Differentiated selling behaviors and trust formation in industrial buyer–supplier relationships: a dyadic perspective

Purpose This study aims to examine how supplier salespeople’s selling orientation and customer orientation (SOCO) influence differentiated selling behaviors – consultative and transactional – and how these behaviors shape buyer trust (credibility and benevolence) and repurchase intention from a dyadic perspective in business-to-business (B2B) relationships. Design/methodology/approach Matched dyadic survey data were collected from 205 buyer–supplier pairs. Supplier-side responses captured salesperson orientations and selling behaviors, while buyer-side responses measured multidimensional trust and repurchase intention. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. Findings Both customer orientation and sales orientation positively influence consultative and transactional selling behaviors. However, the two selling approaches exhibit different relational effects. Consultative selling behavior positively affects both credibility-based and benevolence-based trust, whereas transactional selling behavior is negatively associated with both trust dimensions. In turn, both trust dimensions enhance repurchase intention, with credibility-based trust exerting a stronger effect than benevolence-based trust. Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional and regionally bounded sample limits generalizability. Future research should use longitudinal designs and examine contextual moderators that shape the effectiveness of differentiated selling behaviors in B2B markets. Practical implications The findings suggest that while performance-driven orientations may stimulate multiple selling approaches, consultative behaviors are critical for building trust and sustaining long-term relationships. The results further suggest that highly transactional selling approaches may be interpreted less favorably in ongoing relational exchange settings. B2B firms should prioritize advisory capabilities and competence signaling to enhance buyer retention. Originality/value By integrating selling orientation and customer orientation, differentiated selling behaviors and multidimensional trust within a dyadic framework, this study provides additional insight into the integrated behavioral process through which salesperson orientations translate into buyers’ intentions to maintain ongoing buyer–supplier relationships.