Storytelling by the sales force and its effect on buyer-seller exchange

摘要

Researchers in disciplines such as sociology, psychology, and management have widely recognized the power of stories. Storytelling research in marketing has been limited in its focus on advertising and branding. Less effort has been made to understand the role of stories in personal selling. The current study explores the role that storytelling plays in the exchange between salesperson and buyer. The authors use qualitative inquiry combined with extensive literature search to examine storytelling by salespeople. Ideas from the humanities, psychology, management, and marketing literature are juxtaposed with insights from depth interviews and field observations of 81 buyers and sellers. Based on these insights the authors identify core themes and a model for storytelling in sales, and point to managerial implications of storytelling. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.