EOC WEEK 4: Business vs. consumer buying behavior

Business buying behavior is a lot different than consumer buying behavior. With consumer buying behavior it is more personal. Factors that affect this include cultural, social, and personal. Whereas with business buying behavior choices are made more for the benefit of the company. In the article that we read about GE and its selling of products to business there are good examples that differentiate both consumer and business buying behavior. GE is a well-known company that sells great home appliances but a thing I learned is that they also sell a variety of non-consumer products.” Did you know that GE’s consumer products contribute less than one-third of the company’s total $183 billion in annual sales? To the surprise of many, most of GE’s business comes not from final consumers but from commercial and industrial customers across a wide range of industries.” (Marketing and introduction pg 158). Business purchases take a little more thought than a normal consumer would have to take to purchase let’s say a car. “Also, with GE’s business customers, buying decisions are much more complex. An average consumer buying a refrigerator might do a little online research and then pop out to the local Best Buy to compare models before buying one. In contrast, buying a batch of jet engines involves a tortuously long buying process, dozens or even hundreds of decision makers from all levels of the buying organization, and layer upon layer of subtle and not-so-subtle buying influences.” (Marketing and introduction pg 158). I think businesses have a much longer thought process because they are buying products to help out their very own business and be able to cater to their own consumers. They in think tend to look at the bigger picture compared to a regular consumer.