The interplay of word-of-mouth and customer value on B2B sales performance in a digital platform : an expectancy value theory perspective

Purpose: Building on the expectancy value theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of word-of-mouth (WOM) and customer value (i.e. functional value and ease-of-doing-business value) on B2B business performance in the B2B sales process. Design/methodology/approach: The authors develop a framework to understand how B2B WOM and customer value influence supplier sales performance. This model was tested using structural equation modeling with a sample of 220 suppliers on Alibaba.com. Findings: The empirical findings demonstrate that B2B WOM valence and volume have positive influences on the number of quotations and the number of transactions, respectively. Additionally, B2B WOM volume mediates the relationship between operational performance and the number of transactions. Response rate mediates the relationships between response time and both the number of quotations and the number of transactions, respectively. Originality/value: This study contributes to the industrial marketing of B2B sales on the digital platform by investigating two influencers on sales performance: WOM and customer value.