MKTG 556 | Session 6 | Communicating with B2B buyers after "Dropping the Ball": Using digital and non-digital communication formats to recover from salesperson transgressions - 2024

Stephanie M. Mangus Huanhuan Shi, Judith Anne Garretson Folse, Eli Jones, Shrihari Sridhar

Introduction

Salespeople face a flood of new sales enablement tools and digital communication options daily, creating innovative ways to interact with customers and handle the inevitable chance of "dropping the ball." This research examines how different communication methods can cushion the blow and reduce damage from salesperson transgressions. Study 1 uses company-provided communication and performance data, along with survey responses from business-to-business (B2B) customers, to show that synchronous communication (such as face-to-face (F2F) versus email) lessens the negative effects of relational transgressions but does not affect sales process transgressions. Study 2 conducts an experiment with B2B professionals, revealing that synchronous communication (via videoconferencing and F2F versus email) enhances relationship satisfaction and positive word of mouth (PWOM) more for relational transgressions than for sales process issues. Study 3 further explores these findings through an experiment involving additional communication formats (phone and text), examining perceived salesperson competence and warmth as mediating factors. Overall, F2F or synchronous communication should not be seen as the universally preferred approach during transgressions, and salespeople need to balance communication strategies with resource limitations.