Does the hierarchical position of the buyer make a difference? The influence of perceived adaptive selling on customer satisfaction and loyalty in a business-to-business context

Purpose – The first purpose of this research is to analyze the influence of adaptive selling, as perceived by customers, on customer satisfaction – both with the salesperson and the company – and loyalty to the supplier. In addition, this study aims to examine to what extent the organizational position occupied by the buyer moderates the results obtained (i.e. satisfaction and loyalty) as a consequence of a salesperson’s adaptive selling behavior. Design/methodology/approach – Data obtained from a survey of organizational buyers from a wide range of industries are analyzed through structural equation modeling. Findings – Findings from the study indicate that perceived adaptive selling significantly increases satisfaction with the salesperson, satisfaction with the supplier and loyalty to the supplier while controlling for length of the buyer–seller relationship. In addition, these effects are stronger when the contact person at the buying company is the general manager as opposed to the purchasing manager. Originality/value – Despite today’s emphasis on relationship selling, the research on the consequences of adaptive selling has employed primarily sales-related criteria (e.g. sales, quota). This is the first study to analyze the influence of adaptive selling on several customer relational outcomes in a business-to-business context and to analyze the moderating influence of the hierarchical position of the buyer.