Influencing organizational buying behavior – a catalyst to building relationships
The paper is in the area of ‘Industrial Marketing’. It tries to explore the various methods, strategies and its importance in influencing organizational buying behavior in favor of the marketers particularly in situations of equal value of offerings of competitive suppliers in the rational sense, and thereby building a mutually beneficial buyer-seller relationship. Proper understanding of the buying behavior of the organizations by marketers help to develop competitiveness. There are non-rational influences, which are non-task oriented and non-economic in nature. These are concerned with emotional motives and behavioral aspects of the human beings at the workplace. The marketing strategies also need to address the non-task objectives of the customers so that an element of USP (Unique Selling Proposition) can be introduced for differentiating their offering from the offerings of other suppliers. Some studies have indicated that informal influence has a significant effect of perceived risk. It may reduce the risk. The unique strategies of buyer-seller interactions, most importantly, need to address the non-task dimensions of the buying behavior. The model developed in the paper explains the role, importance and method of influencing customers’ buying behavior by the marketers which, in turn, acts as a catalyst in accelerating and ensuring a longstanding mutually beneficial relationship between the buyer and the seller. It is imperative for all marketers to consider the rational influences in order to gain eligibility and accessibility but their strategies also need an element of uniqueness in order to have a competitive edge over other suppliers.