The Effect of Small Talk On Purchase Intention: The Role o f Rapport and Customer Extraversion

Purpose: This study investigates how salespeople’s small talk-a form of informal, non-task-oriented communication-influences the development of customer rapport and, in turn, affects purchase intention. Recognizing that communication style can be as critical as product knowledge in shaping sales outcomes, this research further examines the mediating role of rapport and the moderating effect of customer extraversion in the relationship between small talk and purchase behavior. Research design, data, and methodology: Data were collected through an online survey of 300 customers who had recently made purchases at department stores. Measurement items were adapted from established scales, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized model. In addition, Hayes’s PROCESS macro was used to assess the moderated mediation effect of customer extraversion on the indirect relationship between small talk and purchase intention via rapport. Results: Small talk did not have a direct effect on purchase intention. However, it significantly enhanced rapport, which in turn positively influenced purchase intention. The analysis confirmed that rapport fully mediated the relationship between small talk and purchase intention. Moreover, a significant moderated mediation effect was identified: the indirect effect of small talk on purchase intention via rapport was stronger among customers with higher levels of extraversion. Implications: This study positions small talk as a strategic relational tool in customer-salesperson interactions, rather than as peripheral social behavior. It offers empirical evidence that small talk contributes to customer purchase decisions by fostering rapport, particularly among extraverted customers. Theoretically, this study advances the literature by uncovering the psychological mechanisms through which small talk shapes customer behavior. Practically, they findings highlight the importance of training salespeople to assess customer personality traits and flexibly adapt their communication styles to build authentic, value-generating relationships.