Who are the participants of business buying process,under any Organization?

Who buys the trillions of dollars' worth of goods and services needed by business organizations? Purchasing agents are influential in straight-rebuy and modified-rebuy situations, whereas other department personnel are more influential in new-buy situations. Engineering personnel usually have a major influence in selecting product components, and purchasing agents dominate in SELECTING SUPPLIERS .

1. Initiators. Those who request that something be purchased. They may be users or others in the organization.

2. Users. Those who will use the product or service. In many cases, the users initiate the buying proposal and help define the product requirements.

3. Influencers. People who influence the buying decision. They often help define specifications and also provide information for evaluating alternatives. Technical personnel are particularly important influencers.

4. Deciders. People who decide on product requirements or on suppliers.

5. Approvers. People who authorize the proposed actions of deciders or buyers.

6. Buyers. People who have formal authority to select the supplier and arrange the purchase terms. Buyers may help shape product specifications, but they play their major role in selecting vendors and negotiating. In more complex purchases, the buyers might include high-level managers.

7. Gatekeepers. People who have the power to prevent sellers or information from reaching members of the buying center. For example, purchasing agents, receptionists, and telephone operators may prevent salespersons from contacting users or deciders.

Several individuals can occupy a given role (e.g., there may be many users or influencers), and the individual may occupy multiple roles. A purchasing manager, for example, often occupies the roles of buyer, influencer, and gatekeeper simultaneously: he or she can determine which sales reps can call on other people in the organization; what budget and other constraints to place on the purchase; and which firm will actually get the business, even though others (deciders) might select two or more potential vendors who can meet the company's requirements.

The typical buying center has a minimum of five or six members and often has dozens. The buying center may include people outside the target customer organization, such as government officials, consultants, technical advisors, and other members of the marketing channel.