earticle

영어

The objective of the study is to investigate the influence of empathy in face-to-face customer interactions on sales performance and relationship quality in the Chinese market, with a focus on the role of salespersons' relationship-oriented behavior and mentalizing skills. A web-based survey was conducted among sales representatives from various industries in China to validate the research model and hypotheses. Data was collected through the Chinese online survey tool "Wenjuanxing" from May 20, 2021, to May 24, 2021, with a total of 311 surveys considered for analysis after eliminating 19 due to insincere responses. The study reveals that emotional empathy, as opposed to cognitive empathy, has a positive impact on relationship-oriented selling behavior, leading to improved sales performance and relationship outcomes. Emotional empathy enables salespersons to better comprehend customers' emotions, thereby enhancing their relationship-oriented approach. Furthermore, emotional empathy, when mediated by relationship-oriented behavior, plays a more significant role in enhancing relationship quality compared to sales performance. Regression analysis demonstrates that interpersonal mentalizing skills moderate the relationship between relationship-oriented behavior and sales performance, but do not have a substantial impact on relationship outcomes. These results underscore the significance of emotional empathy in cultivating strong customer relationships and enhancing sales performance.