Relationship management: Managing the selling and the buying interface

Abstract

The new age of industrial marketing, now often referred to as business-to-business marketing, is built upon effective relationship management. The industrial marketer must coordinate the marketing relevant activities of a company with the procurement needs and information requirements of the buying company. Managing this relationship requires the management of the selling and the buying interface. Competitive advantage hinges on the selling company's ability to demonstrate value that results from its cross-functional interdependencies and on its ability to influence the buying center participants' procurement decision processes. This article presents a conceptual approach to understanding and structuring relationship management. In addition, this approach provides a managerially useful framework for implementing industrial marketing strategy through managing the selling and buying interface.