What is really necessary in successful buyer/seller relationships?

Abstract

This article investigates the impact of personality traits and types and trust on sales outcomes between business-to-business buyers and sellers. A model is developed (and refined) depicting the influence of personality similarities and trust on sales performance. It was found that most business-to-business buyers and sellers were classified into a small number of personality types. Further, perceived similarities (rather than measured similarities) were found to be linked to both buyer trust of a salesperson, as well as to sales performance. Implications of study findings are discussed. Suggestions for future research are provided.