Buying Procedure: Prof Sameer

Kulkarni.
Consumers are taking their own time to decide the buying of any goods or services
as it is motivated

For thinking and assessing various factors before they actually buy the
goods.Durability, the perception about the goods, the risk involved and the
purchase location are the main factors contributing in this process. Buyer’s
perception is regulated by both internal set of criteria and the exposure to the
external world. In case of less exposed buyers the perception becomes very
skeptical and difficult to cop up in line with the expected behavior. The following
flow diagram shows the stages involved in the buying process.

Need Felt Need Product

Class Class Brand/Mo
del

Percei Price
ved Decision

Actual Retailer/
Purchase
Distributor

Utility
Value of
the

The occasion at which a consumer feels that the goods are their need is very
important and is different for each person. Personality types namely introvert,
extrovert may decide the exact look towards the situation. A rich (one who can
afford) may not tolerate inconvenience and will get switched over in the phase of
‘Need Felt’ comparatively in less span of time to that of an economically less
empowered person. Thus a marketer has to locate exact points contributing at the
various stages of buying.

There are three such sets are available, Psychological variables, Social stimuli have
and factors prevailing at the purchase situation.
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Durability of goods need more purchase time and generally it is purchased after
relevant information is analyzed by the consumers. As durability carries a string of
additional perceived risk and it is considered to be a permanent change, Additional
degree of complexity is plunged to it when the element of quality is added as a
parameter of comparison. In case of durable products the evaluation of these
criteria are done by almost all the members of a family. It has been observed that
for expensive and durable products men take decisions in 2/3rd cases.(Davis &
Rigaux study 1974: the roles played by Husband & wife)

It would be seen that some factors & characteristics play an important role to result
in the purchase of particular brand or product.

The buying of a product is a transaction between the exception of buyer and

delivery attributes by the seller and the buying takes place exactly when the two
sided creates a situational harmonized balance. It is displayed in the following
diagram.

Therefore one has to study the role of following factors in the buying process, they
are,

A) Buyer’s Characteristics

B) Product’s Characteristics

C) Seller’s Characteristics

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 D) Situational Factors

All these factors are interrelated & buying process takes place only if the four
factors are present & interact positively to result in a purchase.

Let’s consider an individual considering the purchase of a new automobile. This is,
for most people, a highly considered purchase. The potential automobile customer
may have a preference profile like the one below with a number of emotive and
functional components that must be met for preference to form.

Notice that the evaluation experience, is not simply focused on the performance
and reliability issues of the automobile; but also on how the customer is treated and
that the emotive elements of customer treatment can be as clearly defined and
measured as the functional components of the automobile. However, just as
different individuals want different types of automobiles with different functional
capabilities; different people have different emotive demands as well.

The key to understanding customer preference is to understand how many

evaluation experiences exist within a single market, what the mix of emotive and
functional attributes are with each experience, and which of the attributes provide
the greatest return on investment, that is, comprise a preference demand that is a
requirement within several of the identified customer segments. Such
understanding requires both qualitative and quantitative rigor.

There are three set of factors involved in the decision making:

A) Buyer’s characteristics
B) Product’s Characteristics
C) Seller’s Characteristics
D) Situational factors

• Buyer’s characteristics: The needs and wants of a particular consumer group

will depend on cultural, social, personal & psychological factors which

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 influence buying behavior. Cultural factor includes cultural background,
religion, raring etc.

• Product’s Characteristics: Product characteristics are attributes, features,

style, brand image, quality, realibility, packaging & product performance.

The price of the product and product value are the prime consideration for
majority of the consumers. For affluent and high income category non price
product features which enhance their life style & status are considered on the
top.

• Seller’s Characteristics: This includes majority of all characteristics

enhancing trust and eliminating the perceived risk element involved in the
transaction. After sales service, Authorization status of the seller and
confidence in the possibility of replacement etc are contributing dominantly.
All such elements are largely the elements of augmented section of the
product.

• Situational factors: this category belongs to the points prevailing at the exact
situation of buying. They are need based, want (form) based, opportunity based
etc.

The following diagram is representing the interconnecting links and the feed back
loop involved in the decision of buying.
Marketing
Other
Mix
Psychologi Stimuli Purchase
Social
cal
Influence Situation
Motivation Need based reasons
Family
Perception Want based reasons
Social Class
Learning Opportunity based
Reference
reasons
Attitude Group

Time
Lag Need-Want
Awareness
4
 Search
Postpone Information
Evaluatio Set Criteria of Evaluate
n alternative Solutions
Marketing
Decide on Solution info

Of Product
& services
&
Purchase a Product

Post Purchase
Dissatisfacti
on Behaviour
Need-Want Positive
Criteria Evaluation

Positive
Negativ
The time and individual involvement in the procedure of response
buying is dependent on the
e objective to be achieved there are three set of such expected motives,
expected
Brand Loyalty/
a) Limited problem solving
Product Loyalty
b) Extensive problem solving, and

c) Routine problem solving.