166 The Marketing Book
and goals. No single model adequately explains
all the complexities of the organizational buy-
ing process and this in itself is a warning
against any attempt to construct simplistic
models. However, taken together, the complex
models provide a framework for empirical
research into the buying process, as each of the
relevant areas is treated with different empha-
sis in each model.
The marketer can no longer presume that
the company will be a sole or dominant
supplier forever. Companies can use theory and
tools such as relationship portfolio analysis and
key account management to determine their
marketing strategy, which existing relation-
ships must be maintained and strengthened to
protect against growing competitive pressures.
Equally important, to survive in the increas-
ingly international competitive environment of
the next decade, suppliers must aggressively
seek to establish new relationships both in
domestic and foreign markets.
These twin strategies – defending the
existing customer base and proactively seeking
new accounts – have a common fundamental
requirement, the knowledge and understand-
ing of how purchasing takes place in
organizations.
Understanding the dynamics of organiza-
tional buying behaviour is essential to all major
strategic and tactical planning in business-to-
business marketing, the identification of profit-
able segments and motivating those individuals
with product and service offerings appropriate
to their needs. Thus, every action of the
business-to-business marketer is based on the
probable response of organizational buyers in
relation to adaptations of price, product, dis-
tribution, advertising and promotion.
Business-to-business marketing is charac-
terized by complex interaction processes, both
within the marketing and purchasing com-
panies and between these companies. High
technological and financial dependencies are
common to business-to-business markets.
These dependencies lead to extensive involve-
ment and interchange over long time periods.
Due to the complex multidisciplinary and
multifaceted nature of the buying process, the
aim of researchers to develop comprehensive
but testable and normative models is still not
yet fully achieved.References
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