. Eighty stu dents in small groups viewed pretested videotapes of a sales interaction; each tape depicted one of the four combinations of communicator style dimensions (high and low levels of Openness and Dominance). After viewing the tape, subjects completed a 42- item questionnaire from which six composite scores were created. Using a 2 x 2 ANOVA design, four of these composites showed significant effects: (1) Perceptions of the product being sold, (2) the interaction between the salesperson and customer in the tape, (3) Probability of purchase of the product in the tape and (4) Perceptions of the salesperson being depicted in the tape. Respondents, in general, rated the high Dominant /low Open and low Dominant /high Open salesperson more favorably than the high Dominant / high Open or Low Dominant /low Open salesperson. These results are addressed in terms of the sales interaction and as a heuristic for future research.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?