Customer‐oriented selling: Exploring the roles of emotional intelligence and organizational commitment

TLDR

Salespeople routinely face a conflict between generating immediate profits and fostering long‑term customer satisfaction, a tension highlighted by the concept of customer‑oriented selling. This study examined the relationships among customer‑oriented selling, emotional intelligence, and organizational commitment. Higher emotional intelligence was significantly associated with greater customer orientation, suggesting that managers should use EI in selection and development to enhance customer‑oriented selling. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Abstract

Abstract Professional salespeople are often placed in situations where role conflict and ambiguity are prevalent. They are generally expected to sell a firm's products and services to generate immediate profits, while simultaneously building customer satisfaction and promoting lifetime customers and the long‐term economic viability of the firm. The concept of customer‐oriented selling illustrates the conflict, as salespeople are required to forgo immediate benefits in lieu of long‐term rewards. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships existing between customer‐oriented selling, emotional intelligence, and organizational commitment. The results indicate that a salesperson's customer orientation level is significantly related to emotional intelligence. Implications of the findings indicate that managers should consider using emotional intelligence as a selection and human‐resource development tool, as improvements in emotional intelligence are correlated with greater levels of customer orientation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.