The purchase process is initiated when a consumer becomes aware of a need. This awareness may come from an internal source such as hunger or an external source such as marketing communications. Awareness of such a need motivates the consumer to search for information about options with which to fulfill the need. This information can come from personal sources, commercial sources, public or government sources, or the consumer’s own experience. Once alternatives have been identified through these sources, consumers evaluate the options, paying particular attention to those attributes the consumer considers most important. Evaluation culminates with a purchase decision, but the buying process does not end here. In fact, marketers point out that a purchase represents the beginning, not the end, of a consumer’s relationship with a company. After a purchase has been made, a satisfied consumer is more likely to purchase another company product and to say positive things about the company or its product to other potential purchasers. The opposite is true for dissatisfied consumers. Because of this fact, many companies continue to communicate with their customers after a purchase in an effort to influence post-purchase satisfaction and behaviour.

For example, a plumber may be motivated to consider buying a new set of tools to replace tools that are getting rusty. To gather information about what kind of new tool set to buy, this plumber may examine the tools of a colleague who just bought a new set, read advertisements in plumbing trade magazines, and visit different stores to examine the sets available. The plumber then processes all the information collected, focusing perhaps on durability as one of the most important attributes. In making a particular purchase, the plumber initiates a relationship with a particular tool company. This company may try to enhance post-purchase loyalty and satisfaction by sending the plumber promotions about new tools.

Business customers, also known as industrial customers, purchase products or services to use in the production of other products. Such industries include agriculture, manufacturing, construction, transportation, and communication, among others. They differ from consumer markets in several respects. Because the customers are organizations, the market tends to have fewer and larger buyers than consumer markets. This often results in closer buyer-seller relationships, because those who operate in a market must depend more significantly on one another for supply and revenue. Business customers also are more concentrated; for instance, in the United States more than half of the country’s business buyers are concentrated in only seven states. Demand for business goods is derived demand, which means it is driven by a demand for consumer goods. Therefore, demand for business goods is more volatile, because variations in consumer demand can have a significant impact on business-goods demand. Business markets are also distinctive in that buyers are professional purchasers who are highly skilled in negotiating contracts and maximizing efficiency. In addition, several individuals within the business usually have direct or indirect influence on the purchasing process.

Although business customers are affected by the same cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors that influence consumer customers, the business arena imposes other factors that can be even more influential. First, there is the economic environment, which is characterized by such factors as primary demand, economic forecast, political and regulatory developments, and the type of competition in the market. In a highly competitive market such as airline travel, firms may be concerned about price and therefore make purchases with a focus on saving money. In markets where there is more differentiation among competitors—e.g., in the hotel industry—many firms may make purchases with a focus on quality rather than on price.

Second, there are organizational factors, which include the objectives, policies, procedures, structures, and systems that characterize any particular company. Some companies are structured in such a way that purchases must pass through a complex system of checks and balances, while other companies allow purchasing managers to make more individual decisions. Interpersonal factors are more salient among business customers, because the participants in the buying process—perhaps representing several departments within a company—often have different interests, authority, and persuasiveness. Furthermore, the factors that affect an individual in the business buying process are related to the participant’s role in the organization. These factors include job position, risk attitudes, and income.

The business buying process mirrors the consumer buying process, with a few notable exceptions. Business buying is not generally need-driven and is instead problem-driven. A business buying process is usually initiated when someone in the company sees a problem that needs to be solved or recognizes a way in which the company can increase profitability or efficiency. The ensuing process follows the same pattern as that of consumers, including information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post-purchase evaluation. However, in part because business purchase decisions require accountability and are often closely analyzed according to cost and efficiency, the process is more systematic than consumer buying and often involves significant documentation. Typically, a purchasing agent for a business buyer will generate documentation regarding product specifications, preferred supplier lists, requests for bids from suppliers, and performance reviews.