This article presents results of an experiment which tested
the effects of sales messages on cognitive responses in in
dustrial buying groups. Results suggest that matching sales
presentations to buyers' job responsibilities leads not only to
higher levels of message involvement and attention, but also
to increases in arousal and greater extremity in buyers'
evaluations of the salespresentation, the salesperson, and the
represented vendor. Implications of these results for prac
titioners and researchers are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Aaker, D.A., D.M. Stayman, and M.R. Hagerty.1986. "Warmth in Advertising: Measurement, Impact, and Sequence Effects." Journal of Consumer Research12 (March): 365-381.
2.
Barta, R.1986. "Affective Advertising: Role, Processes, and Measurement ."In The Role of Affect in Consumer Behavior. Eds. W.D. Hoyer and W.R. Wilson.Lexington, Massachusetts: Lexington Books, pp. 53-85.
3.
— and M.L. Ray.1983. "Advertising Situations: The Implications of Differential Involvement and Accompanying Affect." In Information Processing in Advertising. Ed. R.J. Harris, pp. 127-151.
4.
— and M.L. Ray.1985. "How Advertising Works at Contact." In Psychological Processes and Advertising Effects. Eds. L.F. Alwitt and A. A. Mitchell.Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates.
5.
Bartlett, J., G. Burleson, and J. Santrock.1982. "Emotional Mood and Memory in Young Children." Journal of Experimental Child Psychology34:59-76.
6.
Berlyne, Daniel.1960. Conflict, Arousal and Curiosity. New York: McGraw Hill.
7.
Bloch, Peter H., and Marsha L. Richins .1983. "A Theoretical Model for the Study of Product Importance Perceptions." Journal of Marketing47(Summer): 69-81.
8.
Bumkrant, Robert E.1976. "A Motivational Model of Information Processing Intensity ." Journal of Advertising Research3(June): 21-30.
9.
Cacioppo, J.T.1979. "Effects of Exogenous Changes in Heart Rate on Facilitation of Thought and Resistance to Persuasion." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology37(April): 489-498.
10.
— and C.A. Sandman.1981. "Psychophysiological Functioning, Cognitive Responding and Attitudes. In Cognitive Responses in Persuasion. Eds. R. Petty, T. Ostrum, and T. Brock.Hillsdale, N.J .: L. Erlbaum and Associates.
11.
— and R.E. Petty. 1979. "Attitudes and Cognitive Response: An Electrophysiological Approach." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology37 (December): 2181-2199.
12.
Celsi, R.L. and J.C. Olson.1988. "The Role of Involvement in Attention and Comprehension Processes." Journal of Consumer Research15 (September): 210-224.
13.
Choffray, J. and G.L. Lilien.1978. "Assessing Response to Industrial Marketing Strategy." Journal of Marketing42: 20-31.
14.
Clark, M., S. Milberg, and J. Ross.1983. "Arousal Cues Arousal-Related Material in Memory: Implications for Understanding Effects of Mood on Memory." Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior22:633-649.
15.
Cohen, Claudia E.1981. "Goals and Schemata in Person Perception: Making Sense from the Stream of Behavior." In Personality, Cognition, and Social Interaction. Eds. N. Cantor and J.F. Kihlstrom. Hillsdale, N.J. : LErlbaum Associates, Inc.
16.
Easterbrook, J.A.1959. "The Effect of Emotion on Cue Utilization and the Organization of Behavior." Psychological Review66: 183-201.
Fiske, Susan.1980. "Attention and Weight in Person Perception: The Impact of Negative and Extreme Behavior." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology38: 889-906.
19.
—and Donald R. Kinder.1981. "Involvement, Expertise, and Schema Use: Evidence from Political Cognition." In Personality, Cognition, and Social Interaction. Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum and Associates.
20.
Gardner, M.P.1985. "Mood States and Consumer Behavior: A Critical Review ." Journal of Consumer Research12: 281-300.
21.
Haley, Russell I.1971. "Beyond Benefit Segmentation." Journal of Advertising Research.
22.
Hamilton, David L.1981. "Cognitive Representations of Persons." In Social Cognition: The Ontario Symposium. Eds. E.T. Higgins, C.P. Herman, and M.P. Zanna.Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates.
23.
Higgins, E. Tory, and Gillian King.1981. "Accessibility of Social Constructs: Information-Processing Consequences of Individual and Contextual Variability." In Personality, Cognition, and Social Interaction. Eds. N. Cantor and J.F. Kihlstrom. Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates.
24.
Holbrook, M.B. and J. O'Shaughnessy .1984. "The Role of Emotion in Advertising ." Psychology and Marketing1 (Summer): 45-64.
25.
Hovland, C.I., I.L. Janis and H.H. Kelly.1953. Communication and Persuasion. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press.
26.
Izard, Carroll.1972. "Anxiety: Available Combination of Interacting Fundamental Emotions." In Anxiety: Current Trends in Theory and Research. Ed. C.D. SpeilbergerNew York: Academic Press.
27.
Kanwar, Rajesh, J.C. Olson and L. Simms.1981. "Toward Conceptualizing and Measuring Cognitive Structures." In Advances in Consumer Research 8. Ed. K. Monroe.Ann Arbor, Minn.: Association for Consumer Research.
28.
Leigh, Thomas.1981. "The Effect of Nonverbal Cues on Industrial Buyers' Perceptions During the Initial Sales Call." Dissertation. Indiana University .
29.
Linville, Patricia.1982. "Affective Consequences of Complexity Regarding the Self and Others." In Affect andCognition. Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum and Associates.
30.
McArthur, Leslie Z.1982. "Judging a Book by Its Cover: A Cognitive Analysis of the Relationship Between Physical Appearance and Stereotyping." In Cognitive Social Psychology. Eds. A.H. Hastorf and A.M. Isen. New York, N.Y.: Elsevier North Holland, Inc.
31.
Maddi, Salvatore R.1968. "The Pursuit of Consistency and Variety." In Theories of Cognitive Consistency. Eds. R.P. Abelson , et. al. Chicago, Ill.: Rand McNally.
32.
Muncy, J.1987. "Physiological Responses of Consumer Emotions: Theory, Methods, and Implications for Consumer Research." In AMA Educator's Proceedings 53: 127-132. Eds. S.P. Douglas, et. al.
33.
Peterson, R. and M. Sauber.1983. "A Mood Scale for Survey Research." In AMA Educator's Proceedings 49. Eds. P. Murphy, et. al. Chicago, Ill.: L. Erlbaum and Associates.
34.
Petty, Richard E. and John T. Cacioppo .1979. "Issue Involvement Can Increase or Decrease Persuasion by Enhancing Message-Relevant Cognitive Responses." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology5: 173-176.
35.
Saliagas, Dena Tometz.1984. "An Investigation of the Affective Response: Applications to Advertising Communications." Dissertation. University of Houston.
36.
Sheth, Jagdish N.1973. "A Model of Industrial Buyer Behavior." Journal of Marketing37 (October): 50-56.
37.
Simon, H.A.1982. Comments. In Affect and Cognition. Ed. M.S. Clark. Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum and Associates.
38.
Smith, Mary John.1982. Persuasion and Human Action: A Review and Critique of Social Influence Theories. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Publishing Co.
39.
Taylor, Shelley E. and Jennifer Crocker .1981. "Schematic Bases of Social Information Processing." In Social Cognition: The Ontario Symposium. Eds. E.T. Higgins, C.P. Herman, and M.P. Zanna.Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
40.
Upah, Gregory D. (1980). "Applying the Concept of Perceived Risk to Buying Influence in Industrial Firms," in Advances in Consumer Research, Jerry C. Olson, ed., Atlanta: Association for Consumer Research, 381-386.
41.
Webster, Frederick E. and Yoram Wind.1972. "A General Model for Understanding Organizational Buying Behavior." Journal of Marketing36 (April): 12-19.
42.
Weinstein, Sidney.1980. "Brain Wave Analysis in Attitude Research: Past, Present, and Future." In Attitude Research Enters the 80's. Ed. Richard W. Olshavsky.Chicago, Ill.: American Marketing Association:41-47.
43.
—, Curt Weinstein, and Ronald Drozdenko .1984. "Brain Wave Analysis: An Electroencephalographic Technique Used for Evaluating the Communications-Effect of Advertising." Psychology and Marketing1(Spring): 17-42.
44.
Weitz, B.A.1979. "A Critical Review of Personal Selling Research: The Need for a Contingency Approach." In Critical Issues in Sales Management: State-of-the Art and Future Needs Eds. G. Albaum and G. Churchill.Eugene, Ore. : University of Oregon, College of Business Administration .
45.
— (1981). "Effectiveness in Sales Interactions: A Contingency Framework," Journal of Marketing, 45 (Winter): 85-103.
46.
Wyer, Robert S., Jr. and Thomas K. Srull .1981. "Category Accessibility: Some Theoretical and Empirical Issues Concerning the Processing of Social Stimulus Information." In Social Cognition: The Ontario Symposium. Eds. E.T. Higgins, C.P. Herman, and M.P. Zanna.Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates.
