Customer preferences in key selling behaviors

Rapidly changing business environments have created highly competitive sales environments. Relationship marketing is the contemporary practice that firms are employing to yield competitive sales advantages. Relationship marketing is the selling practice which concentrates on developing a sense of trust with repeat customers (Morgan and Hunt, 1994).; Successful sales personnel exhibit many of the essential leadership behaviors described by Bass (1997), specifically influencing customers to act a certain way. The salesperson can be considered a successful leader if customers are willing to engage in a positive, mutually beneficial relationship over time.; This study was constructed to study the leadership characteristics most valued by repeat customers. The findings of this study provide guidance to business owners, sales managers, and salespersons in adopting certain behaviors for successful relationship marketing practices.