An Qualitative study of Effective Selling Behavior and Relationship Selling Behavior of Korean sales people: Focus on the case of auto finance salesperson in Ajucapital Corporation
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Choi Yong Bae , Park Jeong Eun 
Published: June 2018

Today, with the fierce competition, the importance of effective sales capabilities in differentiated core competencies has been more emphasized. Businesses are getting through strengthened sales capabilities and generate sustainable performance over this very important relationships with existing customers. In this situation, important effective selling behaviors are adaptive selling behavior and relationship-oriented selling behavior in this respect. Adaptive selling behavior has been a lot of studies by the Weits and his colleagues in the 1990s. After that, it has been a lot of studies on customer-oriented selling behavior and relationship-oriented selling behavior in the 2000s.
In this study, we tried to establish a theoretical concept through the review of existing research on relationshp oriented selling behavior which has been studied most actively in effective selling behavior research. Based on this review process, we clarify the deficiencies in the existing research and try to establish the Korean concept of relationship-oriented selling behavior through qualitative research. To achieve this goal, in the interviews with the salespersons of a Korean finance company (Aju Capital), wey derive the concept of nation relationship-oriented selling behavior and evaluate the configuration of factors.
Interview results are sorted and analyzed according to the contents of Grounded theory which is most commonly used in qualitative methods. As grounded theory suggested, Interview process was recorded and the transcripts of the interview records were made. By a total of four researchers, including the two research assistant, analysis of the transcripts was done. At first, each researcher organized each concept and specific factors mentioned by the salesperson and if there is a difference in opinion of all researchers in the classification process, it was adjusted through discussion.
Based on the results of the analysis derive a conceptual model of the Korea relationship-oriented selling process and proposed a six research propositions. Research proposition 1 are intended to present the relationships between salesperson’s intention to make a relationship with customer and factors which influence the relationship making intention. Those factors are leadership, relevance, interactivity, performance, integrity, and similarities. Research Proposition 2 has set a positive relationship between the intention and the formation of relationship. Proposition 3 presents the three factors that affect the trust of the public relations with the customer (comfort, integrity, and altruism (care)).
Research Proposition 4 is presented two factors (sincerity and sharing of information) which influence trust and informal relationship and a factor (personal meeting) that affect informal relationship. Research proposition 5 emphasizes the importance of trust in both formal and informal relationships and suggested that public relations are proposed to have a positive impact on informal relationship. Finally, the study proposes expected performances through relationship with customers which are financial performance, collaboration and referral behaviors. Those performance are all long term oriented performances in customer perspective.
This paper presents a theoretical contributions and practical implications in the following ways: First, this study suggested the process of relationship-oriented selling behavior and proposed the elements of relationship orientation in Korea. Second we proposed that the process of relationship oriented selling behavior is divided into relationship intentions, relationship forming and expected performance from relationship making process. In practice, we suggested relationship-oriented outcomes in assessment portion of the sales people (financial performance, collaboration and referral act) and the relationship-oriented selling is very important to generate revenue in the long term of the company.