Industrial Buying Behavior Models

The buying decisions of industrial buyers are influenced by many factors. Usually, these are influenced by organisational factors or task-oriented  objectives viz. best product quality, or dependable delivery, or lowest price and  personal factors or non-task objectives viz. like promotion, increments, job  security, personal treatment, or  favor.   When the suppliers proposals are  substantially similar, organizational buyers can satisfy organisational objectives  with any supplier, and therefore personal factors become more important. When  suppliers offers differ significantly, industrial buyers pay more attention to  organisational factors in order to satisfy the organisational objectives. There are  two models available to provide a comprehensive and integrated picture of the  major factors that combine to explain organisational buying  behavior.… Read the rest

Buying Situations in the Industrial Marketing

There are three common types of buying situations in industrial market, which are  discussed as  follows:

1. New Purchase

The industrial buyers buy the item for the first time in this situation. The need  for a new purchase may be due to internal or external factors. For example,  when a firm decides to diversify into new purchase situations the buyers have  limited knowledge and lack of previous experience. Therefore, they have to  obtain a variety of information about the product, the suppliers, the prices and so  on. The risks are more, decisions may take longer time, and more people are  involved in decision making in the new purchase decisions.… Read the rest

Industrial Buying Process

In consumer marketing, consumers make buying decisions based on certain  mental stages such as need recognition, information search, evaluation, purchase  decision, and post-purchase  behavior. But, in industrial markets the buying  decision making process includes observable sequential stages involving many  people in the buying organisation. The understanding of these steps/phases of  buying-decision making is helpful to an industrial marketer to develop an  appropriate selling strategy.

The purchasing activities of industrial buyers consist of various steps/phases in  buying decision making process. The importance of each step depends upon the  type of buying situation. The industrial marketers should understand both (step  in decision-making process and the type of buying situations) to market the product or service.… Read the rest

Nature of Demand in Industrial Markets

The demand for industrial products and services does not survive by itself. It is  derived from the ultimate demand for consumer goods and services. Therefore,  industrial demand is called derived demand. Sometimes, the demand for  industrial product is called joint demand, when the demand for a product  depends upon its use along with the existence of other product or products.  Cross elasticity of demand exists for some substitute products in industrial  market. These concepts are detailed as follows:

Derived Demand

The single most important force in marketing of industrial products and services  is derived demand. Industrial customers buy goods and services for making the  use in producing other goods and services and finally produced product/service  sold to the consumers.… Read the rest

Application of Direct Marketing Tools in Industrial Marketing

Direct Marketing  is a recent activity that has come up and is used extensively by the  industrial marketers. The various tools used in direct marketing are direct  mails, telemarketing and online marketing channels. A direct marketing  channel does not involve any intermediary and the sale is done by the  company by directly contacting the target customer. As the cost involved  in direct marketing activity is much less compared to the cost of company  sales force directly meeting the customers, many industrial organizations  prefer this tool. This tool aids the sales force to gain entry into  prospective customer’s office where prospective customers are identified  beforehand and are informed about the company products.… Read the rest

Sales Promotion in Industrial Marketing

Sales promotion is an activity used by the industrial marketer to boost  the immediate sales of a product or service. It is used to increase the  sales by impressing the customers, rewarding them and also motivating  the sales force to get more business. There are different techniques  used in a industrial sales promotion activity like a free-sample campaign, offering  free gifts, arranging demonstrations or exhibitions, organizing  competitions with attractive prizes, temporary price reductions, door-to-door  calling, telemarketing, using personal letters, etc.

More than any other element of the promotional mix, sales promotion is  about “action”. It is about stimulating customers to buy a product.… Read the rest