PKM: A pendulum for consultative-relational selling

Abstract

Marketing and knowledge management convergence is a key trend of 21st century competitive business environment, in which, key account managers play an important strategic organisational role due to their blended expertise: technical (organisational and personal knowledge) and relational (trust and ethical behaviour). Although it remains a mystery how their personal knowledge is a key assumption for achieving long term results with customers, namely in consultative-relational selling. This manuscript aims to explore the importance of personal knowledge management in consultative-relational selling (pendulum), and to promote a plausible justification the authors will shed some light over Aureliano Pinheiro MPhil research project (consultative-relational selling influence over customer loyalty in Portuguese luxury hotels and resorts). Thus, the paper recognizes seven sections: research project (aims and objectives, as well as, framing the discussion); case study (an overview, role of theory and role of researcher); customer loyalty (concept and the bond to selling); consultative sale (concept, technical issues and relational issues); relational selling (concept, trust and ethical behaviour); personal knowledge management; pendulum; a metaphorical discussion (the pendulum metaphor and empirical evidences).