How to Purchase an Item?

* Users are members of the organization who will use the product or service. In many cases, users initiate the buying proposal and help define product specifications. * Influencers often help define specifications and also provide information for evaluating alternatives. Technical personnel are particularly important influencers. * Buyers have formal authority to select the supplier and arrange terms of purchase. Buyers may help shape product specifications, but their major role is in selecting vendors and negotiating. In more complex purchases, buyers might include high-level officers participating in the negotiations. * Deciders have formal or informal power to select or approve the final suppliers. In routine buying, the buyers are often the deciders, or at least the approvers. * Gatekeepers control the flow of information to others. For example, purchasing agents often have authority to prevent salespersons from seeing users or deciders. Other gatekeepers include technical personnel and even personal secretaries. * * Buying Center

* All the individuals and units that play a role in the purchase decision making process *

* Users *

* Members of the buying organization who will actually use the purchased prodect or service *

* Influencers *

* People in an organization’s buying center who affect the buying decision; they often help define * specifications and also provide information for evaluating alternatives. *

* Buyers *

* The people in the organization’s buying center that make an actual purchase. *

* Deciders Buying Center * * All the individuals and units that play a role in the purchase decision making process * * Users * * Members of the buying organization who will actually use the purchased product or service * * Influencers * * People in an organization’s buying center who affect the buying