Communication Skills of the Salesperson

What it measures

A three-item scale measuring a customer's perception of the communication competence of a salesperson — specifically their ability to convey information clearly and understandably. Items assess clarity of the salesperson's explanations, the comprehensibility of what they said, and overall clear communication. Developed alongside the Customer Orientation of the Salesperson scale (COSP) in research on dyadic salesperson-customer interactions.

Response format

7-point Likert

Scale items

• The salesperson explained things clearly.
• The salesperson communicated in an understandable way.
• The salesperson communicated clearly.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Single alpha: α = .85 — Ryari, Alavi & Wieseke (2021; customer data from 291 dyadic interactions in a retail furniture chain). VALIDITY: CFA confirmed convergent and discriminant validity alongside companion scales. Same paper as Customer Orientation of the Salesperson (COSP, ID 2061).

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Ryari, Hanane, Sascha Alavi, and Jan Wieseke (2021). Selling to active customers: The benefits and challenges of customer engagement initiation in personal selling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49(2), 214–234.

Keywords