Communication skills of sellers as a determinant of consumer satisfaction and loyalty

Abstract

The quality of interaction between sellers and consumers is the starting point for developing satisfaction and establishing long-term relationships between enterprises and consumers. The aim of the paper is to examine the influence of verbal and non-verbal communication skills of the sellers on consumer satisfaction and loyalty, relying on the dimensions of the SERVQUAL model. Empirical research was conducted on a sample of 229 consumers and the data were analyzed in statistical software SPSS. The research found that the possession of the verbal and non-verbal communication skills of sellers determines the consumer satisfaction and loyalty, where the strength of the influence of non-verbal communication skills in both cases is stronger than the strength of the influence of verbal communication skills. It has been additionally tested and confirmed that satisfaction has a mediating effect when considering the relationship between the verbal and non-verbal communication skills of the sellers and the consumer loyalty. The paper points to the importance of analysis of the communication relationship quality established between sellers and consumers, and its results can have practical implications in the business practice of modern enterprises.

Keywords

• verbal communication
• non-verbal communication
• sales force
• satisfaction
• loyalty