A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
'Have you insured yourself in any way?' Salespersons' mapping questions and their follow-ups in insurance sales negotiations
Authors: Niemi, Jarkko; Heinonen, Pilvi
Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
Publishing place: THOUSAND OAKS
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Discourse and Communication
Journal name in source: DISCOURSE & COMMUNICATION
Journal acronym: DISCOURSE COMMUN
Number of pages: 22
ISSN: 1750-4813
eISSN: 1750-4821
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/17504813241270377
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1177/17504813241270377
This study examines how insurance salespeople employ a mapping question to promote life insurance as an additional service to their customers. The mapping question serves a double function, asking about the customer's situation and creating a context in which transaction-related negotiation is projected to occur. Applying conversation analysis to study video-recorded insurance meetings in Finland, we explore how the mapping question is designed according to the customer's estimated fit with the target group criteria and their assumed level of understanding of life insurance. We also discuss the trajectories of the negotiation after the customer's response that expresses interest, conveys hesitation, or rejects the offer. It was found that only a customer's justified blocking response forestalls further life insurance promotion. The study contributes to the research on questions as agenda-driving actions in institutional interaction and to the literature on question-answer sequences in service encounters.
Funding information in the publication:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by Business Finland under Grant 3571/31/2015.
