Impact of Salesperson Behaviour on Trust Towards the Salesperson and Selling Firm in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Abstract

Personal selling is crucial in generating revenue in the pharmaceutical industry, where effective sales strategies are essential for success. This study explores the impact of various salesperson behaviours on building trust between pharmaceutical sales representatives and their key customers, namely doctors. Four types of salesperson behaviours are identified: Selling Orientation, Customer Orientation, Adaptive Selling, and Unethical Selling. Trust is categorised into two forms: trust towards the salesperson and the selling firm. The study reveals that Selling Orientation and Unethical Selling behaviours negatively affect customer trust, both in the salesperson and the firm. Conversely, Customer Orientation and Adaptive Selling behaviours foster trust, strengthening the relationship between the salesperson and the customer. Given the limited number of studies exploring models linking salesperson behaviour with customer trust, this research fills an important gap by offering a contemporary model highlighting the behaviours that pharmaceutical sales representatives should adopt to build trust and provide value.