The Buyer Decision Process

The Buyer Decision Process

1. Consists of five stages.

   • Need Recognition
     • The buying process starts with need recognition. The buyer recognizes a problem or need.
     • The need can be triggered by internal stimuli when one of the person's normal needs hunger, thirst, sex rises to a level high enough to become a drive.
     • A need can be triggered by external stimuli.
   • Information Search
     • An interested consumer may or may not search for more information.
     • If the consumer's drive is strong and a satisfying product is near at hand, the consumer is likely to buy it then.
     • If not, the consumer may store the need in memory or undertake an information search related to the need.
     • The consumer can obtain from any of several sources.
       • Personal sources (family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances)
         • Commercial sources (advertising, salespeople, dealers, packaging, displays)
           • Public sources (mass media, consumer-rating organizations)
             • Experiential sources (handling, examining, using the product)
   • Evaluation of alternatives
     • The marketer needs to know about alternative evaluation that is, how the consumer processes information to arrive at brand choices.
       • How consumers go about evaluating purchase alternatives depends on the individual consumer and the specific buying situation.
   • Purchase Decision
     • Generally, the consumer's purchase decision will be to buy the most preferred brand, but two factors can come between the purchase intention and the purchase decision.
       • The second factor is unexpected situational factors.
         • Unexpected events may change the purchase intention
   • Postpurchase behavior
     • After purchaasing the product, the consumer will be satisfied or dissatisfied.
       • Relationship between the consumer's expectations and the product's perceived performance.
         • All major purchases result in cognitive dissonance, or discomfort caused by postpurchase conflict.
           • Satisfaction is important because a company's sales come from two basic groups and new customers and retained customers.