Title: Digital sales negotiation stories

Authors: Clemens Bechter; Fredric William Swierczek

Addresses: Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand ' Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract: Cultural features influence international sales negotiations. Cultural distance and cultural intelligence are key factors related to successful outcomes. To explore these influences on sales negotiation, digital stories based on actual sales negotiations are used. The digital stories were complemented by a cultural analysis of the sales professionals involved. The analysis covered the cultural dimensions, cultural intelligence and adaptive behaviours of the negotiators. The study showed that cultural intelligence is not a sufficient predictor of sales negotiation outcomes. In contrast, the cultural distance dimensions of performance, humane and short-term orientation do relate to sales outcome. Comparing cultures at the country level indicate that flexibility in negotiation and a low context culture also results in positive outcomes. It is important to assess the cultural distance of customers and to adapt negotiation styles related to what occurs during the actual process.

Keywords: sales management; sales negotiation; international sales; cultural distance; cultural intelligence; culture; digital stories; adaptive behaviours; negotiation outcomes; negotiation styles.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEMR.2015.070801

International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing, 2015 Vol.6 No.3, pp.165 - 178

Received: 28 May 2014
Accepted: 26 Oct 2014
Published online: 26 Jul 2015 *

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