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8The Buying Process and Buyer Behavior

MANNING AHEARNE REECE© Pearson Education Limited 2014

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the meaning of a customer strategy

• Explain the difference between consumer and business buyers

• Understand the importance of alignment between the selling process and the customer’s buying process

• Understand the buying process of the transactional, consultative, and strategic alliance buyer

• Discuss the various influences that shape customer buying decisions

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• Use the Internet to get instant, comprehensive information

• Have immense choices from every corner of the world

• Can get real-time price comparisons

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Today’s Customers

• Jerry Acuff, author of Stop Acting Like a Seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer, says, • “In order to think like a buyer, salespeople must

understand the buying process and focus on what the customer is looking for.”

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Jerry Says… On Customer Strategy

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• A customer strategy is a carefully conceived plan that results in understanding the customer’s perceptions and maximizing customer satisfactions and responsiveness.

• It requires that salespeople • Understand the buying process• Understand buyer behavior• Develop a prospect base

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What is a Customer Strategy?

• Purchase for individual or household consumption

• Decisions made by one

• Purchase based on brand reputation or personal recommendation

• Purchase based on emotion

• Buyer may have little product experience

• Purchase for something other than personal consumption

• Decisions made by many

• Decisions made to meet precise technical specs

• Purchase is rational

• Decision may be slow and complex

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Figure 8.2 B2C and B2B Buyers

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Types of Business Buying Situations

New-Task Buy

Straight Rebuy

Modified Rebuy

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Types of Consumer Buying Situations

Habitual

Variety-Seeking

Complex Buying

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• Needs awareness

• Evaluation of solutions

• Resolution of problems

• Purchase

• Implementation

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Steps in the Typical Buying Process

Consultative Sales Process

• Needs discovery

• Product selection

• Need satisfaction

• Service

Six-Step Presentation Process

• Approach

• Needs discovery

• Presentation

• Negotiations

• Close

• Service

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Steps in Sales Processes

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Buyer Process

• Needs awareness

• Evaluation of solutions

• Resolution of problems

• Purchase

• Implementation

Sales Process

• Approach

• Needs discovery

• Presentation

• Negotiations

• Close

• Service

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You as Buyer, You as Seller

• Why should I buy?

• What should I buy?

• Where should I buy?

• What is a fair price?

• When should I buy?

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Figure 8.4 Buyer Resolution Theory

5 Theory

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Figure 8.5 The Buyer Behavior Model

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Figure 8.6 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

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Group Influences Affecting Buying

Role Reference Group

Social Class Culture

• Emotional versus Rational Buying

• Patronage versus Product Buying

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Buying Motives

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Figure 8.8 Creating Value through the Buying Process Model

• In Japan, decisions are made by group process

• In China, a senior negotiator leads

• In Germany, even for routine decisions, top level leads

• In Latin America, relationship building occurs before negotiations

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Buying Processes Differ by Culture

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• What is a customer strategy?

• How are consumer buyers different from business buyers?

• How can we align the selling process with the customer’s buying process?

• How does the buying process differ for transactional, consultative, or strategic alliance buyers?

• How do needs and group influences matter in customer buying decisions?

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