Trust-based selling: a review and exploratory study in the logistics industry

Abstract

The present thesis studies the trust-based selling approach in different contexts such as the traditional versus online context as well as business-to-consumers versus business-to-business markets. Moreover, this study analyzes different selling approaches in the logistics industry in order to observe the primary adopted selling approach. The analysis also aims to reveal the most successful selling approaches in terms of relationship length, satisfaction of the customers and satisfaction of the salespeople.

The literature review mainly aims to understand trust-based selling. Trust-based selling may be crucial in nowadays competitive environment. Indeed, trust has a positive impact on relationship effectiveness. Furthermore, better developed relationships with the customers likely lead to superior performance in terms of outcomes such as sales and increased business. Moreover, trust increases the scope and level of cooperative activity and therefore higher performance and satisfaction among the customers.

An online survey was conducted in the logistics industry in order to further investigate trust-based selling as well as other selling approaches. The results reveal that the selling approach mostly practiced is trust-based selling. The findings suggest that consultative selling followed by trust-based selling might lead to a longer relationship. It is also observed that companies do not only practice a single selling approach as they present similar characteristics.