PERSONAL SELLING SKILLS AND BUSINESS PERFORMANCE OF BOUTIQUE OWNERS IN PORT HARCOURT

C. Igani (Ph.D); Ohalete, Stella Chiaka; Ohalete, Emmanuel Athan Uchenna

Authors

C. Igani (Ph.D) Department of Marketing, Ignatius Ajuru university of Education, Port Harcourt
Ohalete, Stella Chiaka Department of Marketing, Ignatius Ajuru university of Education, Port Harcourt
Ohalete, Emmanuel Athan Uchenna Department of Marketing, Ignatius Ajuru university of Education, Port Harcourt

Abstract

This study critically analyzed the relationship between Personal Selling Skills and Business Performance of Boutique Owners in Port Harcourt. The analysis was carried out with the help of two (2) research questions and two (2) hypotheses formulated to guide the paper in addition to the correlation research design which was chosen for thorough research. Furthermore the study obtained effective response from sixty (60) registered boutique owners in Port Harcourt which made up the entire population of the study. The census approach was also adopted. The data collected through primary source (the questionnaire) was critically analyzed and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was employed to test the hypotheses formulated through the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 26. The result was that Empathy had significant and positive relationship with Sales Volume Growth and Customer Satisfaction. In conclusion, the positive relationship between Personal Selling Skills and Business Performance suggests that boutique owners who actively engage clients with personal selling skills are better positioned to enhance their service offerings. Recommendations include; Boutique owners should establish or adopt formal systems for relating, analysing, and acting on personal selling skills. There should be a system of utilizing customer feedback on daily basis which will improve customer satisfaction, builds trust, and help increase brand awareness. Investment should be made into comprehensive training programs for all employees, focusing on the importance of personal selling skills and customer service excellence.