1. CHAPTER 8
The Buying Process and Buyer Behavior

2. Learning Objectives Discuss the meaning of a customer strategy
Explain the difference between consumer and organizational buyers
Understand the importance of alignment between the selling process and the customer’s buying process

3. Learning Objectives
Understand the buying process of the transactional, consultative, and strategic alliance buyer
Discuss the various influences that shape customer buying decisions

4. Customer Strategy Defined
“A customer strategy is a carefully conceived plan that results in maximum customer responsiveness. One major dimension of this strategy is to achieve a better understanding of the customer’s buying needs and motives.”

5. Strategic/Consultative Selling Model
FIGURE
8.1

6. Complex Nature of Customer Behavior
Individual customers perceive the product in their own terms
The customer is a person, not a statistic
Companies that fully accept this basic truth are likely to adopt a one-to-one marketing strategy

7. Consumer versus Organizational Buyers
Consumer buyer behavior refers to the buying behavior of individuals and households who buy goods and services for personal consumption
Business (organizational) buyer behavior refers to the organizations that buy goods and services for use in the production of other products and services that are sold, rented, or supplied to others

8. Differences Between Consumer and Organizational Buyers
FIGURE
8.2

9. Types of Organizational Buying Situations
New-task buy
Salespeople rely on consultative selling skills
Straight rebuy
Salespeople constantly monitor satisfaction
Modified rebuy
Salespeople can provide service and anticipate changes
Systems selling

10. Types of Consumer Buying Situations
Habitual buying situations
Variety-seeking buying situations
Complex buying situations

11. Mitchells/Richards
See Mitchells Website
See the Hug Your Customers Website
Salespeople at Mitchells/Richards work hard to discover the customer’s needs and provide outstanding service after the sale.

12. Achieving Alignment
The buying process is a systematic series of actions, or a series of defined, repeatable steps, intended to achieve a result
Salespeople need to be clear on how decisions are being made
Acquire specific information rather than making generalizations about the buyer’s decision-making process

13. Steps in the Buying Process
FIGURE
8.3

14. Steps in the Buying Process
Need awareness
Salespeople can create value by determining problems and identifying solutions
Evaluation of solutions
Salespeople can create value by providing useful information
Resolution of problems

15. Steps in the Buying Process
Purchase
Salespeople create value by arranging financing or supervising delivery and installation
Implementation
Value creation involves timely delivery, superior installation, accurate invoicing, or follow-up contacts by the salesperson

16. Understanding Buying Processes
Transactional process buyers
Salespeople can eliminate any unnecessary costs or delays
Consultative process buyers
Salespeople focus attention on needs awareness and help customer evaluate solutions
Strategic alliance process buyers
Companies team up to gain mutual competitive advantage

17. Buyer Resolution Theory

18. Customer Strategy Model
FIGURE
8.5

19. Basic Needs—Maslow Physiological: food, shelter
Security: free from danger
Social: identification with social groups, friendship
Esteem: desire to feel worthy in eyes of others
Self-actualization: need for mastery, self-fulfillment
FIGURE
8.6

20. Group Influences
FIGURE
8.7

21. Group Influences Role: expectations associated with position
Reference groups: categories of people you see yourself belonging to
Social class: group with similar values, interests, lifestyles
Culture: influences of group with common language, environment, also subcultures

22. Buying Motives
A buying motive is an aroused need, drive, or desire that stimulates behavior to satisfy the aroused need
It’s helpful to discover the “dominant buying motive” or DBM
Four basic motive types—emotional, rational, patronage, and product

23. Emotional and Rational Motives
Acts due to passion or sentiment
Emotional appeals common
If two products are identical, the salesperson who “connects” has the advantage
Rational
Acts on reason or judgment
Relatively free of emotion
Salespeople gather, interpret, and disseminate customer-specific information
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Eduation, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

24. Patronage and Product Motives
Buy from a particular firm
Past experience positive
Relevant elements: superior service, product selection, competent sales staff
Product
Buyer believes one product is superior to others
Preferences for: specific brands, quality, price, design/engineering
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

25. Rational Buying Motives
See the Website

26. Selling NASCAR in Manhattan
See the Website

27. Creating Value Throughout the Buying Process Model
FIGURE
8.8

28. Key Concept Discussion Questions
Discuss the meaning of customer strategy
Explain the difference between consumer and business buyers
Explain the importance of alignment between the selling process and the customer’s buying process

29. Key Concept Discussion Questions
Discuss the buying process of the transactional, consultative, and strategic alliance buyer
Discuss the various influencers that shape customer buying decisions

30. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.  
Publishing as Prentice Hall