Learning from the Case of Joe Salatino Research Paper

Learning from the Case of Joe Salatino - Research Paper Example The customer attributes the salesperson’s hometown news fluency to internal factors, specifically to their similarity, competence, and caring, factors under the salesperson’s control, and not to external factors like just trying to make a random sale to a random target. Salatino could also explain how critical behaviors and expressions of rapport with the customer are during the fast and furious blue-light special sales. Saving money is certainly part of the equation, the most visible customer factor in the sales. But even in those fast and furious moments, when the customer is thrown off-balance by the pace of the special circumstance sale, the customer is caught off-guard, induced into a kind of trance state by the intensity of the moment, and more vulnerable to suggestion, if the salesperson makes use of that appropriately. In such a state, the customer makes the attribution that the salesperson is their guide, friend, and mentor, is highly competent and is making a massive effort on their behalf. The customer believes the salesperson is keeping in mind their needs, and watching their back. This is an internal attribution. An external attribution would be for the customer to draw a conclusion that they were just lucky to have good timing, by answering the phone in time for a special. But, with external attribution, the customer will not feel any reciprocal connection with the salesperson or the company, in the way they would if they attribute the circumstances of the sale to the salesperson’s competence and effort. The whirling blue light motivates the salesperson’s most intense and concentrated efforts to catch the customer’s attention, and lead them to perceive that there is a shopping emergency, that time is of the essence. But it is the attitude and behavior of the salesperson that leads to additional purchases and customer loyalty. Salatino could explain that internal attributions, when applied to a situation that has gone wrong, can solicit more punitive behavior, as a reaction (Slocum, 2009, p.84). Therefore, when circumstances turn negative, within the perception of the customer (for example, they were unable to successfully complete their preferred selection during a blue-light special, due to a credit card malfunction, or the phone connection was dropped), if the customer blames the salesperson and the company, a potential loyal customer may be eternally lost. However, if the customer has strong rapport with the salesperson, and positive antecedents (information, beliefs, motivation), an external attribution is more likely to be made, and the situation is more easily managed by the salesperson and the company, in a way that fosters customer loyalty. The customer will be more likely to notice that the company and salesperson have consistent supportive behavior, that these circumstances are distinct, and that their experience falls within the range of normal, given the circumstances. Since cus tomer loyalty translates into more money, it is a good idea to educate all salespeople about how these factors shape customer perception, and how these perceptions have monetary outcomes. Each salesperson who participates in the workshop should be assigned to shadow a top salesperson for 2 hours, so that they can see these concepts in application. Although salespeople are highly competitive, the result could mean increased sales