Consumer Buying Behavior

The four type of consumer buying behavior are:
1. Routine Response/Programmed Behavior--buying low involvement frequently purchased low cost

items; need very little search and decision effort; purchased almost automatically. Examples include
soft drinks, snack foods, milk etc.
2. Limited Decision Making--buying product occasionally. When you need to obtain information
about unfamiliar brand in a familiar product category, perhaps. Requires a moderate amount of
time for information gathering. Examples include Clothes--know product class but not the brand.
3. Extensive Decision Making - Complex high involvement, unfamiliar, expensive and/or infrequently
bought products. High degree of economic/performance/psychological risk. Examples include cars,
homes, computers, education. Spend a lot of time seeking information and deciding. Information
from the companies MM; friends and relatives, store personnel etc. Go through all six stages of the
buying process.
4. Impulse buying, no conscious planning. The purchase of the same product does not always elicit
the same Buying Behavior. Product can shift from one category to the next.
For example: Going out for dinner for one person may be extensive decision making (for someone
that does not go out often at all), but limited decision making for someone else. The reason for the
dinner, whether it is an anniversary celebration, or a meal with a couple of friends will also
determine the extent of the decision making.
Steps of Business Buying Process

Business buying process is quite different from the consumer buying process, because in this case the
business market is involved in different set of characteristics and demands. The companies doing business
in business markets adopt separate marketing strategies.
The business buying process is split into eight stages. The new task buying contains all of these steps
whereas the straight or modified rebuy may skip some of them. These stages are as follows.
1. Problem Recognition
In the first stage of business buying process, a certain problem is recognized by someone in the
organization, so that it can be solved through the purchase of any new product or service. The
external or internal stimuli result in the creation of such recognized problem. In case of internal
stimuli, the management of the organization may determine to manufacture a new product or any
production machine become damaged that needs certain new parts. Another internal reason may
be that the supplier is not providing effective goods at a fair price. On the other hand the external
elements may be in the form of any new idea of a product at a trade show or seeing new
advertisements or any favorable offering by a sales person etc.
2. Description of General Need
This stage starts when a clear need has been identified by the organization. In this step description
about the general need has been prepared which shows general characteristics and the quantity of
the required product. In case of simple items, this process is linear whereas in case of complex
items in the process involves a team of buyer, engineers and other professionals who work
together to agree on the desired product. The significance of reliability, price, durability and other
features are ranked for the desired product or service by the team.
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3. Specification of the Product
In this stage, the organization that is involved in the business buying process prepares a detailed list
of the technical specifications of the desired product through value analysis conducted by the
engineering team. In value analysis, careful studies are made to determine the cost reduction
production process for the redesigning or standardization of the desired product or service. The
professional team covers the best features and characteristics required in purchasing the product.
The selling organizations can also use this step to increase their sales.
4. Search of Supplier
In this step of the business buying process, the buying organization searches the suppliers in order
to make a purchase with the best one. For this purpose a list of competitive vendors is prepared by
the buying organization through the use of supplier directories, aid of a computer (internet), or
contacting other organization for obtaining of recommended names. The internet is increasingly
becoming a platform for such searching now-a-days as most of the organizations are entering into
this virtual world.
5. Proposal
In this stage the suppliers are asked to submit their proposals. In some cases, some suppliers send
only their salespersons or simple catalogs. But when the desired product is expensive and complex
than proper formal presentations and detailed written proposals are required from the qualified
suppliers. The marketers of the business organizations should also be skillful in writing and
presentation of business proposals to the buying organizations.
6. Selection of Supplier
At this stage the final supplier is selected from the list of potential suppliers who have submitted
their proposals to the buying organization. The selection team of the buying organization reviews
the proposals of all suppliers and list the offered attributed on the basis of the rank of importance.
Following are some of the main attributes that serve as the basis for the selection of potential
suppliers.
 Quality of product
 Delivery time
 Ethical corporate behavior
 Reasonable price
 Honest communication
 Past performance and reputation
 Repair and maintenance services etc
7. Order-Routine Specification
The order-routine specifications are prepared in this step which contains the order having a final list
of the specifications, the selected supplier, delivery time, quantity required, price and repair and
maintenance services etc.
8. Performance Review
This is the last stage of the business buying process in which the performance of the supplier is
reviewed by the buying organization. For this purpose the buying organization contacts with the
customers or users of the purchased product and ask them to provide their experience of using that
product.
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Meaning Of Buying Motives of Consumers
There are different kinds of consumers. So, their wants and needs are also different. They buy goods or
services to satisfy their needs.
Hence, the causes and factors which stimulate consumer to buy certain goods or services is called buying
motives.
In fact, the motivating factor to direct consumer behavior is buying motives.
Classification Of Buying Motives
Different scholars have classified buying motives of consumers in differently. We can classify the buying
motives in the following way:
1. Emotional Buying Motive

Emotional buying motive depends on the emotion, feeling and attitude of the consumers. This type of
motive is purely a psychological aspect of a person. This type of buying motive may be different from
person to person. Under this include:
 Fear
 Love and affection
 Curiosity
 Fashion
 Possession
2. Rational Buying Motive

All the consumers do not buy any goods or services with emotional motive. They become thoughtful,
consider carefully their needs, priority, financial capacity etc. study and analyze the necessity, utility, price
etc. of the goods or services. Then they make final decision to buy or not. The consumers become logical,
rational, apt and knowledgeable. Such quality of the customers can be seen in their buying decision. The
customers buy goods or services considering cheapness, health and security, utility, comfortable etc.
3. Prestige Motive
Prestige motive is related with the want of consumers for promotion of self-image and protection of their
ego. Under this, vanity and pride are motives of consumers.
4. Patronage Motive
Patronage motive describes why certain customers buy specific brand goods, but not other brands and
always buy necessary goods only from particular shop. So, under this motive include brand loyalty and
store loyalty.
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The four type of consumer buying behavior are:

1. Routine Response/Programmed Behavior--buying low involvement frequently purchased low cost

Steps of Business Buying Process

In fact, the motivating factor to direct consumer behavior is buying motives.

Classification Of Buying Motives

1. Emotional Buying Motive

2. Rational Buying Motive

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