Single versus multiple salesforce go-to-market strategy: the impact of sales orientation on conflict, salesperson-owned loyalty and buyer-exit propensity

Purpose Drawing on the organizational buying decision-making framework, the purpose of this study is to investigate how sales orientation (SOCO) affects buyers' conflict, salesperson-owned loyalty and buyers' propensity to end a supply relationship when selling firms use a single versus multiple salesforce go-to-market strategy. Design/methodology/approach Survey data was analyzed with a sample of organizational buyers. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. Findings Findings reveal that a selling firm's go-to-market salesforce strategy moderates certain relational aspects of the buyer-salesperson relationship, consequently influencing a buyer's decision to end a supply relationship. Research limitations/implications Empirically, these findings indicate that the effects of selling orientation on conflict, salesperson-owned loyalty and exit intentions are not only based on the salesperson's efforts but are conditional on the selling firm's go-to-market strategy, particularly with the implementation of multiple salespeople selling to a particular industrial buyer. Practical implications These results suggest that a salesforce go-to-market strategy conveys serious consequences on buying decisions. Given that a go-to-market strategy involving multiple salespeople impacts the buyer's relationship with the selling firm to a greater degree, managerial oversight must remain present when selling firms decide to pursue such a go-to-market strategy. Originality/value The empirical investigation of a salesforce go-to-market strategy is an original pursuit. Specifically, this study shows that while it is critical that buying and selling firms monitor buyer-salesperson relationships as the basis for supply partnerships, these exchanges are largely contingent on the selling firm's go-to-market strategy.