Intercultural variations in personal sales factors in the Czech and U.S. automotive markets: Practical implications for marketing

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to determine the intercultural and gender differences between American and Czech customers in relation to their perceptions of the verbal and nonverbal personality characteristics of a salesperson during the personal sales process. This research provides scholars and practitioners with an understanding of the cultural and gender-specific personal interaction factors that should be addressed when designing effective interpersonal sales approaches. The study utilized an experimental design approach. Personal selling scenarios were filmed and shown to respondents (university students acting as potential customers) who completed a survey regarding sales effectiveness. The resulting data was factor analyzed and a conceptual personal sales model was developed. The model suggests that salesperson authenticity and personal interaction factors impact sales success in both the U.S. and the Czech Republic. However, there are variations in the receptivity of potential U.S. and Czech customers to specific interpersonal communication factors. Gender-based variations were also identified. The study focused on automotive retail sales scenarios in the United States; however, the results can be generalized to similar markets.