Relationship Management in Sales – Presentation of a Model with Which Sales Employees Can Build Interpersonal Relationships with Customers

Abstract: Sales companies are asking themselves how they can generate success in the future despite constant change and new influences. An important factor is the development of relationships between sales staff and customers, which must be demanded and promoted by companies so that it can be applied in sales practice. This includes training and education, but also the implementation of tools such as guides or models. This work examines the necessity and methods of interpersonal relationship building. It was found that relationship building is crucial for sales success. The identified factors for successful interpersonal relationship building can be summarized as follows: i) trust, liking and appreciation; ii) private contacts and bonding; and iii) liability and credibility. However, it has been shown that there is a discrepancy between the importance of relationship building and its actual implementation in professional practice. This paper presents a model based on the research findings and offers salespeople and companies concrete recommendations for action. Barthelt’s four-phase cycle model can improve sales activities and strengthen the interpersonal relationship between salespersons and customers. It provides practical guidance for the day-to-day work of salespeople and assists managers in promoting and implementing relationship building in daily practice specifically. This work closes the research gap between theory and sales practice in interpersonal relationship building. It underlines its importance in a constantly changing and increasingly digitalized world. JEL classification: M 20, O 30, Z 30