Business Buying Behavior

If we describe the business buyer behavior, them we find four questions. Which are:
a. What buying decision do business buyers make?
b. Who participates in the buying process?
c. What are the major influences on buyers?
d. How do business buyers make their buying decisions?
These questions answer are discussed below:
A. Major types of buying situation: There are three major types of buying situation. These are:
• Straight rebuy: Straight rebuy is a business buying situation in which the buyer routinely recorders something without any modifications.
• Modified rebuy is a buying situation in which the wants to modify product specifications, prices, terms or suppliers.
• New task: New task is a business buying situation in which the buyer purchases a product or service for the first time.
B. Participants in the business buying process: The trillions of Taka worth of goods and services needed by business organization. The decision making unit of a buying organization is calle buying center. The buying center includes all members of the organization who play any of the five role in the purchase decision process. They are discussed below:
• Users: Users are members of the buying organization who will actually use the purchased product or service.
• Influencers: Influencers often help define specifications and also provide information for evaluation alternatives. Naturally, the technical efficient person work as influencers.
• Buyers: Buyers have the formal authority to select the supplier and arrange term of purchase.
• Deciders: Deciders are the people of organization's buying center who have formal or informal power to select or approve the final suppliers.
• Gatekeepers: Gatekeepers are the people in the organization buying center who can control the flow of information to others. These person are technically and the level of secreterial person.
C. Major influence on business buyers: Business buyers are influenced when they make their buying decision. Various groups of influences on business are- environmental, organizational, interpersonal and individual. They are discussed below:
• Environmental factors: Business buyers are influenced by factors in the current and expected economic environment. Such as level of primary demand, the economic outlook and the cost of money.
• Organizational factors: Each buying organization has its own objectives, policies, procedures and system. The business marketer must understand the factors well.
• Interpersonal factors: The buying center usually includes many participants who influence each other. So interpersonal factors also influence the business buying process. However, it is often to difficult to assess such interpersonal factors and groups dynamics.
• Individual factors: Each participant in the business buying-decision process brings in personal motives, perceptions and preferences. These individual factors are affected by personal characteristics such as age, income, education, professional identification, personality and attitudes toward risk.
D. The business buying process: Business buyers do not buy goods and services for personal consumption. They buy goods and services to make money or to satisfy the customers. There are eight stage in the business buying process. They are discussed below:
• Problem recognition: The first stage of the business buying process in which some one in the company recognizes a problem or need that can be met by acquiring a good or service.
• General need description: The second stage is general need description, the stage ing the business buying process in which the company describes the general characteristics and quality of a needed item.
• Product specification: The next stage is product specification. The stage of the business buying process in which the buying organization decides on and specifies the best technical product characteristics for a needed item.
• Supplier search: After product specification the next stage is suppliers search. The stage of the business buying process in which the buyer tries to find the best vendors.
• Prospoal solicitation: The fifth stage is proposal solicitation. The stage of the business buying process in which the buyer invites qualified suppliers to submit proposals.
• Supplier selection: The next stage is supplier selection. The stage of the business process in which the buyer reviews proposals and rejects a supplier or suppliers.
• Order-routine specification: The seventh stage is order-routine specification. The order of the business buying process in which the buyer writes the final order with the chosen suppliers, listing the technical specifications, quantity needed, expected time of delivery, return policies and warranties.
• Performance review: The last stage is performance review. The stage of the business buying process in which the buyer rates its satisfaction with suppliers, deciding whether to continue, modify or drop them.