77. Jenny was buying the company’s first digital copier, and she involved all of the company’s department heads in the decision. Jenny spent weeks
evaluating options, inviting RFPs, and negotiating with vendors before she finally made a purchase decision. This buying situation would most likely be
classified as a
78. Most B2B buying situations can be categorized as new buys, modified rebuys, and
79. The RFP stage of the B2B buying process is not required for
80. The buying decision is likely to be most complex and take longest to complete in a(n) __________ B2B buying situation.
81. In which buying situation is the buyer most likely to proceed through all six steps in the buying process?
82. Manitoba University is buying a distance learning system. Previously, the school had no distance learning technology. For Manitoba University this
represents a(n) __________ situation.
83. Olga is the sales rep for ATV Communication Systems. She wants to bid on the RFP issued by Manitoba University for distance learning
technology. She knows she will need to provide considerable information and demonstrations of her firm’s technology because Manitoba University is
in a new buy situation and does not have
84. When Natasha took over as facilities manager for Burlington Furniture Manufacturing, she was shocked to see the factory was still heated with a
coal-fired boiler. She made an immediate decision to upgrade the heating system to something more efficient, and began to research available options.
For Natasha and Burlington Furniture, this represented a(n) __________ situation.
85. In a(n) __________ situation, the buyer has purchased a similar product in the past but has decided to change some specifications.
86. When a business buyer decides to change specifications such as quality or options associated with products purchased in the past, the buyer is
engaged in a(n) __________ situation.
87. When Walmart considers reordering items for its stores, its buyers are instructed to negotiate price concessions, quality improvements, and/or added
options. In this situation, Walmart buyers are engaged in a(n) __________ situation.
88. In a modified rebuy situation, __________ are likely to have an advantage in getting the order.
89. When Val sees the RFP issued by one of his customers, he is concerned that the company has changed its specifications since it placed a previous
order with him. His company’s products do not meet the new specifications. In this situation, being the current vendor
90. A(n) __________ occurs when the purchasing agent orders additional units of products that have previously been purchased.
91. If a B2B customer is satisfied with an existing supplier, it will probably engage in a(n) __________ to purchase additional quantities of the item.
92. Yvonne uses her customer relationship management (CRM) system to predict when her business customers will need more of her company’s
packaging materials. When she thinks a customer should be ready to make another order, she contacts them. Yvonne is using CRM to encourage
customers to engage in a(n)
93. Phil put down the phone and told Alice, “I just love that customer. I got another big order, and they just keep on coming.” Phil is most likely selling to
a firm in what kind of buying situation?
94. When a business customer engages in a straight rebuy, the member of the buying center most likely to be involved in the purchase is the
95. In established businesses, a large proportion of B2B purchases fall into the __________ category.
96. The three types of buying situations
97. The __________ situation usually involves more members of a buying center and involves more time to complete than the other buying situations.
98. A(n) __________ situation in B2B marketing is similar to limited problem solving in the B2C process.
99. For B2B salespeople, usually the easiest sale is a(n) __________ situation.
100. The office policy and procedure states that any purchase requests that are $3,000 and over must be given to Mary Reynolds, who will obtain
authorization from the chief financial officer. Mary serves as a(n) __________ in the buying center.
101. The president of the Northwoods University student body made a formal request to the IT department for additional computers in the main
computer lab. The student body president is the __________ in the buying center.
102. The Northwoods University IT department is planning to buy additional computers for the computer lab. Pedro Bechara, manager of the lab, is
asked for a recommendation, and he suggests buying Macintosh computers instead of Windows PCs. What role does Pedro play in the buying center?
103. Bob Roberts founded Robertico, an equipment leasing company, three decades ago. Although he is now in his seventies, he still has a “hands on”
management style. His employees have learned that there isn’t much point in making purchase recommendations for new equipment, because Bob is
going to choose whatever he thinks is best regardless of their views. Robertico has a(n) __________ buying center culture.
104. A buying center that makes its decisions by majority vote is a(n) __________ buying center.
105. The local skydiving team is buying new parachutes. The team’s coach has invited all team members to make recommendations, after which he will
select the successful vendor. The skydiving team’s buying center has a(n) __________ organizational culture.
106. To maximize efficiency, farmers send their eggs to a __________ who handles sales and shipments to supermarkets.
107. The chair of the board of the local Humane Society chose the bank where the organization keeps its money; however, the office manager is the
primary person who makes deposits, writes checks, and balances the account every month. The office manager is the __________ in the buying center
for the bank account.
108. B2B partners often connect to each other on the Internet through special __________ designed to facilitate information exchanges and
transactions.
109. A wholesaler is an example of a
110. What type of B2B organization is a retail store such as T.J.Maxx?
111. Which of the following details is(are) included in the order specification stage of the B2B buying process?
112. Firms typically repurchase office supplies (paper, ink cartridges, pens, etc.) through straight rebuys on their supplier’s website. Should an office
supplies sales rep stay in close touch with his or her current customers? Why or why not?
113. Suppose that Volkswagen is preparing an RFP for a hands-free phone connection for a new car model. All of the following would be included in
the RFP except
114. Because they do so much driving while visiting doctors’ offices and hospitals, pharmaceutical sales representatives are often given company cars to
drive. When a pharmaceutical company like Merck is preparing to purchase new company cars, sales reps’ feedback will be sought on car models and
features, but the final decision will be made by higher levels of management. What role(s) do the sales reps play in the buying center?
115. Kimberly has just learned that Caribou Coffee is looking for a new source of commercial-grade coffee makers, one of the products she sells. She
knows Caribou has been in business for many years, but she has not been able to get any business from them. When developing her marketing strategy,
Kimberly will probably assume that this represents a(n) __________ situation for Caribou Coffee, and she will want to find out why Caribou is
considering alternatives.
116. Normally, BC bottling company attaches plastic labels to its bottles. However, a new regulation requires that the company now use fabric labels.
To use this latest innovation, BC bottling company must now source these fabric labels from another company. This is an example of
117. CA Technologies, a firm providing software and services to information technology departments, maintains a corporate blog. How can this blog
help CA Technologies with B2B marketing?
118. LinkedIn is mainly used for ________ in the B2B marketplace.
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119. Hinsdale High School has recently decided to sponsor a rugby team. It is in the process of considering where to buy the uniforms. This is a
________ situation.
120. Which step in the buying process is most likely to happen in a straight rebuy situation?
Essay Questions
121. Jackson owns a bike rental business at a resort destination. He is looking at the number of upcoming bookings to the resort to help him figure out
how many new bikes to purchase for next season. What type of demand is he facing?
122. Michelin Tire Company produces a variety of tires at factories in South Carolina. Name three B2B markets in which Michelin might sell its tires.
123. Warren used to sell cars at an automobile dealership. Now he sells repossession services to automobile dealers. To be successful, what changes in
the buying process will Warren have to adjust to?
124. Ellen is asked to create a vendor analysis process for a physician in private practice, evaluating suppliers of products such as medical supplies.
What should Ellen include in a formal vendor analysis using metrics?
125. Create a realistic example of a B2B buying center, describing the different roles played by members of the team.
126. The buying center concept has parallels in business-to-consumer buying situations when groups are making buying decisions. Describe a situation
where a group of consumers will make a purchasing decision and explain how consumer roles might mirror those in a buying center.
127. As a business-to-business marketer, would you prefer to market to a firm with an autocratic or a consensus buying center culture, and why?
128. How are the B2B and B2C buying processes different?
129. How is vendor analysis different from a consumer’s postpurchase evaluation?
130. Vance wants his company to consider using Vonage for VOIP telephone calls instead of its existing telephone provider. He approaches his
supervisor, the telecomm manager, and suggests this change. Describe the role that Vance plays in the buying center concept.
131. When Vance proposed switching the company to Vonage for VOIP telephone calls, he had to approach Deborah, assistant to the firm’s head of the
purchasing department, to find out how to proceed. Everyone in the company knows that nothing gets purchased without going through Deborah first.
132. The World Trade Organization creates proposals that are then discussed by more than 150 member countries and not approved until the proposal is
agreeable to all. Describe the type of organizational culture that exists in the WTO.
133. Why is it important for marketers to identify who plays which role in a buying center?
134. When Fulton University built its first dormitories, it hired a consulting engineer to advise the university in choosing an architectural firm and
contractor. For Fulton University, building its first dormitories represented what kind of buying situation?
135. Why is it important for sales representatives to know whether a potential business customer is making a new buy or a modified rebuy decision?
136. Identify and give an example of each of the four B2B markets.
137. Define derived demand and give an example of how demand for B2B sales is often derived from B2C sales.
138. Identify the four general types of organizational buying center cultures, and explain how these may impact the approach taken by a salesperson.
139. Of the three buying situations, in which one is a salesperson most likely to be involved?
140. Francesca is a textbook company salesperson about to call on the Philadelphia School District. She would like to know in advance whether the
school district’s buying center is autocratic or democratic. What types of behavior might she observe that would help her to tell which of these two types
of buying centers it is? How should she change her sales approach depending on which type it is?
141. Manufacturers like Volkswagen often have testing departments that test incoming parts and supplies. The primary reason for these
premanufacturing tests is to avoid using faulty materials in the manufacturing process that can cause major problems later on. How might Volkswagen
also use these results in the business-to-business buying process?
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142. Imagine that you are a sales representative for IBM, selling consulting services. Which of the four types of buying center cultures do you think it
would be easiest to sell to? Using the characteristics of the buying center culture you chose, explain why it was your choice, and how you would
approach selling to that type of buying center.
143. Suppose that six months ago, Levi Strauss & Co. began working with a new vendor for zippers, snaps, and other hardware used on its jeans. Now
the buying center wants to assess the new vendor’s performance. Describe how Levi Strauss & Co. might perform this assessment. Be specific.
144. Describe the four B2B markets and explain how their transactions differ.
145. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using the RFP process, both for the buying organization and the vendor.
146. A team of people are brought together to purchase new pews for a church. Father Andrew has been trying for years to get the church to buy new
pews, so he is thrilled. Mrs. Swanson, Father Andrew’s longtime secretary, feels very strongly that the pews need to be made of maple to match the old
pews, and they need to have cushions for the older people. Everyone is a little afraid of Mrs. Swanson because she manages Father Andrew closely and
no one gets to him without her OK. Mr. Jones called the meeting and is the chair of the committee, so he will ultimately choose which pews they will
purchase. Mrs. Leverett is the treasurer for the church and does all of the ordering. Using the six categories of roles within the buying center, state which
person is fulfilling each role.
147. Briefly describe the four types of buying centers and give an example of each.
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148. Name three ways a B2B marketer can enhance customer relationships.
149. What is a new buy, and what steps in the buying process does it typically go through?
150. Describe a straight rebuy situation, and explain how it differs from a modified rebuy.
151. When most of us think of Amazon, we think about what we, as consumers, can buy there—currently, just about anything. But Amazon is much
more than just a company that supplies consumers with books, household products, clothing, and so forth. Describe Amazon’s business-to-business
(B2B) transactions.
152. As their computing power and security demands escalate, few businesses want to maintain their own hardware and servers anymore. Instead, they
look to the cloud, where they seek to purchase more computing power, provided at a faster speed, with lower costs. Describe IBM’s response to this
customer need and the services provided by the cloud.
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Category # of Questions
AACSB: Analytical Thinking 80
AACSB: Knowledge Application 66
AACSB: Technology 6
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation 120
Blooms: Analyze 3
Blooms: Apply 57
Blooms: Create 2
Blooms: Evaluate 4
Blooms: Remember 34
Blooms: Understand 52
Difficulty: 1 Easy 35
Difficulty: 2 Medium 53
Difficulty: 3 Hard 64
Learning Objective: 07-01 Describe the ways in which business-to-business (B2B) firms segment their markets. 30
Learning Objective: 07-02 List the steps in the B2B buying process. 34
Learning Objective: 07-03 Identify the roles within the buying center. 24
Learning Objective: 07-04 Describe the different types of organizational cultures. 27
Learning Objective: 07-05 Detail different buying situations. 37
Topic: Allocating Resources 1
Topic: B2B Buying Process 49
Topic: Buyer-seller Relationships 24
Topic: Buying Center 47
Topic: Buying Situations 30
Topic: Product Value Creation 1